Gophers Basketball – Page 112 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Recruiting Trying to Win West Division

Posted on February 1, 2017February 1, 2017 by David Shama

National Signing Day is today and the Gophers won’t top the football recruiting rankings in the Big Ten West, but in the future they might be on their way to consistently being equal to or ahead of programs like Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa.

New Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck has impressed those who track college football recruiting. The 36-year-old Fleck has a nonstop passion for his job and a head full of ideas including communications with recruits through social media. The January 30 issue of Sports Illustrated even devoted space to Fleck in its article about how “the recruiting game has gone digital, mobile and high concept, and any coach who wants to compete needs a hot designer on his roster.”

Creativity is a frequently used word associated with college football recruiting. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh grabs a headline singing a rap song; Ohio State’s Urban Meyer gets into a bidding war with Texas over a graphic designer; and Nick Saban dazzles Alabama recruits with his massive home that is just a golf cart ride away from a lake.

Whether Fleck can ultimately recruit and coach at an elite level will have everything to do with the Gophers’ football future. He inherits a program and team that has been resurrected but hasn’t reached championship status. Minnesota has won two consecutive bowl games and totaled eight wins or more in three of the last four seasons. Yet the Gophers haven’t been Big Ten champs since 1967, have never won a Big Ten West Division title and hold no wins over Wisconsin since 2003.

Recruiting authority Ryan Burns has been impressed with Fleck since he was hired in early January. National recruiting websites have jumped the Gophers way ahead of where their 2017 class was ranked before Fleck arrived in Minneapolis. Fleck has out-recruited Power Five rivals for players, convincing some to commit to him without visiting the University of Minnesota campus.

Burns, publisher of the GopherIllustrated.com website, thinks Fleck’s recruiting will ultimately lead the Gophers to playing “meaningful games” in November. The GopherIllustrated website includes national team rankings from Scout which as of this morning assigns the seven Big Ten West Division programs the following rankings: Nebraska No. 18; Minnesota No. 33; Illinois No. 34, Iowa No. 41; Northwestern No. 48; Wisconsin No. 53; and Purdue No 77.

“It’s interesting to see them (the Gophers) going after kids with P-Five offers—compared to going against (programs like) Troy and Louisiana-Lafayette,” Burns told Sports Headliners. “He’s (Fleck) trying to make his stamp, and for only being here for three weeks, obviously he’s raised his class. They’re in the 30’s now (in the rankings). They’re firmly above Iowa and Wisconsin. I think that they can sustain that (in future years).

“I think that Nebraska (strong California recruiting base) is probably going to be at the top of the recruiting ranks in the Big Ten West most years but I think there is no reason that they (the Gophers) can’t come in second or third. Especially continue to beat Iowa and Wisconsin because P.J. is very charismatic once he gets in a living room. He knows how to sell. He knows how to get the job done.”

Other recruiting websites don’t have the Gophers ranked as high as Scout. Rivals, for example, has Minnesota No. 53 and trailing No. 38 Iowa and No. 45 Wisconsin. But what’s not debatable is the Gophers have shot up the recruiting charts in the short time Fleck has been head coach, including moving from No. 77 to No. 49 in Rivals’ rankings.

As signed National Letters of Intent reach the Gophers’ football office today, fans of the program can feel optimism about a class expected to include more than 25 scholarship student-athletes. When Burns looks at the incoming talent that Minnesota will officially announce later today, he offers stories that substantiate his optimism about Fleck’s recruiting.

Burns has been following and writing about Gophers recruiting for years and until now he couldn’t recall Minnesota getting a player that Notre Dame was making a run for. That’s what happened last month when Fleck received a verbal commitment from Portland, Oregon cornerback Demetrius Douglas who Burns said Oregon also wanted.

Burns also said the Gophers took a player away from the Hawkeyes in Kansas native and wide receiver Harry Van Dyne. His older brother is going to Iowa as a walk-on and Burns said the Hawkeyes coveted Harry.

Burns mentioned additional high quality players who turned down offers from other major schools including four-star safety Ken Handy-Holly from Alabama, and cornerback Adam Beck from Texas who said no thanks to schools like Colorado and flipped his original commitment to Texas Tech.

Quarterback Tanner Morgan has already enrolled at the U and Burns has high praise for the Kentucky native who reportedly turned down an offer from national power Louisville. “I think Tanner Morgan has the best quarterback tape you’ve seen from a Gopher quarterback signee in at least four or five years,” Burns said.

Burns wouldn’t be that surprised if the Kentucky native starts for Minnesota next fall. “I think if he can get down the offense, he could absolutely play from day one.”

Worth Noting

It’s interesting that in today’s high-tech world, athletes send their signed National Letters of Intent via fax to their colleges of choice. Holding up a signed fax does provide a news photo opportunity.

The Gophers have sold 253 new season tickets since Fleck was hired, according to an email from an athletic department spokesman. who noted no “aggressive ticket push” has been made so far to sell tickets.

The Big Ten Network will have National Signing Day programming from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

A person who should know says it’s likely Apple Valley junior point guard Tre Jones will sign with Duke next fall, following his brother Tyus’ path to playing for legendary Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Richard Pitino’s Gophers have lost five consecutive games and play at Illinois Saturday afternoon. Minnesota is 1-3 at home and 2-3 on the road in Big Ten games. Earlier this season Pitino said: “In this league you better win at home. It’s extremely important.”

Four of the Gophers’ six defeats have been by seven points or fewer including overtime losses to Michigan State by one and Wisconsin by two. On the road Minnesota does have a nine point overtime win against Purdue and four point victory versus Northwestern.

Pitino had a difficult stretch with close losses two years ago when his Gophers lost eight conference games by six points or less. There were NCAA Tournament hopes before the season for that team but Minnesota finished with a 6-12 Big Ten record and didn’t play in the postseason other than the conference tournament.

The Timberwolves, who have won eight of their last 11 games, play the NBA champion Cavs tonight in Cleveland. Web rumors are Knicks basketball boss Phil Jackson is interested in acquiring Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio and Cavs power forward Kevin Love, the former Wolves star who played a key role in last year’s game seven playoff win over the Warriors. The passing skills of Rubio and Love on the Knicks would be great for Jackson’s famous triangle offense.

A record 381 MIAC student-athletes have earned Academic All-Conference recognition for their classroom work last fall. They had a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale. Student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with at least one year (two semesters) at their institution to be eligible for the recognition. The MIAC saw its record total of honorees rise for the fifth straight year, exceeding by 24 the record of 357 set in 2015.

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Physical Teams Take It to Gophers

Posted on January 12, 2017January 12, 2017 by David Shama

The Gophers have surprised their critics this season with 15 wins in their first 18 games but there is a message in the three losses. Minnesota, winners of only two Big Ten games last season and now much improved, has lost those three games to more physical and aggressive top 20 ranked teams.

Michigan State, after last night’s drubbing of the Gophers in East Lansing, has now defeated Minnesota twice. The Gophers other loss was to Florida State, a team with big guards and four front court players 6-9 or taller including 7-1, 304-pound center Michael Ojo and 7-4 (not a typo) center Christ Koumadje.

Few teams, if any, can match the size of Florida State but Michigan State has bruising freshmen Nick Ward (6-8, 250) and Miles Bridges (6-7, 230). And what the Spartans may lack in inches and heft is made up for in aggression.

Last night the Spartans flummoxed the Gophers, shutting down driving lanes and contesting shots. When the Gophers did have decent looks at the basket they couldn’t make enough shots. The Spartans also beat up Minnesota on the boards and made more hustle plays.

“We just could not find a way to get an easy basket,” Gophers coach Richard Pitino said during his postgame interview on 1500 ESPN. “I thought we had a couple decent looks, but you know overall we’re not the toughest team, even from an offensive standpoint of screening, being strong with the ball. …”

It doesn’t help when Minnesota’s most physical player, 6-10, 260-pound junior center Reggie Lynch, is consistently in foul trouble and on the bench. Last night in the 65-47 loss Lynch fouled out for the fourth time in the last five games. He has fouled out of both games against the Spartans.

The Gophers were behind 39-17 at halftime and looked frustrated. Maybe there was a hangover feeling from the overtime loss to the Spartans in Minneapolis on December 27. Minnesota led 39-26 at intermission and was clearly the superior team in execution, if not effort. The Spartans, though, were by far the more assertive players in the second half. Among the telling final stats was MSU scored 12 more points in the lane than the Gophers.

The Gophers, now 3-2 in Big Ten games, face a momentum test Saturday at Penn State. Minnesota needs to stop its losing streak at one against a Nittany Lions team that has been at home all week preparing for Saturday’s game. With an 11 a.m. Minneapolis start time, the Gophers won’t have to wait long to see how things go against a 2-2 PSU group team that defeated MSU last week, 72-63.

Worth Noting

Tom Izzo has been Michigan State’s head coach since the 1995-1996 season. Early on he competed against Minnesota coach Clem Haskins, and he got to know legendary Minneapolis newspaper columnist and radio personality Sid Hartman. When Izzo was in town a couple of weeks ago he was asked about the 96-year-old Hartman, who is recovering from a broken hip.

“I get a kick out of Sid,” Izzo told Sports Headliners. “…He always was good to me. There were wars when Clem was here, when I first started, and Sid always had something to say. He wasn’t afraid to tell you how he felt, but I thought he listened and understood. There are a couple people up here (in Minneapolis) I really appreciate and he’s one of them.

“He’s still an ornery (guy). He still doesn’t belong in heaven yet. That’s why he’s not there, because God is negotiating the terms. But someday he’ll end up there and I just hope it’s not for a few years yet.”

Hartman wrote his first column for 2017 in today’s Star Tribune.

Ryan James, the prep basketball authority from GopherIllustrated.com, has watched both Isaiah Washington and Jamir Harris play. The two high school guards signed National Letters of Intent with the Gophers last fall, and James is impressed with their skills. Washington (from New York City) is among the nation’s elite point guards, while Harris (New Brunswick, New Jersey) is a combo guard.

“Isaiah Washington is a guy you describe as having New York juice,” James told Sports Headliners. “He has so much shake, so much burst with his initial attack. It’s matched by very few. He is one of the best players I saw all summer in transition. He makes the right decision in pushing the ball nine times out of 10, whether it’s a quick pitch, attack and dish, or if he goes at the rim.

“Outstanding pull-up jumper. Streaky shooter at the arc but he can be a good shooter out there. …He’s just an aggressive playmaker, and he has the capability of being a great defender. He just has to do it more consistently.”

James believes Harris could average double figures in points as a Gopher. “The first thing you think of is shooter. …He is really strong, high character guy—like he was looking at Stanford. He was looking at the Ivy League.”

James believes Washington definitely has all-Big Ten potential. He also said Harris could be an all-Big Ten academic selection.

In 13 home games this season the Gophers are averaging 9,091 in 14,625 capacity Williams Arena. In 10 games the Gopher women’s team is averaging 3,065.

Steve Fritz bobblehead (photo courtesy of University of St. Thomas)

St. Thomas will celebrate Steve Fritz Bobblehead Day Saturday during a home basketball doubleheader with Concordia College at Schoenecker Arena. Fritz enrolled as a student at St. Thomas in 1967, and he has worked at the St. Paul school since 1971, including 10 years as an assistant men’s basketball coach, 31 years as head coach and 25 years as athletic director. St. Thomas will sell the bobbleheads for $15 each during the 1 p.m. women’s game and the 3 p.m. men’s game against the Cobbers. Fritz, who is still the AD, will greet fans and sign bobbleheads (also available in the Tommie Shop in the Anderson Student Center as of next Monday).

GopherIllustrated.com publisher Zach Johnson talking about how the ultra optimistic and turbocharged personality of new Gophers coach P.J. Fleck could prompt media cynicism: “…I hope the media doesn’t beat him down—force him to create a shell around the program and around himself, and sort of try to protect himself from that (type of) media. I hope he just continues to be who he is. If he wins, he can make those columnists eat crow.”

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, who may announce his retirement this offseason, turns 34 today.

Vikngs defensive tackle Linval Joseph has been named to the Pro Bowl replacing the injured Aaron Donald of the Rams.

Bruce Boudreau, the Wild’s first-year coach who has directed Minnesota to the second best record in the NHL’s Western Conference, earns $2,760,000, according to Otherleague.com, a website listing compensation for league coaches. He is the first head coach in NHL history to lead three different teams (including the Wild) to win streaks of 11-plus games.

The Wild will play eight of their 12 games in February at Xcel Energy Center. After February 7, the team has only one game away from home during the month.

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Could Adrian Peterson Land with Pack?

Posted on January 10, 2017January 10, 2017 by David Shama

At 31 years of age Adrian Peterson is coming off a torn meniscus rehab that sidelined him for most of last season, yet he wants to play deep into his 30s. It seems unlikely, though, that he will find a lot of offers in 2017 or beyond.

Destined to make the Pro football Hall of Fame one day and the greatest running back in Vikings history, Peterson faces obstacles that even he may struggle to overcome. The Vikings have written checks in the past making him one of the NFL’s best paid players but if the club is interested in bringing him back in 2017 his compensation will be greatly reduced. His present nonguaranteed deal with the club reportedly will count $18 million against the team’s salary cap.

Peterson voiced his desire recently to remain a Viking and hinted he might be willing to accept a pay cut, per media reports. A new nonguaranteed contract at perhaps a few million dollars, plus loaded with incentives based on number of games played and yards gained, might be what awaits Peterson wherever he lands in 2017. It’s believed Peterson has lost a step in his explosive running and at his age even teams in need of running backs are likely to look elsewhere.

To some observers Peterson comes with baggage including his infamous 2014 incident in disciplining one of his out of wedlock children. It wouldn’t be surprising if there are those in the Vikings front office who prefer to part with Peterson for more than football reasons, although head coach Mike Zimmer recently described his veteran as still “a really good back” and said he was hopeful about having him on the 2017 roster.

It would certainly be intriguing if Peterson ended up playing for the Packers next season. The team’s main ball carrier in recent years has been Eddie Lacy and he is an unrestricted free agent in 2017. The Packers have had an on again, off again relationship with the talented 26-year-old Lacy.

The Packers have been using converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery at running back. He’s shown promise and among his skills are catching the ball, something that has never been a Peterson strength. If the Packers stick with the Montgomery experiment, perhaps they like the idea of alternating him with a power runner in Peterson.

An opportunity to play with the great Aaron Rodgers and a team that is consistently in the playoffs certainly might appeal to Peterson who in 10 previous seasons has never played in a Super Bowl. It could be like payback time for Packers fans if Peterson had a couple of successful seasons in Green Bay after that franchise’s Brett Favre ended his career with the Vikings, nearly taking Minnesota to the 2010 Super Bowl.

Another team usually in preseason Super Bowl speculation is the Seahawks who might need a veteran running back in 2017, too. Coach Pete Carroll is a risk-taker and known for his willingness to deal with players having strong personalities. Minnesota fans saw that when Carroll was willing to acquire troubled but talented Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin in 2013. Seattle’s leading regular season rusher in 2016, Thomas Rawls, gained 349 yards. Quarterback Russell Wilson was second with 259 yards.

A couple of years ago it seemed that Peterson, a Texas native, might end up in Dallas. But that opportunity is all but gone with the Cowboys having a breakthrough season led by multiple players including rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott who rushed for a league leading 1,631 yards.

It’s a good guess the Vikings will try to find their Ezekiel in the draft. Although Elliott was taken in the first round, it’s not unusual to find quality runners in the second rounds and beyond. The NFL’s second leading rusher this season was rookie Jordan Howard, a fifth round pick by the Bears in 2016. Drafting a running back in 2017 seems likely to be on the Vikings to-do list, or perhaps even pursue a free agent. Both those directions seem more probable than a Peterson return.

Worth Noting

Paul Wiggin evaluates offensive and defensive linemen on other teams for the Vikings. He also watched this past season when Minnesota’s offensive line was devastated by injuries. Even when available the team’s linemen have been criticized for their performances, but Wiggin told Sports Headliners, “I think our problem is not necessarily” to acquire a new line. Instead, it’s to get players healthy, he said.

Left tackle Matt Kalil, a No. 1 draft choice in 2012, missed 14 games because of his knee injury. He has frequently been the target of frustrated fans in the past but as an unrestricted free agent this offseason teams considering him are likely to include the Vikings.

“I think they will try to work something out with Kalil,” Wiggin said. “Kalil is a pretty good football player. (But) I can’t speak for the organization. I don’t know. That’s not my job. I am not the front office, from that standpoint.”

Guard Alex Boone has played left tackle at Ohio State and with the 49ers. Could the Vikings switch him to the left tackle spot where T.J. Clemmings struggled so much in 2016? “I am not on the inside on that kind of thing, but my opinion is I think Boone is more of a guard,” Wiggin said.

Wiggin, whose title with the Vikings is personnel consultant, played defensive end in the NFL in the 1950s and 1960s. His football experiences include being head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and at Stanford, his college alma mater.

Stanford junior running back Christian McCaffrey, who is declaring early for the NFL Draft, decided to skip the Cardinal’s bowl game and prepare for his pro career. That’s not something Wiggin liked. “I am offended by what he did to Stanford but I do think he’s going to be a great player (in the pros).”

The men’s basketball Gophers, 15-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, have their first top 25 national ranking since February of 2013. In this week’s A.P. and USA Today Coaches polls Minnesota is No. 24, joining Purdue and Wisconsin as the only Big Ten teams in the rankings.

“Rankings mean absolutely1,000 percent nothing to me,” Minnesota coach Richard Pitino said after his team defeated Ohio State on Sunday. “RPI means something to me. Strength of schedule means something to me. …Rankings are for the fans.”

The Gophers have the fifth best RPI in the country and rank seventh in strength of schedule, according to espn.com. Minnesota is tops in the Big Ten in RPI and second in strength of schedule to Nebraska.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta talking about the Gophers: “They’re a very, very good basketball team. No question.”

With fall semester over, word is the Gophers are solidly academically and all players will be eligible this winter.

Minnesota freshman forward Amir Coffey is averaging 12.8 points per game, second best on the team. He was named Monday as Big Ten Freshman of the Week after leading the team in scoring in wins over Northwestern and Ohio State.

His sister, Nia Coffey, was supposed to lead the 13-4 and 2-2 Northwestern team against the Gophers (10-7 and 1-3) tomorrow night at Williams Arena but the game has been postponed following the unexpected death of the Wildcats’ Jordan Hankins. Nia leads the Wildcats in scoring at 20.8 points per game and is third among Big Ten players. The 6-1, senior forward from Hopkins High School also leads the Wildcats and the league in rebounding at 11.2 and her blocked shots average of 1.9 is tied for second best in the Big Ten.

Coach John Anderson said last week that ticket prices will be announced soon for the Gophers debut baseball games in U.S. Bank Stadium February 17-19 against UC Irvine. Seating will be general admission only.

Anderson’s nine player recruiting class announced last month will enroll in school this summer. Some college baseball programs enroll players in January but Big Ten teams don’t.

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