Gophers Basketball – Page 145 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Frazier to Address Locker Room Attitude

Posted on November 4, 2013November 4, 2013 by David Shama

Leslie Frazier wasn’t pointing fingers at his news conference today despite the team’s fourth consecutive loss yesterday, a 1-7 record and criticism from veteran players. The Vikings head coach plans to address his players this afternoon about team attitude in the locker room.

Today’s Star Tribune reported that following yesterday’s game Vikings players made critical comments about defensive coordinator Alan Williams and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. “I respect their opinions and I know how competitive they are. How much they want to win,” Frazier said. “I’d like for them to talk to their coaches and myself about whatever concerns they have. Try to get those worked out, but I do understand their frustration.”

Frazier, who expressed confidence the Vikings can start winning, acknowledged he “probably” needs to talk with individual players who have been critical in the media. He wants players on the “same page.”

Frazier doesn’t foresee any staff changes in responsibilities or titles.

Former Vikings head coach Jerry Burns remains supportive of Frazier despite the record and preseason optimism about contending for the NFC North Division championship. “I think Leslie Frazier is a very fine coach,” Burns told Sports Headliners. “If he gave too much command (to his coordinators) I don’t know. I don’t think Leslie Frazier is at fault.”

Burns said criticism causes problems for team cohesiveness. “I don’t like to see that to be honest with you,” Burns said. “It doesn’t help the team. It doesn’t help the fans behind the Vikings.”

Burns is “proud” of Frazier and advises against any major changes to staff and personnel during the season. He said players could be making staff decisions look bad because of problems with execution, and added that it’s difficult to make any major changes in the middle of the season.

The Vikings’ 1-7 record is the worst in franchise history since the same start to the season in 1961. Burns said the team’s record should be better but isn’t partly because of having lost three games in the final minutes of fourth quarters.

Worth Noting

How times change. Sports Headliners was told by a local source that Vikings officials and Frazier discussed extending the coach’s contract late last summer. There was supposedly mutual interest after Frazier’s 10-6 record in 2012 and optimism about the 2013 season. Frazier’s current contract reportedly has an option for the 2014 season but management has declined to make a further commitment.

The same source who talked about Frazier’s contract said ex-NFL coach Jon Gruden was in town several weeks ago but didn’t know the reason for the visit.

Frazier said today tight end Kyle Rudolph’s fractured left foot could keep him from playing for another month. The coach plans to start Christian Ponder at quarterback for a third consecutive game when the Vikings play at home on Thursday night against the Redskins.

The NFL Network will air a one hour documentary on former Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham tomorrow night starting at 8 p.m. Minneapolis time. The program includes interviews with Cunningham, former Vikings teammate Cris Carter and ex-Vikings coach Dennis Green. Cunningham quarterbacked the 15-1 1998 Vikings team and he has lived a dramatic life on and off the field.

Cretin-Derham Hall High School assistant coach Ray Hitchcock said there’s a “pail of mail” at school every day from colleges wooing junior defensive end Jashon Cornell. He has been rated the No. 1 high school football prospect in the nation for the class of 2015 by ESPN.com. Hitchcock believes Gophers coach Jerry Kill has reason for optimism in the recruitment of the 16-year-old. “I think Jerry has a great shot,” Hitchcock said.

Jeff Jones, the Gophers’ only four-star recruit per Rivals.com who has verbally committed for 2014, ended his senior season for Washburn on Friday night with 44 touchdowns — 34 rushing, eight receiving and two kickoff returns for scores. Coach Giovan Jenkins told Sports Headliners that Kill’s struggles with epilepsy haven’t diminished his running back’s interest in the Gophers.

“If he had to pick a school today, I think Minnesota would be No. 1 due to his relationships with the coaches,” said Jenkins who coached the Millers to a 6-0 City Conference record and 13^th consecutive title.

After Saturday’s improbable 42-39 win over Indiana, the Gophers have won three consecutive Big Ten games for the first time since 2008 and only the fourth time dating back to 2003. Minnesota is a surprising 7-2 overall, 3-2 in the Big Ten and justifies the faith of program insiders who before the season thought the Gophers’ record could be significantly better than last year’s 6-7 and 2-6 totals. The last time Minnesota won four consecutive conference games was 1973.

Gophers quarterback Philip Nelson was named Co-Big Ten offensive Player of the Week for his play against Indiana including four touchdown passes and a 70 percent completion rate. Minnesota punter Peter Mortell was named Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 43 yards per kick and placing two punts inside the Indiana 20 yard line. Nelson shared his honor with Penn State running back Bill Belton who had a career high 201 yards rushing versus Illinois.

Twins players can expect new coach Paul Molitor to be up front with them. Molitor has that reputation including a willingness to talk about the cocaine addiction he experienced early in his major league playing career.

Molitor is a smart baseball man and so, too, is another Minnesota native who could be on the Twins staff some day, Gene Glynn. He recently agreed to return for a third season as manager of the Twins’ AAA Rochester team.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Twins and Saints develop a business relationship when the St. Paul minor league team moves into its new downtown ballpark in 2015.

Tubby Smith recently hired his son Saul Smith, who worked for him at Minnesota, as video coordinator at Texas Tech. Saul joins former Gophers assistants Joe Esposito and Vince Taylor on his dad’s staff at Tech.

The Gophers basketball team plays Concordia, St. Paul tonight in an exhibition game at Williams Arena. Minnesota defeated Cardinal Stritch 79-57 in an opening exhibition game last Friday night and now plays a Concordia program that was 9-18 last season.

The Gophers made 11 of 30 free throws on Friday night and were out rebounded 40-34 by Division II NAIA Cardinal Stritch. “We’re not worried about the free throws,” said Gophers guard Andre Hollins. “I think that was a lot of nerves from the first game.”

Rebounding could be an ongoing issue, though. The Gophers lack size, and coach Richard Pitino noted that 6-4 forward Austin Hollins played 23 minutes but had no rebounds.

In the Williams Arena concourse there are photos of the Gophers’ greatest players including Ron Johnson who is identified as being All-Big Ten in the late 1950s. That is correct but missing is acknowledgement of his two-time All-American status.

The Timberwolves, 3-0 for the first time since the 2001-2002 season, play at Cleveland tonight. Wolves forward Kevin Love leads the NBA in scoring average at 29.7 points per game.

Wild right wing Jason Pominville, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and Capitals left wing Jason Chimera have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Nov. 3. During that period Pominville tied for the league lead in goals (4) and points (6), scoring in all three games to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible team six points. He is tied for third in the NHL in goals this season with 10.

The Venture Bank 2014 Minnesota Golf Show will be February 14-16 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

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National Championships Coach Praises Kill

Posted on November 1, 2013November 3, 2013 by David Shama

J Robinson, 67, has coached the Gophers to three national championships in wrestling. He has strong philosophies about coaching and life, and doesn’t hesitate to express them.

“You’re put here for a purpose. You’re not put here to be happy,” Robinson told Sports Headliners.

Robinson is a former Army Ranger who when asked about Gophers football coach Jerry Kill brought up leadership. Robinson, who attended both Ranger and Jungle Warfare School before serving in Vietnam, said leadership isn’t measured just when the leader is present. A test of leadership is whether things “fall apart,” or if they function successfully when the leader is absent.

At times the Gophers have been without their football leader because of Kill’s absence to better manage his epilepsy, but the program has excelled in wins the last two Saturdays over nationally ranked Northwestern and Nebraska. Kill played a partial role in those wins but they wouldn’t have happened without the staff he hired and the players he tutored in two-plus seasons as Minnesota’s head coach.

The success doesn’t surprise Robinson. “He’s got a formula for what I would call success,” Robinson said.

That “formula” has various elements from identifying player personnel to infusing discipline into the program to being willing to trust and delegate responsibilities to assistant coaches. The Gophers are a surprising 6-2 so far this season and maybe on track to duplicate third year turnarounds Kill led at Southern Illinois (10-2) and Northern Illinois (10-3).

Last Saturday’s win over Nebraska, a school the Gophers hadn’t defeated since 1960, was a potential program-changing victory. But to make that a reality this Minnesota team will have to distinguish itself from others who have had similar headline making upsets.

The 1977 team upset No. 1 ranked Michigan 16-0 in Minneapolis, then lost games the next two weeks and finished 7-5 after being 6-5 the year before. In 1986 the Gophers surprised No. 2 ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor but lost the next two games, ending with a 6-6 record after the previous season’s 7-5 mark.

In 1999 the Gophers surprised No. 2 Penn State in “Happy Valley” and won their next two games before losing in the Sun Bowl to Oregon. That season the Gophers were 8-4, winning three more games than in 1998 but in 2000 and 2001 the records were disappointing, 6-6 and 4-7.

The Gophers also surprised Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2005, only to lose the next two games and finish the season at 7-5 after being 10-3 in 2003. Coach Glen Mason was fired after the 2006 bowl game when the Gophers were 6-7.

At Indiana tomorrow the Gophers will try to do the unusual, follow up on a major win with another victory and signal a major shift in the program. Quarterback Philip Nelson said beating Nebraska, college football’s winningest program since 1970, was a confidence booster. “I think this one’s a big one just because Nebraska is a great team. Nobody really ever expects us to really win that much.”

Worth Noting

Freshman wide receiver Donovahn Jones ran four times from scrimmage for 40 yards against Nebraska. A converted prep quarterback, he is still learning how to play wide receiver.

Asked how close he is to becoming a primary receiver Jones said, “I have a little more learning before I get to that point. I am not that far away.”

Jones, who turned down a Missouri program that wanted him to be a wide receiver, said he isn’t interested in returning to quarterback. The position demands passing skills he doesn’t believe he possesses. He also said senior wide receiver Derrick Engel and freshman running back Berkley Edwards are probably the only offensive players faster than he is.

Gophers deputy athletic director David Benedict said earlier this week more than 5,000 tickets remain for the Penn State game at TCF Bank Stadium on November 9.

St. Thomas Academy coach Dave Ziebarth earned his 100^th career win last week. Ziebarth, 100-26-0, coaches his team tonight against Henry Sibley in the Section 5-5A championship playoff game.

Texas native Adrian Peterson is requesting 62 tickets for people he knows to attend Sunday’s game in Arlington, Texas against the Cowboys. The Vikings All-Pro running back said he was a Cowboys fan growing up.

Peterson still has tightness in his right hamstring but said keeping it warm and stretching enables him to run effectively. “Last week (Sunday’s game) I felt good,” he said. “It’s probably the best I’ve felt in a couple of weeks. This week I’ve just got better.”

Cordarrelle Patterson is the only NFL player with two kickoff returns for touchdowns this season. The Vikings rookie didn’t even return kickoffs in high school, had one touchdown in junior college and two in college. His returns this season are for 105 yards and 109 yards, a distance that is tied for the NFL record.

Vikings placekicker Blair Walsh said he is no longer bothered by a left hamstring injury and will be able to kickoff and handle other kicking in Sunday’s game against the Cowboys.

Coach J Robinson has eight All-Americans returning to his wrestling team and believes the Gophers could contend for the national championship. InterMat’s rankings have three Big Ten schools as the best in the country with Penn State No. 1, Iowa No. 2 and Minnesota No. 3.

The Gophers basketball team opens its exhibition schedule tonight with a 7 p.m. game against Cardinal Stritch. New Minnesota coach Richard Pitino said earlier in the week he’s been impressed with his team’s attitude and poor practices have been minimal.

Pitino described junior guard Kendal Shell as a player that at first he questioned having on the roster, but not any more. Shell played in nine games for a total of 20 minutes averaging 0.7 points per game last season. “Kendall is the most improved player by far,” Pitino said.

Another changed player is junior forward Mo Walker who has lost almost 60 pounds after not being able to play effectively at 310 pounds last season. Pitino wants more change, though. “He needs to be meaner on the court,” the coach said.

Drake transfer Joey King, who is from Eagan, expects a lot of family and friends at games. The sophomore forward said his grandparents are talking about “getting a bus” for game day supporters.

Wally Ellenson, another sophomore forward for the Gophers, is the brother of Henry Ellenson who is ranked as the No. 42 player nationally in the prep class of 2015 by Rivals.com. Wally said his brother (Rice Lake, Wisconsin) has grown a couple more inches to 6-10. “He kind of wants to stop but I don’t think he has a choice,” Wally said.

Junior forward Oto Osenieks only averaged 2.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game last season but now might become a starter. Osenieks passed on an opportunity to tryout for the Latvian team that played in the European championships this summer. With a new Gophers coach and changes in the program, he stayed in Minneapolis to improve. “I don’t regret my decision. I got so much better in the summer.”

Osenieks said he’s become a more aggressive player while remaining an “unselfish” teammate. “I am not afraid of contact,” he said.

Osenieks is taking business courses in school and some day may open a Latvian restaurant in Minneapolis. “I love it here,” the Riga, Latvia native said.

Daquein McNeil, the Gophers freshman guard from Baltimore talking this week about the weather in Minneapolis: “I hope it doesn’t get colder.”

The Wolves are at home tonight against the Thunder, a favorite to win the NBA title and the club that new Minnesota shooting guard Kevin Martin played for last season. Martin’s NBA stops have also included the Kings and Rockets where he played for Wolves coach Rick Adelman. Martin was a major scorer for Adelman’s Rockets in 2010-11, averaging 23.5 points per game.

Wolves power forward Kevin Love played in only 18 games last season because of injuries but had a memorable season in 2011-2012. He became only the third player in NBA history (Larry Bird, 1984-85; Charles Barkley, 1992-93) to average 25+ points and 10+ rebounds while making 50+ three-pointers.

Former Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn is living in Portland and looking for his next career opportunity. Wolves owner Glen Taylor said Kahn contacted him asking for assistance regarding a potential position that didn’t work out.

Wolves CEO Rob Moor said renovation of Target Center is expected to begin late next spring or early summer. Changes to the building will happen in phases over about an 18 month period and could force the Lynx to find another home court for some games.

Moor also said that while seating capacity for concerts will increase there will not be additional seats for basketball as part of the $100 million renovation.

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Tyus Jones Open to Early College Exit

Posted on October 23, 2013October 23, 2013 by David Shama

Debbie Jones, mother of Apple Valley senior point guard Tyus Jones, told Sports Headliners her son is open to playing only one year of college basketball. “If the opportunity presents itself, then absolutely,” Debbie said.

Leaving for the NBA after one season has been discussed with coaches recruiting Jones. The possibility of playing only as a freshman hasn’t deterred the biggest names in college coaching from pursuing Jones who is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 5 player in the nation for the prep class of 2014.

The final schools Jones is considering signing a Letter of Intent with are Baylor, Duke, Kansas and Minnesota. NCAA rules allow high school seniors to sign from November 13-20. There is a second signing period next spring from April 16-May 21.

Jones plans to sign with a school in November. An announcement regarding his college choice will come during the first or second week next month, according to his mom.

How the announcement will be done hasn’t been determined but Debbie said, “We’ll probably do something at the school (Apple Valley).” She indicated her son’s announcement is likely to happen at the same time as Jahlil Okafor’s. A well publicized pact between Jones and Okafor to attend college together is likely to remain in place. Okafor is a center from Chicago’s Whitney High School and is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 1 player nationally in the 2014 class.

Debbie said it’s “doubtful” her son and Okafor will choose separate schools, and acknowledged the Chicago superstar doesn’t have the Gophers on his final list of possible colleges. “If they go together to school that unfortunately would eliminate the Gophers,” Debbie said.

Okafor’s list of schools is reportedly Baylor, Duke and Kansas. He and Tyus visited Kansas together last weekend and over Labor Day weekend were at Baylor. Okafor is expected to join his friend at Duke this weekend.

Jones and his mom leave tomorrow for Duke, the last official visit the two will make in narrowing down the list of schools. On Saturday they will watch the Blue Devils in an exhibition game against Bowie State.

Tyus has been one of the most coveted athletes in Minnesota prep history. Debbie said the family is appreciative of all the attention but it will be a relief to end the selection process.

She also said there haven’t been any offers from schools that are in violation of NCAA rules. “I think people kind of know who we are. They know they’re dealing with people who don’t operate that way.”

Worth Noting

Debbie Jones’ youngest son, eighth grader Tre Jones, starts tryouts with the Apple Valley High School varsity on November 11. She said Tre will know after the first week of practice whether he made the team — as older brother Tyus did as an eighth grader.

The Timberwolves play the Sixers tonight who have a preseason roster that includes former Gophers Royce White and Rodney Williams. White leads the Sixers in personal fouls per game, 4.25. In five games he is averaging five points. Williams has played in one game for 19 minutes and didn’t score but had one block, rebound and assist.

Look for the Vikings to honor Cris Carter at their home game on November 7 against the Redskins. The former wide receiver was enshrined earlier this year in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Despite the combined dismal 1-10 record of the Vikings and Giants, their Monday night game was the most watched NFL telecast on ESPN in three weeks, according to a story yesterday on Sportsmediawatch.com.

Fans are welcome at the Gopher Gridiron Luncheon program starting at 11:30 a.m. on Friday at Jax Café in northeast Minneapolis. The program includes a Gophers coach and two players with Mike Grimm as emcee. More information is available at GoalLineClub.com. Membership in the Goal Line Club is not required to attend the luncheon which previews Minnesota’s game at home on Saturday against Nebraska.

A hockey source requesting anonymity told Sports Headliners that Wild owner Craig Leipold’s “patience” with coach Mike Yeo may not last more than a few more weeks. “They should be (playing) better than they are,” the source said earlier this week before the Wild defeated Nashville 2-0 last night.

The Wild is 4-3-3 in the first few weeks of the season. Not only is the win total disappointing but the team isn’t reaching its potential in creating “scoring chances,” the source said. The Wild had one goal last night until scoring on an empty net with 24 seconds remaining.

This is Yeo’s first NHL employment as a head coach and third season with the Wild. The team made the playoffs last season after a five year absence but the source suggested the Wild isn’t playing at last year’s level when the final record was a mediocre 26-19-2.

With a ho-hum start, the Wild has been behind the Vikings, Gophers football and even the Timberwolves (season hasn’t started) in generating local sports interest.

Sam Warning, the Gophers 21-year-old junior wing, is tied for the nation’s scoring lead in points with Kevin Roy from Northeastern. Warning has nine points in four games after scoring 23 last season in 29 games. He is the first Missouri native to ever play for the Gophers.

The Gophers men’s and women’s hockey teams are ranked No. 1 in the country in the USCHO.com polls.

Daydreaming about the Twins? What if the front office used some Target Field revenues to acquire Tigers stopper Max Scherzer who is expected to sign with another MLB team during the offseason. Scherzer in a Twins uniform gives the club a No. 1 starting pitcher and signing with Minnesota weakens Central Division rival Detroit. Thoughts of a starting staff in a few years of Scherzer as the No. 1 guy, Alex Meyer No. 2 and Kyle Gibson No. 3 is intriguing.

Yesterday’s announcement that Paul Molitor will join the coaching staff with responsibilities that include in-game strategy leaves Twins followers wondering just how “hot” Ron Gardenhire’s manager seat is.

Local business leaders Dave Mona and Susan Adams Loyd are volunteer co-chairs for the National Senior Games to be held at various Twin Cities venues during July of 2015. The National Senior Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world for adults 50 and over, and 12,000 athletes and 30,000 guests are expected to attend the 2015 gathering. Loyd competes in track and field events for seniors, while Mona’s sports interests include co-hosting WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle.”

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