Gophers Basketball – Page 108 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Gap Widens with Gophers & Pro Rivals

Posted on November 3, 2016November 3, 2016 by David Shama

With two home dates remaining, it looks like average Gophers attendance per game could be the lowest since the team began playing at TCF Bank Stadium in 2009.

For five games the average attendance is 45,140. The lowest average for a season at TCF is 46,637 for seven games in 2012.

Last month the athletic department reported a decline of about 19 percent in the sale of nonstudent football season tickets from 2015, and a fall off in student sales too. Obviously single game sales have been slow as well. The Gophers didn’t even sell out their rivalry game with Iowa, announcing an attendance of 49,145.

Not only have their been no sellouts this season in the 50,805 seat stadium, but many of the best seats have been unoccupied for all games—even though customers paid premium prices for them.

The TCF Bank Stadium attendance problem highlights the lack of fan interest regarding the high profile programs of football, basketball and hockey at the University of Minnesota. Those three sports have been trending down in public popularity. They are positioned less favorably when compared to their professional counterparts than at any time in memory—certainly dating back to the start of the millennium when the NHL expansion Minnesota Wild joined the Timberwolves, Twins and Vikings as pro franchises in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

This fall the Vikings, Timberwolves and Wild are far outdistancing the Gophers in ticket buyers and general interest from Minnesota sports fans. The gap between the Vikings and Gophers has been in place for decades but a 5-0 start to the season and the opening of spectacular U.S. Bank Stadium widened the difference between the two products. The perception of the Gophers is that they have both an unproven coach and team that is playing a soft schedule following last year’s disappointing 2-6 Big Ten record.

Back in the 1980s Gophers basketball had TV ratings rivaling or surpass any team in town except for the Vikings. The Gophers were riding high with the public through much of the 1990s, too, until the academic fraud scandal eroded confidence and interest by the public. The program and attendance have been in decline for years. Minnesota has finished better than .500 in Big Ten games only twice since 2000 and earned just four trips to the NCAA Tournament during that period. Minnesota was 2-16 in Big Ten games last season, the worst record in program history. Sellout crowds used to be the norm for Big Ten games but now are rare at 14,625 seat Williams Arena.

The media is predicting the Gophers will finish toward the bottom of the Big Ten standings again, while the Timberwolves are forecast to be the NBA’s most improved team. The Wolves have a roster of exciting young talent led by Tom Thibodeau, a first-year coach here but long considered one of the best in pro basketball.

The Wild is off to a fast start after years of playoff disappointments. New coach Bruce Boudreau is an experienced NHL leader, and hockey insiders think he could be the franchise’s best coach since Jacques Lemaire. A deep playoff run next spring might send the Wild’s popularity to second place in this town behind only the Vikings.

“Pride on Ice” was the Gophers hockey mantra for years. If you hear those words now they might be mostly whispered. The Gophers didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament last season and haven’t won a national championship since 2003. NCAA titles have long been the expectation at Minnesota but now the Gophers even have difficulty beating instate rivals like St. Cloud State who swept them last month.

Fans don’t like seeing the hockey Gophers in the Big Ten after fashioning a glory-filled past in the WCHA. This weekend old rival North Dakota comes to town for nonconference games and that will put some sparkle back in Gophers hockey. Seats that often go unused at Mariucci Arena are likely to be filled. Perhaps there is a possibility of selling standing-room only tickets for the games Friday and Saturday night in 10,000 capacity Mariucci Arena.

ND is among the top ranked teams in the country and a Gophers sweep would put momentum back in the program. Such a scenario could be a step in narrowing the gap a bit between the Wild and Gophers. That would be good news for an athletic department with plenty of work to do with its football, basketball and hockey programs.

Worth Noting

The nationally ranked Gophers volleyball program has sold about 900 more nonstudent season tickets this year than last. At a $100 per season ticket, the total this year is 1,977 versus 1,074 in 2015.

The Gophers sold out their match last week against Penn State, attracting a crowd of more than 5,000 to the Sports Pavilion. Additional home sellouts are expected against Nebraska and Wisconsin. The Gophers (18-4 overall, 10-3 in Big Ten games) drew 4,883 fans last night in a home win over Indiana.

With a 3-2 conference record and four games remaining, the football Gophers are a contender for the Big Ten’s West Division title. To be competitive later this month in games against Nebraska, Northwestern and Wisconsin, head coach Tracy Claeys may need to use quarterback Mitch Leidner more as a ball carrier. “…If that means Mitch runs it more, then that’s what we’ll do,” Claeys said.

The senior quarterback has rushed only 55 times in seven games—an average of 7.9 carries per game.

Claeys after being asked about the possible impact on recruiting for next year after winning three consecutive games this fall: “I don’t think recruits ever judge anybody on three games. It all comes down to the end of the season and relationships.”

Jerick McKinnon, the Vikings running back who missed Monday night’s game with the Bears because of an ankle injury, told Sports Headliners yesterday he will play Sunday against the Lions. He expressed frustration with his longest run this season being only for 25 yards and wants to target 50 yards or more.

McKinnon said he has “nothing but great things” to say about departing offensive coordinator Norv Turner who taught him the importance of “attention to detail” involving route running, pass protection and other aspects of football.

Vikings power running back Matt Asiata has these words tattooed on his chest: “Wherever you go, whatever you do, just be the best. Dad.”

Left tackle Jake Long, 31, who played his second game for the Vikings against the Bears after signing as a free agent, didn’t want to comment on playing next season if he is asked to return. He said, though, “I love this game.”

Vikings management decided not to sell standing-room tickets for any games during the first season at U.S. Bank Stadium. A team spokesman said the intent is to let fans and management become accustomed to the new facility, and that the standing-room ticket subject will be reviewed after this season. There are no unsold tickets for Sunday’s game with the Lions.

The Vikings and Lions play in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. The Vikings are 5-1 in Thanksgiving Day games, and haven’t played in once since 2000 when they defeated the Cowboys. The Vikings have played all their Thanksgiving games on the road.

The Prep Bowl later this month, playing in U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time, could have total attendance of 40,000 or more. About 9,000 tickets had been sold as of earlier this week. Attendance was 24,917 last year at TCF Bank Stadium, while three years ago at the Metrodome it was 34,404.

Saint John’s head football coach Gary Fasching speaks to the CORES lunch group Thursday, November 10 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle is the scheduled speaker for Thursday, January 12. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

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Failing Offensive Line Clouds Vikes Future

Posted on November 1, 2016November 1, 2016 by David Shama

The Viking lost their second consecutive game last night, scoring one touchdown in a 20-10 loss in Chicago. The Vikings, 5-2, still lead the NFC North Division but after the surprising loss to the Bears, now 2-6, Minnesota’s results in their last nine regular season games is worth biting your nails over.

After two road losses the Vikings are at U.S. Bank Stadium to play the 4-4 Lions in another division game next Sunday. The Vikings’ energy and will figures to go up a notch next week but reality is this team is searching for answers—mostly due to a crisis with the offensive line.

Injuries have reshuffled the personnel and the argument is valid this could be the NFL’s worst offensive line. The Vikings haven’t been able to effectively run the ball all season and in the losses to the Eagles and Bears no one could blame Sam Bradford’s relatives for worrying about the quarterback’s safety. Bradford was under almost constant pressure last night, with the Bears making him hurry throws, while deflecting passes and taking him out of his throwing rhythm.

Sam Bradford (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

He was sacked five times including multiple times in the first half when the Vikings scored only three points. “I would not want to be Sam Bradford,” said ESPN game analyst Jon Gruden.

The Vikings scored their lone touchdown on a sharp throw by Bradford to Stefon Diggs for 25 yards. Trailing 20-10 with more than five minutes to go, the Vikings had an opportunity to narrow the lead but never got the ball back. The defense, perhaps the NFL’s best, couldn’t stop quarterback Jay Cutler and teammates who for much of the game out played Minnesota.

Today the NFL’s trading deadline ends and perhaps the Vikings can acquire help in the offensive line. With or without a new player, the unit will need to work on improving skills, energy and determination for the Lions. The usual electric atmosphere in U.S. Bank Stadium will help. Probably a lot. …

The 0-2 Timberwolves open their home schedule tonight against the Grizzlies. The team has plenty to prove, but first-year coach Tom Thibodeau and second-year center Karl-Anthony Towns rate high among their peers.

Thibodeau has a chance to build a resume in Minneapolis that eventually could list him as the best coach in Wolves history. For now the forlorn franchise can take comfort that he makes just about anybody’s rankings of the NBA’s top coaches—including Gregg Popovich (Spurs), Rick Carlisle (Mavericks), Erik Spoelstra (Heat), Steve Kerr (Warriors), Doc Rivers (Clippers) and Brad Stevens (Celtics).

Thibodeau led the Bulls to the playoffs in all five of his seasons as head coach in Chicago, including having the best record in the league the first two (2010-2012). Going into this season his .647 winning percentage ranked seventh in NBA history (minimum 200 games).

Towns was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year last season, and NBA authorities believe he’s just getting started. The league’s general managers said in a survey Towns is the player they would most want to start a franchise.

Beyond Thibodeau and Towns, though, things are murky. The Wolves blew leads and couldn’t close out games in road losses last week to the Grizzlies and Kings. The better NBA teams have a player or two who can make big plays and shots late in games. Towns can be a force but he can’t always carry the team in the clutch and make the biggest of shots. Third-year small forward Andrew Wiggins has the skills to be the top candidate to help but he hasn’t reached star status yet.

Power forward Gorgui Dieng, shooting guard Zach LaVine and point guard Ricky Rubio, the team’s other starters, have to play more consistently—just like Wiggins. They won’t be guaranteed starting spots as the season progresses, although the Wolves bench players have plenty to prove, too, including rookie Kris Dunn who fills in for the injured Rubio tonight.

Thibodeau won’t stand for lack of effort and toughness. Less talented players may be on the floor if they provide the most energy and grit. Expect an aggressive start by the Wolves tonight as they try to win their first game on a journey that will be considered a disappointment if they can’t end this season at .500. …

The Wild, playing some of the best hockey in the NHL, has the Sabres at home tonight but then doesn’t have another game at Xcel Energy Center until November 15 against the Flames. Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk shut out the Sabres last week in Buffalo and defenseman Ryan Suter had two points in the 4-0 win. Dubnyk had three shutouts last week—the first goalie in Wild history to accomplish that.

Iowa, the Wild’s affiliate team in Des Moines, was 2-1 in games last week. Iowa center and former Gopher Jordan Schroeder led the team with three points. …

Good news for former Gophers athletic director McKinley Boston who is out of a hospital in New Mexico after having a blood clot on his lung. …

Amir Coffey, the 6-8 freshman guard from Hopkins, makes his college debut Thursday night at Williams Arena when Minnesota plays Bemidji State in an exhibition game. “He is a tremendous passer,” said Gophers coach Richard Pitino.

Although Gophers forward Jordan Murphy almost led the Big Ten in rebound average per game last season, he didn’t receive the notoriety of some other top freshmen in the conference. “I think he has a big chip on his shoulder (going into this season),” Pitino said of Murphy.

The Gophers had a poor shooting performance in their intrasquad game open to the public on October 22. “I think we were just getting the jitters out,” said sophomore Dupree McBrayer who could start at shooting guard and be the backup point guard.

Junior center Reggie Lynch, 6-10, 260, gives the Gophers a low post scorer and shot blocker now that he is eligible after transferring from Illinois State. Three point shooting? Lynch said he attempted one three pointer in practice but has no plans to let one fly in a game.

When 6-9 freshman forward Eric Curry arrived in Minneapolis from Arkansas earlier this year he weighed about 220 pounds. He was told to gain weight and could eat “anything” he wanted. Calories and weight training have him up to 235 pounds. …

St. Thomas is offering $50 season tickets guaranteeing the same seat location for all men’s and women’s home games. …

It’s been a newsmaking fall for Badgers linebackers with Minnesota connections. Yesterday Eden Prairie’s Ryan Connelly was named co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his career-high 11 tackles against Nebraska on Saturday. Two weeks ago Jack Cichy, a native of Somerset, Wisconsin who attended Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, was honored as Defensive Player of the Week for his career-high 15 tackles against Ohio State. …

Creative Charters is offering an incentive to Gophers football fans who buy a travel package for the Nebraska game before 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 2. Purchase a $399 per person package for the game in Lincoln on Saturday, November 12 and receive a $50 voucher for a trip to Minnesota’s bowl game (site, date and opponent to be determined). Creative’s trip to Nebraska departs Minneapolis via Sun Country November 12 at 10 a.m. and returns following the game. More at Travelingopher.com, or 651-748-0080. …

Murray’s Restaurant owner Tim Murray attended the first two World Series games with friends, paying $160 per night for good seats at Cleveland’s Progressive Field. Murray estimated there were 7,000 or more Cubs fans at each of the games, and while they added excitement to the World Series environment he said there was less “electricity” in Cleveland than other cities where he has watched the series.

Murray, who has visited every stadium in Major League Baseball, has attended World Series games in Minnesota in 1965, 1987 and 1991, and also 1982 in Milwaukee, 1993 in Philadelphia and 2004 in St. Louis. The Indians, who lead the series 3-2, can finish the Cubs tonight in the best of seven games playoffs. “I would like to see the Cubs comeback but I think Cleveland wins one of the next two,” said Murray who is a fan of both teams. …

Derek Falvey, the Twins new top baseball executive who is closing out his front office responsibilities with the Indians, will likely be introduced to the Minneapolis-St. Paul media in the next several days. Falvey, 33, pitched for Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut where he was an economics major.

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Pitino Not Dwelling on Job Security

Posted on October 21, 2016October 21, 2016 by David Shama

Richard Pitino sat in his office this week and talked to Sports Headliners about the future and past, including why he doesn’t give much thought to his job security as men’s head basketball coach at Minnesota. He was calm and upbeat speaking about his team that will have an intrasquad scrimmage open to the public at Williams Arena tomorrow following the Gophers’ football game against Rutgers.

Pitino’s Gophers play Bemidji State in a home exhibition game November 3 and then the nonconference schedule begins November 11 at Williams Arena against UL-Lafayette. “I can’t wait for the season to get started,” Pitino said Wednesday.

The beginning of any season is usually anticipated positively, but the months ahead present an unusual opportunity for Pitino, his staff and players to upgrade their collective image and brand. The last couple of years have been that troubling on the court and off.

The 2015-2016 team had a 2-16 Big Ten Conference record, the worst in program history. The season before, a group that stirred anticipation about qualifying for the NCAA Tournament lost too many close games and finished with a 6-12 Big Ten record. The program has also been embarrassed by off-court incidents and player suspensions including the sex video scandal earlier this year. Those details only begin to document the troubles Pitino has seen in two of his three years as head coach.

After Pitino’s team won the NIT Tournament in his first season of 2013-2014, fans expected more big victories but the coach said on Wednesday he knew year three would be difficult because of a roster short on experience. Heading into this fall and winter the Gophers are building a more veteran roster and everyone agrees the talent has been upgraded.

New players to the roster bring a welcome mix of experience and skills. Those players include senior transfer guard Akeem Springs, junior transfer center Reggie Lynch, and three freshmen—guard Amir Coffey, and forwards Eric Curry and Michael Hurt.

Minnesota’s roster consists of four freshmen, five sophomores, five juniors and two seniors. That’s more experience than last year’s team that mostly relied on freshmen and sophomores. “The way that you win in this league is old,” Pitino said. “You gotta be old, and you gotta be experienced.”

The offseason was spent doing more than practicing basketball. Pitino arranged for “seven or eight” speakers to talk with players about non-basketball subjects including sex education, how to handle the pressures of being student-athletes, and job skills to make them hirable after college. Players were also involved with community service work, and Pitino said his guys want to have “people talking good about Gophers basketball again.”

Among the motivational speakers were former Gophers Walter Bond and Richard Coffey (Amir’s dad). Other alumni reached out to help, too, including U alum and NBA player Kris Humphries who hosted the players at his house to talk about his experiences. Pitino said the Gophers were engaged as they listened to presenters. “To their credit they didn’t just go through the motions. They were taking notes. They’re eager to learn. They’re eager to grow and I think they did that this summer.”

Pitino won’t talk about a number of wins he expects his team to have. “We’ve been in more close games than a lot of teams, and now we gotta go win them,” he said. “We gotta be disciplined and we gotta work our butts off to do it. It’s (the Big Ten) one of the toughest basketball conferences in college basketball. We’ve gotta do our very, very best to hold it down at home, (and) steal a few on the road.”

The following is a Q&A with the Gophers’ 34-year-old head coach who had a busy offseason in multiple ways including adding a baby daughter to the family with wife Jill, and attending weddings of two siblings.

Q—Are you worried about job security?

A—You try not to worry about those things as a coach. You try to lock in on the things that you can control because there is so much that goes into coaching in today’s world because of social media. There’s so much scrutiny into everything that you do that you try to narrow your focus to your family, your friends and your team. I think I do a pretty good job of that.

Q—What does new athletics director Mark Coyle expect from you?

A—I think he expects us to do things the right way. Work our butts off. Be as transparent as we possibly can with him about where we think we’re going, what we may need from him. He’s been nothing but supportive. He’s been great. I’ve loved working with him.

Q—What was the off-season like for you personally?

A—I think the most challenging thing you go through is an off-season when you don’t have a good year. It weighs on you mentally, big time. You lose a game during the season, you go right back to work. But when you end not the way you want to, it takes awhile to get over.

For me it’s exciting to get back to work, and to get back into that fight. I think our guys are eager, too. We don’t like to let our words do the talking. We like to let our actions speak for them. I think we’re that type of program. I am not a boastful guy but we’re quietly very excited about where we’re at.

Q—The Gophers’ overall record last season was 8-23. What was learned?

A—I think more than anything you learn, you grow, you evolve as a person and as a coach. I think you learn more from losing than you do winning. I thought we’d take a step back in year three (inexperienced roster). We probably took a bigger step back than we needed to but we were young. …There were a lot of young guys playing a lot of big games.

My biggest thing was to keep the players positive. Don’t let negativity and doubt creep into their minds. I thought we did a pretty good job of that. I thought we were playing pretty well at the end (of last season). We just needed to win some close games, and hopefully we break through this year.

Q—Part of the disappointment in 2016 were off-court incidents involving players. What was learned in regard to that?

A—They’re young kids. You’ve got to hold them accountable if they make a mistake and you’ve also got to educate them. I believe we did. We even had to sacrifice some losses in doing that (suspended players), and it was difficult but I believe it was the right thing for them. I believe it was the right thing for the program. I think moving forward they learned from it.

We did a lot over the summer. It’s important for people to look at this program in a positive light. Regardless of wins and losses, it means a lot to me that people value the type of character that we have in this program. We really worked hard over this summer to improve that. They did a great job in the classroom. They did a great job in the community. We brought some speakers in here to educate them.

So that’s our job to do that, and to stick by them. To not abandon guys when they make mistakes, and hopefully our program is stronger from it. I think our guys are very, very eager to show people what they’re all about off the court as well as on the court.

Q—Did you misjudge the character of recruits?

A—You can always get better. It’s not an exact science. You’re always trying to evolve, trying to gather as much information as you possibly can in recruiting. We’ll continue to do that. If we gotta get better, we’ll do it. We don’t have all the answers, we try to find them. We’ll exhaust every option to do that.

Q—Is it realistic to think one day you can lock down the state regarding all the best high school players in Minnesota?

A—I am encouraged (for 2015-2016) because we got the two best players out of the state in Amir Coffey and Michael Hurt. …Reggie Lynch is (also) a local kid and transferred from Illinois State. He was one of their better players (but)…he wanted to come home and play for the state. It really had nothing to do with me.

I am encouraged by (guard) Jarvis Johnson, even though he hasn’t played yet (because of a medical issue). We recruited one of the best players out of the state (in Johnson, a freshman in 2015-2016).

…I love where recruiting is going. It’s important to recruit the state. It’s also important to recruit the best fit for your team at the time.

Q—Williams Arena opened in 1928. Does the building need to be renovated or replaced?

A—The Barn is an iconic building that I would never touch. When I got here we updated the locker room, (and) the players’ lounge. Things like that you can always improve. The building is terrific.

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