Gophers Basketball – Page 117 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Contractor Role Next for Jerry Kill

Posted on February 29, 2016February 29, 2016 by David Shama

The public may not understand that Jerry Kill will have a role with the University of Minnesota in the coming weeks. News reports last week made it clear the former Gophers football coach and the University couldn’t agree on a full-time position for Kill, but he has accepted an invitation to be an independent contractor for his ex-employer.

Kill was upbeat speaking to Sports Headliners on Friday from Las Vegas where he was vacationing with family. His conversations with Gophers’ interim athletic director Beth Goetz led to an understanding that Kill, depending on his schedule, will be available to appear at University events. “I said whatever works out, if you need me, give me a call,” Kill said.

Goetz tweeted the following last week: “Looking forward to continuing our relationship with Jerry, already planning some great engagement this spring.” (An unsuccessful request for an interview with Goetz was made by Sports Headliners.)

Kill said dates and specifics regarding events for the University are so far undetermined. Since moving from Minneapolis to his lake home in Illinois, Kill has become self-employed with a busy schedule that includes public speaking.

“I don’t know how many times (for University activities)—or even if I am going to be available—because I’ve got a pretty good (busy) schedule,” Kill said. “I think they’re trying to tie some things in there because I am speaking in Minnesota twice in March. I am probably speaking six or seven days in Minnesota in the month of April, so I think I can tie some things in when I am there.”

Kill is revered by University boosters. At the time he resigned as head coach last fall because of his health, he had become the face of the athletic department and the most popular University figure. His influence with school supporters, including financial donors, is needed by the University including for the still in progress fundraising for the Athletes Village project.

Will Kill, as an independent contractor, be asked to raise funds? “If they ask me (to be) in a donor situation, I have no problems with it,” he said. “It’s whatever they need me to do. I have no problems at all.”

Friends of Kill wish he and the University had reached agreement on a full-time position. It appears a stumbling block to such an agreement was defining a role that included the lifetime coach having direct interaction with student-athletes.

Kill, 54, will be in Fort Worth this week helping Gary Patterson, the TCU coach, evaluate the Horned Frogs football team. Kill is still shaping his post-football life but is already involved with speaking assignments, looking after his Chasing Dreams Fund through the Epilepsy Foundation, and writing a book.

Last week he was having fun in Las Vegas with wife Rebecca, and Kill’s brother and his wife. “We don’t ever get to do these kinds of things because we’ve been involved in football so much,” Kill said. “So this is a real treat.”

Did he win any money in Vegas? “No, I haven’t won any money. The first night I dropped $90 and quit.”

Worth Noting

Rivals.com Gophers basketball writer Ryan James praises Rochester John Marshall senior guard Michael Hurt. James said Hurt, who will be on scholarship with the Gophers next season, excels at catching and shooting the ball. He described Hurt as a “hard worker,” effective team defender and a player with a high on-court I.Q. “You can trust Michael,” James told Sports Headliners.

The Gophers’ only scheduled men’s basketball game this season with Wisconsin is Wednesday night at Williams Arena. The Badgers, among the nation’s winningest programs since 2000, have built part of their success on recruiting Minnesota high school players. Wisconsin’s roster this season includes Minnesota natives and reserves Alex Illikainen and Jordan Smith. Illikainen, a 6-9 freshman from Grand Rapids, is averaging 10.9 minutes per game and 2.6 points. Smith, a 6-3 redshirt senior guard from Orono, averages 1 minute and 0.6 points per game.

Gophers football coach Tracy Claeys said that despite going into spring practice tomorrow with a new offensive coordinator “probably about 75 percent of the offense is the same.” As for position switches of players, defensive lineman Mose Hall is moving to offensive tackle for a trial period. Claeys said after five or six practices evaluation will be made about other players possibly switching positions.

Ex-quarterback Chris Streveler will continue as a wide receiver and special teams player. Claeys said he didn’t see a scenario right now where Streveler, who for much of last year was a QB, would return to that position. “The kid works hard,” Claeys said. “He’s a good athlete (and) he loves the game of football.”

Former Gophers administrator Phil Esten, who helped lead planning for TCF Bank Stadium, is involved with a review of Penn State’s facilities for its 800 athletes. Esten is deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer for the Nittany Lions athletic department.

The Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association will sponsor two all-star games for seniors this year. The June 25 game for 2016 seniors will be at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud. The December 10 game for 2017 seniors will be at the new downtown U.S. Bank Stadium. In 2017 and after, there will be only one all-star game per year and it will be played in December at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Former Eden Prairie High School running back Anthony Anderson is now at Iowa Western Community College and has a scholarship offer from Marshall University, but is still deciding on his college football future, according to Western coach Scott Strohmeier.

The first of 11 Twins spring training games on Fox Sports North will be this Thursday when Minnesota plays the Red Sox in Fort Myers starting at 6:05 p.m.

Rick Prescott from Minneapolis has written a book called “The Dome Is Down: Saying Goodbye to the Metrodome.” The dedication page says, “This book is dedicated to anyone who just before entering the Metrodome for an indoor baseball game on a sunny day, looked up at a beautiful blue sky and thought, ‘Today would be a great day for outdoor baseball.’ ”

WCHA commissioner Bill Robertson is expecting near sellout or sellout crowds for the women’s WCHA Final Face-Off on Saturday and Sunday at Ridder Arena. “We’ve got three of the top 10 ranked teams in the country competing in this tournament, which is outstanding,” he told Sports Headliners.

In the latest USCHO.com national poll Minnesota is ranked No. 2, followed by Wisconsin at No. 3, and North Dakota No. 8. Minnesota Duluth is the fourth team in the tournament involving WCHA teams who advanced from the first round of playoff games.

Wisconsin and Minnesota Duluth face off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, then starting at 5 p.m. the Gophers play North Dakota in the second semifinal. Winners advance to Sunday’s championship game at 2 p.m.

General admission and reserved seating are available for the tournament. More information about tickets is on the Gophers and WCHA websites.

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Wild & GM Face Playoff Pressure

Posted on February 24, 2016February 24, 2016 by David Shama

Chuck Fletcher has hired three head coaches for the Wild including interim boss John Torchetti who took over earlier this month for the fired Mike Yeo. A hockey source knowledgeable about the NHL told Sports Headliners that Fletcher, the Wild’s general manager, could be dismissed if the club doesn’t make the playoffs this spring.

The source, who asked that his name not be used, believes Fletcher is under scrutiny by owner Craig Leipold. Fletcher, who was named the team’s general manager in 2009, hired Todd Richards as his first coach shortly after coming to Minnesota. Richards was let go and replaced by Yeo in 2011. Like any general manager, Fletcher will be evaluated for his coaching hires, personnel decisions and overall performance by the team.

The Wild has been unable to make a deep playoff run during the Fletcher era and twice didn’t qualify for the postseason. This year’s team has underachieved and it’s debatable whether Minnesota will qualify for the playoffs. Under Yeo the Wild struggled this winter with goal scoring, and players seemed uptight on the ice.

The Wild impressed winning its first four games under Torchetti who was promoted from Minnesota’s Iowa farm team. The Wild’s roster is talented enough to make the playoffs but the club’s spotty play—including eight consecutive home losses prior to Yeo’s dismissal—has agitated fans.

The source said the Wild may want to raise ticket prices for next season, but a non-playoff spring wouldn’t effectively position a price hike with customers. The club’s winning streak ended in last night’s 4-1 loss to the Islanders. More will be learned about Torchetti and the team after road games Thursday and Friday against the Flyers and Capitals. The interim coach’s fate could be determined by whether Minnesota qualifies for the playoffs.

The Wild are coming off a high from last Sunday’s 6-1 Stadium Series win against the Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium. Although the franchise has long promoted itself as representing the “State of Hockey,” Sunday’s game was the first time the NHL allowed the Wild to host an outdoor contest. The reason? The club’s lackluster won-lost records and image season after season.

The Wild, no doubt, would like to some day host a January 1 NHL Winter Classic, an even more prestigious outdoor game than the Stadium Series. The impressive way the organization handled Sunday’s game will help the cause but there might be a problem. That game didn’t sell out, and Leipold said in the February 21 Star Tribune a reason was because the NHL sent 4,000 tickets to his club on late notice. The Sports Headliners source said the NHL office didn’t like the publicity, and he added that last minute tickets were available for half the face value price.

Worth Noting

The Wild’s next home game is Sunday against the Panthers, the only franchise never to win a regular season game at Xcel Energy Center. All-time Minnesota is 6-0-2 at home against Florida.

The University of Minnesota received $800,000 in rent for last Sunday’s Wild-Blackhawks Stadium Series game.

It was 36 years ago today that the U.S. Olympic Hockey team won its gold medal game against Finland. The “Miracle on Ice” roster included Minnesota players and was led by legendary ex-Gophers coach Herb Brooks. The trainer was Gary Smith who is now working with Eden Prairie High School teams.

Ex-Gophers head football coach Jerry Kill spoke at an NFL seminar in Tampa last Saturday. Speakers included former Gophers quarterback and Vikings assistant coach Tony Dungy who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer. Kill told Sports Headliners he will be in Fort Worth next week to help his friend Gary Patterson, the TCU head coach, evaluate the Horned Frogs.

Gophers football coach Tracy Claeys speaks to the CORES luncheon group on Thursday, March 10 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. Reservations and more information are available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

Minnesota’s first spring football practice is next Tuesday. The annual spring game starts at 12:45 p.m. on April 9 at TCF Bank Stadium.

Gophers’ freshman forward Jordan Murphy earned his eighth double-double of the season last night in Minnesota’s 83-61 win over Rutgers at Williams Arena. He had 19 points and 14 rebounds. That performance followed up on last week’s 17 points and game-high 11 rebounds in Minnesota’s upset win over top-10 nationally ranked Maryland.

Big Ten career scoring leader Rachel Banham plays her last regular season home game tonight for the Gophers against Ohio State. She and fellow seniors Mikayla Bailey and Shayne Mullaney will be recognized in front of an appreciative crowd. Draftsite.com has projected Banham as the first pick in the second round of the 2016 WNBA Draft.

Yesterday would have been the 61st birthday of former Timberwolves coach and executive Flip Saunders who died last fall.

Former AWA tag team champions Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne will sign autographs Saturday as part of the Triple Crown Sports Show at Southtown Center in Bloomington. The “High Flyers” will be available from noon to 2 p.m. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Reader Bob Klas, Jr. noted that among the more obscure Minnesota pro sports franchises not mentioned in Monday’s Sports Headliners column was a short-lived professional bowling team—the Twin Cities Skippers who were part of the National Bowling League and competed at a Bloomington facility that later became the Carlton Celebrity Room. “San Antonio had the good sense not to spend a dime on a facility for their team, as they played every match on the road,” Klas wrote in an e-mail.

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Experts See Vikings as NFL Contenders

Posted on February 4, 2016February 4, 2016 by David Shama

Maybe it’s no pipe dream to believe the Vikings will play in the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis.

Former Cowboys personnel authority Gil Brandt, now writing for Nfl.com, said in a January 28 story the Panthers and Seahawks top his list of teams with the biggest Super Bowl windows, but he is aware of the Vikings. He identified six teams that are best positioned to compete for championships for awhile: the Panthers, Seahawks, Steelers, Bengals, Vikings and Patriots.

Brandt ranked the Vikings No. 5 mostly because of a strong nucleus of defensive players, anticipated improvement of third-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, and the excellence of Adrian Peterson who led the NFL in rushing last season and might repeat at age 31. Brandt wrote the Vikings are “by no means perfect” but are an ascending club in a division where the Packers, the longtime king of the hill, are a “bit of a descending team.”

Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema, who remains close to the team, has predicted for about a year his former club will be in the 2017 Super Bowl. “This (coach) Zimmer, he’s got his act together,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners.

Lurtsema has praised third-year Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer perhaps longer than anyone else. Lurtsema doesn’t see weaknesses on the defense, and he is predicating a successful 2016 season and Super Bowl on an improved offense. Most specifically he sees a better offensive line next fall that will give third-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater more time to throw.

Lurtsema has watched Zimmer lead the Vikings from a 2014 record of 7-9 to an 11-5 success and the NFC North title during the 2015 season. Zimmer is a demanding leader but generates results. “The players love him,” Lurtsema said.

Super Bowl 50 this Sunday will be played in Santa Clara, California, then next year the game is in Houston before coming to Minneapolis. It will be special if the Vikings earn an invite to the “big party” in the next couple of years. The Vikings haven’t been in the Super Bowl since 1977. Only twice in Super Bowl history has a team played in a stadium in its home market, according to Wikipedia.

The Panthers have been about a six-point favorite over the Broncos this week but Lurtsema said that’s too many points for Sunday’s game. “If I was a betting man, I’d bet my house and everything. I’d take the five or six points and grab Denver—because Denver’s defense, especially the defensive line, is the best in the league. …”

There is a lot of flattering talk about Cam Newton, the Panthers’ talented 26-year-old quarterback. Lurtsema is an admirer and he recalled a 2011 game in Charlotte between the Vikings and Panthers. Late in the game Lurtsema was on the sideline and so close to Newton he could closely observe a hard hit on the 6-5, 245-pound Newton.

Newton’s response to the collision? “God, I love this game.”

Lurtsema was won over when he heard that. “I am in love with this guy from now on,” Lurtsema declared on that late October day.

There are Minnesota connections in Sunday’s game including Jared Allen with the Panthers and Ryan Harris from the Broncos. A defensive end, Allen was one of the Vikings’ most popular players from 2009-2013. In 2011 he had 22 sacks for the season and set a Vikings’ franchise record. He narrowly missed the NFL record of 22.5.

Named to the list of the 50 greatest Vikings ever in 2010, Allen was often good for a sharp quote during media sessions and was known in the community as a longtime supporter of military veterans. While he was in Minnesota he started Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Veterans, a charity to provide handicap-accessible homes for veterans returning from duty.

Allen is an outdoor enthusiast and has hunted wolves, bison and elk. Lurtsema owns land in outstate Minnesota where he gave Allen permission to hunt black bear and deer. “Very nice guy but he beats to a different drum,” Lurtsema said. “He was into hunting big time. That was his passion. He’s been to Africa. He’s done it all.”

Allen left the Vikings during the 2014 offseason to join the Bears. Now 33, he was traded last September by the Bears to the Panthers for a 2016 draft pick. A broken foot caused him to miss the Panthers’ NFC championship win over the Cardinals, but expectations are he will play Sunday in his first Super Bowl.

Harris is another player with a “good guy” reputation among Minnesotans. The Minneapolis-born starting left tackle for the Broncos played three seasons for Cretin-Derham Hall before attending Notre Dame. While at Cretin, his line coach was former Gophers center Ray Hitchcock. For three seasons Harris was a Raiders starter at left tackle and over the years he formed a tight relationship with Hitchcock and his son Brooks.

Five days before the Broncos-Patriots AFC title game on January 24, Harris extended a surprise invitation to the Hitchcocks. They paid their airfare to Denver and back to Minneapolis, but everything else including game tickets, lodging and dinner at Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steak House was courtesy of Harris.

“He is just a hell of a guy,” Ray said. “He’s a guy you want to be around.”

Worth Noting

Football fans learn Saturday if former Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and Tony Dungy—who played for the Gophers and was an assistant coach with the Vikings—are selected as new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Hall’s Selection Committee meets in San Francisco Saturday to elect the 2016 Hall of Fame Class.

Favre and Dungy are among 15 Modern Era Finalists being considered for induction into the hall. This is Favre’s first year being considered, and the legendary quarterback who led the Packers to a Super Bowl title seems like a cinch to win approval Saturday. Dungy, who was the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Colts defeated the Bears in 2007, has been a finalist before.

The criteria used in searching for the next Gophers athletic director is likely to emphasize candidates with integrity and a proven track record in building relationships. Those are qualities that distinguish WCHA men’s hockey commissioner Bill Robertson whose career workplaces have included the Angels, Ducks, Timberwolves and Wild. A Minnesota native with a long list of friends and contacts in the Twin Cities, Robertson’s WCHA office is in Edina.

Perhaps in a couple of years all Gophers football fans will be applauding the 2016 recruiting class coach Tracy Claeys announced yesterday, but for now Websites like Rivals.com aren’t giving the group high rankings. Rivals.com ranks five of seven schools from the Big Ten East Division ahead of the No. 50 Gophers. The West Division is home to the Gophers and Rivals has the recruiting classes of Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa and Northwestern listed ahead of Minnesota. Nebraska at No. 25 is the highest ranked West Division recruiting class while the East is led by No. 3. Ohio State, No. 4 Michigan and No. 20 Michigan State.

The Gophers basketball team is 0-10 in the Big Ten going into tonight’s game against 3-7 Northwestern in Evanston. Minnesota’s laundry list of problems mostly comes down to this: the Gophers have only one consistent impact player. Sophomore guard Nate Mason leads the team on a regular basis in scoring (13.7) and assists (4.5). Last Saturday in a close loss at Indiana he had 21 points. The prior game against Purdue he totaled 15 points and 12 assists.

Mason has scored 19 points or more in three of his last four games, but he plays with inconsistent teammates. In the Purdue game freshman guard Dupree McBrayer tied a career high with 13 points, and then had 8 points against Indiana while missing 9 of 12 shots. Another freshman guard, Kevin Dorsey, didn’t score against Purdue but had a career high 21 in the Indiana game. Freshman forward Jordan Murphy, who leads the team in rebounding at 7.9 per game, often is in first half foul trouble and has to sit on the bench for long stretches.

McBrayer, Dorsey and Murphy are talented and must all become consistent impact players to help the Gophers reach .500 or better in the Big Ten next season. The same is true of sophomore center Bakary Konate who is finally showing improvement and gives the roster badly needed size.

“Future is pretty bright for us,” Murphy said last week after the Purdue loss. “I think we know that as a team, but we still gotta compete this season. It’s not over yet. We gotta just keep grinding. …”

McBrayer talked recently about the problem of making free throws late in games when they’re needed the most: “We shoot them every day after and before practice. They should be second nature to us. It’s just in a game you have to calm down and knuckle down.”

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