Gophers Basketball – Page 139 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

2 Pitino Teams, 1 Airplane for Trip

Posted on November 9, 2014November 9, 2014 by David Shama

The Gophers and Louisville basketball players will be able to size each other up before the two teams compete in the Armed Forces Classic in Puerto Rico on Friday night. Minnesota and the Cardinals will fly together to the game.

Two college basketball teams using the same airplane is unusual. “I have never heard of that before,” Gophers center Elliott Eliason told Sports Headliners. “I guess when you’re father-son you kind of work those things out.”

The coaches, of course, are Louisville legend Rick Pitino and Gophers second-year coach Richard Pitino. The father and son, who talk frequently by telephone, agreed that to save money the two programs will charter from Louisville to Puerto Rico on Wednesday. The Gophers will fly to Louisville on Tuesday and have a practice there before joining the Cardinals on the flight to Puerto Rico.

“I guess I haven’t heard of it (same airplane),” said former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher. “I certainly didn’t ever experience that in 30 years of college where we flew with the opposing team.”

Eliason is curious what the seating arrangement will be on the airplane. “I am sure they’re a bunch of good guys so…it won’t be a problem, but it is kind of interesting. But it will be a good time.”

Will players from both teams socialize on the plane? “I’ll probably throw the old earphones on,” Eliason said. “Maybe take a nap, fall asleep. We’ll see. After the game we can talk all you want.”

Actually, get-togethers involving the Cardinals and Gophers are planned in Puerto Rico as part of festivities leading up to the game. The Armed Forces Classic is part of ESPN’s America’s Heroes: A Salute to Our Veterans programming, and each year a different branch of the military hosts the game. This year it’s the Coast Guard’s turn and the game will be played in a hangar in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The Classic will be played in front of military personnel with no admission cost and televised nationally by ESPN starting at 6:30 p.m. Minneapolis time.

The game–the third annual–is owned by ESPN Regional Television. “It’s honestly a huge honor,” Eliason said. “It’s going to be an amazing game. I couldn’t be more excited about it. You watch those other teams play in it every year so it’s so exciting to be part of that this year.”

The Cardinals are among the royalty of college basketball. Louisville won the NCAA championship in 2013 and is a contender for the 2015 title. The Cardinals are probably a top 20 team in every preseason poll, while the Gophers, who won the NIT last April after not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, are trying to become a nationally-ranked program. “It’s a bigger opportunity for Minnesota than it is for Louisville,” Dutcher said.

Louisville has forward Montrezl Harrell and guard Terry Rozier, two players who are projected as NBA draft choices next June by NBAdraft.net. The Cardinals also have Pitino who has won national championships while coaching at Kentucky and Louisville. The Cardinals are ranked No. 8 in the AP preseason poll. “There’s a lot more pressure on Louisville than there is on Minnesota,” Dutcher said.

Dutcher recalled that ex-coach Tubby Smith’s Gophers defeated Louisville in an early nonconference game in 2008. The Cardinals were rated No. 9 nationally, while the Gophers were unranked. It was a signature win for Minnesota and one that influenced the NCAA selection committee when they started handing out invitations to the tournament and the Gophers were included in the field of teams.

Richard Pitino is 32 years old and the consultation he receives from his dad is a plus for the Gophers’ program—something that goes beyond saving money on an airplane trip to Puerto Rico. “I think it’s definitely an asset,” Dutcher said. “I talk to my son Brian all the time about San Diego State games. He sent me the tape of their scrimmage the other day with Stanford and said, ‘What do you think?’ ”

For the younger Pitino to know that his father is just a telephone call away means a lot. “Every coach has somebody they want to talk to other than their staff and their players—particularly when things aren’t going well,” Dutcher said. “That’s when they kind of need some guidance and some help and some encouragement. I am sure he (Richard) gets that.”

Conversations between the Pitinos likely include potential recruits, and that’s another asset for Minnesota’s program. “That goes on between coaches who are just friends, not even family—there’s a kid that we can’t take but I think he would really fit into your program,” Dutcher said. “All coaches network, even with other coaches in different conferences. I am sure he (Richard) benefits from the success and the experience that his father has.”

Of course on Friday night the son would like nothing better than to take some of that success away from dad—even if they did hitch a ride together to Puerto Rico and back.

Gophers Football Notes

Even mascot Goldy Gopher—symbolically the biggest Golden Gophers loyalist on the planet—wouldn’t have predicted a 51-14 domination of Iowa on Saturday. The doomsday feeling hanging over Dinkytown for two weeks after Minnesota’s loss to lowly Illinois on October 25 evaporated by halftime on Saturday when the Gophers followed up an opening touchdown by Iowa with 35 unanswered points.

The win demonstrated again that the unexpected can be anticipated in college football where there is plenty of parity in talent among teams. Iowa had beaten up on Northwestern a week ago Saturday, winning 48-7, but what proved more valuable was Minnesota’s bye in the schedule that gave the Gophers an extra week of preparation.

The Gophers, now 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, improved their chances of an invitation to a good bowl game, enhanced the possibility of a sellout at TCF Bank Stadium next Saturday against Ohio State and won “Floyd of Rosedale” for the third time in five years. Representatives from the Holiday Bowl (December 27, San Diego) and Fiesta Bowl (December 31, Glendale, Arizona) were at the game.

The Gophers’ Maxx Williams, who had three touchdown receptions, showed again why he is on the midseason watch list for the John Mackey Award recognizing the nation’s best tight end. He is a redshirt sophomore eligible for next year’s NFL Draft.

The game wasn’t a happy homecoming for Iowa athletics director Gary Barta who was born in Minneapolis and attended Burnsville High School. Barta still has more than a dozen relatives in this area.

Zach Johnson of Gopherillustrated.com said the Gophers had high school players Colton Beebe, Jonathan Femi-Cole and Jaylen Waters at the game. Beebe is a Rivals.com two-star linebacker from Kansas City, Kansas. Femi-Cole is a three-star running back from Vaughan, Ontario while Waters is a three star linebacker from Copperas Cove, Texas. Beebe hasn’t verbally committed to the Gophers but Femi-Cole and Waters have, according to G.I.

Here are Sports Headliners’ power rankings of Big Ten teams after Saturday: 1. Ohio State; 2. Michigan State; 3. Wisconsin; 4. Nebraska; 5. Minnesota; 6. Maryland; 7. Iowa; 8. Michigan; 9. Penn State; 10. Northwestern; 11. Rutgers; 12. Purdue; 13. Illinois 14. Indiana.

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Twins Hire of Paul Molitor Makes History

Posted on November 3, 2014November 3, 2014 by David Shama

There’s plenty to note about Paul Molitor being hired as Twins manager including historical ties to the Gophers.

The Twins announced today they will introduce Molitor as their new manager tomorrow. He has agreed to a three-year contract that will run through 2017, and he becomes the first former Gopher to lead the Twins.

Also, for the first time ever there are now five former Gophers leading teams in MLB, the NBA, NFL and NHL. Flip Saunders and Kevin McHale, basketball teammates with the Gophers, are the head coaches for the Timberwolves and Rockets in the NBA. Former Gophers quarterback Marc Trestman is head coach of the NFL’s Bears. Ex-Gophers defenseman Todd Richards, who once coached the Wild, is head coach of the NHL’s Blue Jackets. All five U alums attended the University of Minnesota in the 1970s and 1980s.

Molitor, a former Gophers All-American shortstop, was considered the favorite for the Twins manager job since Ron Gardenhire was let go in late September. Molitor’s hiring will put smiles on the faces of most Twins fans but his presence in the dugout probably won’t sell a lot of tickets unless the club puts an end to its dismal performance on the field.

Molitor is considered one of baseball’s smartest men. He can talk for hours about a single subject like base running. He reportedly can sit in a dugout and predict what pitch will be thrown next. He has been a Twins coach and before that minor league instructor with the Twins while drawing praise from players for his advice.

What Molitor may have had to convince Twins hiring authorities about is his willingness to get after players and motivate them. Will he travel during the offseason to check in with pitcher Ricky Nolasco who was a major disappointment in 2014 after signing a big contract with the Twins? Would he be bold enough to drop Joe Mauer down in the batting order if deserved?

Managers do make a major impact—if they are the right ones like Billy Martin who in 1969 shook up the Twins and made a big difference in performance. Joe Maddon is probably baseball’s best manager of the current era and his name came up during the Twins’ search but he signed on with the Cubs after leaving the Rays. Maddon’s hire would have made a stir here.

Molitor, 58, has never managed before so it’s appropriate to wonder what kind of job he will do. Part of his success will be tied to the staff he assembles. Will former Brewers teammate Robin Yount, a Hall of Famer like Molitor, be on the staff? The names of Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris and Frank Viola have been mentioned as possible pitching coaches.

Molitor has waited a long time for a manager’s job, and making things sweeter is the Edina resident will do it in his hometown. He will pump new life into the Twins organization but in the long run neither he nor the Twins will maximize success without better players. But that’s for another day, not tomorrow.

Worth Noting

Everson Griffen was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October and yesterday he led the Vikings linemen in tackles and came up with a sack for the fifth consecutive game when Minnesota defeated the Redskins at TCF Bank Stadium.

Griffen, who only started one game during the previous four seasons, is having a breakout year. Asked if he wants to see the season end with All-Pro recognition, the Vikings defensive end said, “I am trying, man.”

Griffen added that team wins are most important and success by the Vikings can only support individual awards. He leads all NFC players in sacks with nine and is second in the league to the Chiefs’ Justin Houston who has 12.

By coming up with a sack yesterday, he now has seven in the last five games. He also had five solo tackles in the 29-26 win over the Redskins including an important first half tackle on third and one when he chased down Washington running back Roy Helu, Jr. for a loss.

Griffen had an NFC-best six sacks in a four-game period in October. He was the only player in the conference with at least one sack in four games. He also led all NFC defensive linemen with 20 total tackles (16 solo) in October.

After nine games, Griffen already has more sacks than his previous season-best of eight in 2013. He can be sure All-Pro selectors are noticing.

Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has only been sacked three times in the last two games. In the two games before that Bridgewater was sacked 13 times as the Vikings lost games to the Lions and Bills.

Bridgewater has now helped the offense in three fourth quarter wins including yesterday. “I feel like Teddy is growing up and I feel like the rest of us are growing up,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said on KFAN Radio after the game. “We just gotta be more efficient in everything we do.”

Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, who made the team’s roster this season after being on the practice squad in 2013, has been speaking to school groups. The former Detroit Lakes High School player’s message is: “Anything is attainable.”

The Vikings have a reorganized wide receiver group that also includes Jarius Wright who in 16 games last season had 434 reception yards. This season in nine games Wright is second on the team with 315. What’s changed? “A lot of it is my confidence and their confidence in me,” he told Sports Headliners.

Did you know the Gophers’ total of six alums on NFL opening day rosters was tied with Indiana for fewest in the Big Ten Conference? The leaders were Ohio State with 33, Wisconsin 32, Michigan 25 and Penn State 25. The six Gophers were Eric Decker, MarQueis Gray, Ra’Shede Hageman, Marcus Sherels, Matt Spaeth and Brock Vereen.

Despite a bye in the schedule last Saturday and extra week of rest, it’s a good guess injured Gophers Alex Keith (defensive end), Ben Lauer (offensive tackle) and Drew Wolitarsky (tight end) will not be ready for Iowa Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.

Dick Jonckowski starts his 29th season as Gophers basketball public announcer on Thursday night when Minnesota plays UMD in an exhibition game at Williams Arena. Jonckowski, who experienced health problems during the offseason, is one of only two public address announcers in Williams Arena history. Julie Perlt did the PA work for 58 seasons.

UMD lost an exhibition game on Saturday to Notre Dame, 88-71. Brett Ervin, the senior center from Eden Prairie High School, led the Bulldogs with 29 points.

Lindy’s College Basketball magazine predicts the Gophers will finish fourth in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin, Ohio State and Nebraska. Gophers guard Andre Hollins is a second team all-conference pick.

The magazine has former Robbinsdale Cooper guard Rashad Vaughn on its Mountain West Conference first team. Lindy’s also lists the UNLV guard as the league’s “No. 1 signing coup” and top NBA prospect.

Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic has been susceptible to ankle and foot problems during his NBA career. He told Sports Headliners he applies ice for 12 to 15 minutes after each game. His total minutes per game this season are likely to seldom exceed 30, as coach Flip Saunders tries to limit the pounding on the veteran center’s feet and ankles. Through the first three games of the season he is averaging 30.3 minutes.

Former Minneapolis Marshall-University High School basketball coach Ed Prohofsky has been friends with Saunders for many years and is assisting the Wolves this season as a consultant. Prohofsky attends home games but doesn’t travel with the team. He began his coaching career in the military in 1957 and later had a 53-game winning streak at Marshall-U High. When Saunders coached at Golden Valley Lutheran College for the 1980-81 season, Prohofsky was an assistant coach.

The Wild, off to a 7-3 start, knows about home ice advantage. Minnesota, 5-0 at Xcel Energy Center so far, is the only Western Conference team yet to lose at home. The Wild finished 3-0 at home during preseason, 5-1 at Xcel Energy Center during the 2014 playoffs and 26-10-5 during the 2013-14 season. The Wild hosts the Penguins tomorrow night.

Bethel football coach Steve Johnson will speak at the November 13 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Bethel, 7-1 overall and 6-0 in the MIAC, is the only undefeated team in the league. Johnson is in his 26th season at Bethel and six times he has been honored as MIAC Coach of the Year. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. Reservations (by November 10) for the lunch and program can be made by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

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Gophers Goal: Big Ten’s Best Backcourt

Posted on October 22, 2014October 22, 2014 by David Shama

Notes from a Tuesday afternoon of interviewing University of Minnesota basketball players at Williams Arena. The Gophers are preparing for their fall schedule that begins next month with a November 6 home exhibition against UMD and continues November 14 with a nationally televised game in Puerto Rico against NCAA title contender Louisville.

The nucleus of championship college basketball teams is often the guards. Minnesota features shooting guard Andre Hollins and point guard DeAndre Mathieu, team captains and seniors. They led the Gophers in scoring and assists during 2013-2014 when Minnesota had a 25-13 record and won the NIT championship.

Mathieu, who will stay in the gym until he makes 300 or more jump shots to improve his shooting, said he and Hollins “want to be the best backcourt in the conference.” When the coaches and media selected All-Big Teams after last season the two didn’t receive a lot of recognition. Both were named honorable mention by the media. Hollins was an honorable mention selection by the coaches.

Omissions haven’t gone unnoticed. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me because I was kind of upset about it,” Mathieu said. “I felt like we played good enough. I talk to him (Andre) about it all the time. We got some work to do.

“We’re going out this year and trying to be the best two guards in the league. I know we’re going to have to do our parts to make this team the best team possible. Hopefully being two of the best guards in the conference can do that.”

Last week it was announced that a media panel selected a five players preseason All-Big Ten team and neither Hollins nor Mathieu were included.

Mathieu said there’s no comparison between how the Gophers look now with a year ago at this time. “This team is a lot more intense—a lot more competitive. We’re trying to get it on the defensive end. I thought last year we weren’t as intense on the defensive end.”

Mathieu likes what he sees of the full court and half court defenses. It’s in the half court where he believes the Gophers will have to consistently be at their best to limit top teams including Wisconsin.

The Badgers are a unanimous preseason choice to win the Big Ten Conference regular season title. With four of five starters returning from last year’s NCAA Final Four team, the Badgers who were 30-8 last season, are a favorite to win the national championship. The Big Ten media panel voted Wisconsin center Frank Kaminsky Preseason Player of the Year.

College basketball media has wide ranging expectations for the Gophers. Lindy’s magazine, for example, forecasts a fourth place Big Ten finish behind Wisconsin, Ohio State and Nebraska. Sporting News magazine predicts the Gophers will be ninth in the conference.

Nebraska’s basketball program has newfound respect from forecasters. Gophers senior center Elliott Eliason is from Chadron, Nebraska, a small town in the western part of the state. He said there’s a “bastion of Gophers fans” in his hometown so he’s not worried about receiving a hard time because of Nebraska basketball. “Plus, we beat them (the Cornhuskers) last year in football so I give them heat for that. They care a lot more about that than anything else.”

Eliason is listed at 6-11 but said he’s a “legit” 7 feet with shoes on and wants to be listed as a 7-footer.

Junior power forward Joey King said he is stronger than last season after summer workouts and increasing his weight from 218 pounds to 234. King said basketball for him is “all about energy and effort.” He plays without fear. “I haven’t had any serious injuries to worry about—other than a broken nose and a finger. Those weren’t too bad for me. Definitely no fears out on the court. I mean people are going through worse things.”

King, an Eagan, Minnesota native, said a summer highlight was attending WE Fest in Detroit Lakes. “Me and my friends like to take a camper up there and spend a couple days watching some of our favorite country artists, so it was a good time.”

Senior forward Mo Walker said his weight, 250, remains the same as last season. That was down from about 320 pounds as a sophomore. Last season he looked and moved like a different player.

Walker had career highs of 18 points and nine rebounds in the Gophers’ win over the Badgers last January at Williams Arena. This year the two teams don’t meet until February 21 in Madison and March 5 in Minneapolis.

“Always looking forward to playing the Badgers—border rival team,” Walker said. “Home crowd always wants us to win. The whole state is pulling for us every time we play them.”

Hollins injured his ankle 16 seconds into that January win over the Badgers and not only missed the game but others because of it. He said yesterday he is recovered from the injury. “It got progressively stronger but it was never the same during the season.”

Hollins said in his new role as co-captain he’s “much more vocal than last year” and is looking forward to the season. “We’re a lot deeper than last year. We have a lot of talent.”

Charles Buggs, a sophomore forward, played minimal minutes last season but his performance at home in the Iowa game was a peak effort. He made five of six field goals, including all three of his three pointers, and scored 13 points in 19 minutes to help the Gophers win. Why can’t he play like that more frequently?

“I feel like with me that’s more of a mental thing,” he answered. “I just gotta keep my head together all the time and make sure I am just pushing myself to work hard throughout the whole year.”

Buggs had surgery on his left knee a couple weeks after Minnesota defeated SMU in New York for the NIT title. He was inactive during the summer, limited to shooting and dribbling. “But I was really out the whole summer,” said Buggs who expects to be 100 percent in a few weeks.

Buggs was recruited by former Gophers coach Tubby Smith, now at Texas Tech. Buggs’ parents remain friendly with Smith and they attended the Midnight Madness practice last week when Smith, dressed in a John Shaft costume, fell off a motorcycle. Smith wasn’t injured in the fall.

The Gophers will have a scrimmage starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday that is free and open to the public. Doors at Williams Arena open at 3:30 p.m.

Gophers Football & Hockey Notes

Gophers offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said yesterday that walk-on true freshman Jacques Perra from Roseville is the No. 3 quarterback behind Mitch Leidner and Chris Streveler. “There’s a real confidence about him and he’s a pretty darned good player, too,” Limegrover said. “He’s been able to separate himself as far as that No. 3 goes.”

Limegrover acknowledged the offensive line is improving but let it be known his standards are high. “One thing you need to understand when you’re an offensive line coach, you never have a good day. There’s never a day when all five of those guys do everything right every play. I’m a perfectionist (and) those guys know it. We win a game and I go into the film room, and if you’re an outsider, you’d think we lost by 30.”

Gophers tight end Maxx Williams said he notices excitement on campus with the team off to a 6-1 start. “We want to keep winning for the school. I think the students love it.”

The Gophers’ two home hockey games with Wisconsin in January are sold out and so, too, are single games on November 1 with St. Cloud State and November 14 against UMD. Tickets are available for the remaining Minnesota home games.

The Gophers’ first regular season home series of the fall begins Friday night against Bemidji State. Junior defenseman Mike Reilly will be honored on Saturday evening for being named All-American last season.

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