Category: Gophers Basketball

Chadron, Nebraska native Elliott Eliason will have his own cheering section when the Gophers play the Cornhuskers in Lincoln tonight.  Minnesota’s redshirt sophomore center told Sports Headliners he expects at least 24 friends and family at the game.

Chadron is a small town located in northwest Nebraska, about a six hour drive from Lincoln.  Despite the distance, Eliason said students from his old high school may attend the game tonight where his rooting section will include mother Lorna and younger brother Spencer.

Eliason is excited about having the hometown support.  “Yeah, it’s very cool.  We’re  (the Gophers) kind of rolling right now.  Added to that, it’s a big motivator to win down there.”

Eliason said Nebraska was the second school to offer him a scholarship but his final college choices were Stanford and Minnesota.  He enjoyed his recruiting visit to Minnesota and the Gophers “were the right fit.”

Although he has yet to average 3.0 points per game in two seasons with the Gophers, the 6-foot-11 Eliason has become a valuable contributor.  His shot blocking, willingness to take fouls and consistent rebounding have contributed to a sometimes successful Gophers season.

Eliason, who has started 13 games this season, is frequently the first player off the bench. It was as a substitute last week in the upset win against No. 1 Indiana that he may have played his best game as a Gopher, scoring seven points with five rebounds, one block and one steal.  In 14 minutes on the floor Eliason made three of four field goals and converted his only free throw.  And playing with a cold and only for nine minutes last Saturday in a win over Penn State, Eliason came up with six rebounds.

A visitor suggested to Eliason he looked more comfortable on offense and defense last week.  “It just happened in that Indiana game.  Everything felt so good.  It felt so comfortable.  Kind of what I was used to in high school.  Still not scoring like I used to back then. …”

As a high school senior Eliason averaged 17.7 points per game and 10.2 rebounds.  He was twice chosen the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year.  But at Minnesota his struggles have included foul trouble and inability to create and make shots near the basket.

How Eliason plays tonight can certainly impact a game the Gophers (8-8 in the Big Ten) want to win and use to build momentum with their two-game winning streak.  Minnesota defeated Nebraska in January at Williams Arena, 84-65.

The Cornhuskers are 4-12 in league games but Eliason said the Gophers need to be ready for a challenge.  “They play a lot tougher down there.  They really feed off the crowd.  I think they’ll be ready to play.  It will be a game you definitely can’t overlook.  It will be tough.”

The Gophers, who had impressive wins at home over Indiana and Penn State last week, have only one road win in the Big Ten.  Their last two Big Ten regular season games are away including Purdue on Saturday.

Eliason thinks the Gophers have found a “mental focus” he hopes can help sustain them if and when moments become difficult on the road.  And at least in Lincoln tonight he knows there will be emotional support.

Worth Noting

Gophers senior reserve guard Julian Welch said the team has confidence.  “We’re definitely in our eyes a Final Four caliber team.”

Welch started last Saturday’s game against Penn State because it was the last at Williams Arena for him and the other seniors.  He has been both a shooting guard (2-guard) and point guard (1-guard) during his career at Minnesota.  His preference?

“I mean it’s just nice to be out there on the court. If I had to pick, probably the 1, just because I like creating for guys.”

Gophers freshman guard Wally Ellenson grew up playing basketball one-on-one against his brothers.  “We’d all try to make each other better.  We’d play hard but every once in awhile it would end up in a fistfight.  Pretty aggressive but it’s good.”

Ellenson, a native of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, has yet to decide on a major but is considering careers as a high school teacher or architect.

Think the Twins are spending more than a month in spring training just developing players and establishing their roster for the regular season schedule that opens on April 1? That’s part of the mission but the Twins are believed to have turned their spring training weeks in Florida into a profit center.

“It’s a very important economic engine,” a baseball source told Sports Headliners.

There are considerable expenses for the Twins and other teams in spring training.  Years ago the endeavor wasn’t profitable but the source said the Twins may now even make a “mid six-figure profit” while in Florida.

Ticket prices for Twins games at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers are priced between $13 and $43 (premium games), according to the club’s website.  Obviously, prices of $5 per game are long gone.  The Twins frequently draw capacity crowds of about 7,500 at Hammond Stadium.

Merchandise sales in Florida contribute to the Twins’ economic success, too, and the source said the spring training games are a “marketing platform” for the club.  All the games are broadcast on radio, and a few on TV, plus the Twins are major news back in Minneapolis-St. Paul.  The spring training schedule provides a “jump start on ticket sales,” the source said.

The new radio home of the team is K-TWIN 96.3 FM which will broadcast today’s Twins game against the World Baseball Classic Puerto Rico team starting at 12:05 p.m. Minneapolis time.  Fox Sports North will televise the Twins-Red Sox game on Friday beginning at 6 p.m.  Both the Twins and K-TWIN are owned by the Pohlad family.

Bob Stein, the former Timberwolves president and 1967 Gophers All-American defensive end, is on the 2013 ballot for election into the College Football Hall of Fame.  Also among the 77 former players being considered are ex-Viking running backs Ted Brown and Darrin Nelson who played respectively at North Carolina State and Stanford.  Among the five coaches being considered is former Gopher assistant Billy Jack Murphy who is the winningest coach in Memphis history.  Announcement of the 2013 class will be May 7.

Starting next Monday former Vikings and Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon will be joined by Bruce Murray on the SiriusXM Blitz show on Sirius radio.  The program airs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Minneapolis time.

Jim Dutcher led the Gophers to the Big Ten championship in 1982, and although he has been out of coaching for more than two decades he’s admired for his basketball wisdom and fairness.  He talked with Sports Headliners on Wednesday about what may develop next for the 2013 Gophers and the future of coach Tubby Smith at Minnesota.

Dutcher believes even if the Gophers were to do the improbable and lose their last three Big Ten regular season games, they are likely to receive an NCAA Tournament invitation later this month.  Minnesota’s remaining games are tomorrow at home against Penn State, 1-14 in the Big Ten, and on the road versus Nebraska, 4-11, and Purdue, 6-9.

The Gophers are 19-9 overall and 7-8 in the Big Ten.  Their roller coaster season includes five wins against top 20 teams, with the latest and most newsworthy Tuesday night’s 77-73 upset of No. 1 ranked Indiana.  Lows include road losses to 4-12 Northwestern and defeats at Iowa and Ohio State by a combined 47 points.

Despite losing eight of their last 12 games the Gophers, who in January were ranked among the top 10 teams in the country, are virtually guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament because of quality wins and strength of schedule.  Minnesota, Dutcher believes, could be a four or five seed in the tournament.

“They’re going to be favored in their next three games,” the former Gophers coach said.  “They play the ninth, 11^th and 12^th place teams.  Penn State is playing better but they’re not as good as the Gophers.  Nebraska—we played volleyball with them here (17 more rebounds)—we got second and third shots almost every possession, and I don’t see how that’s going to change.  Purdue will be a handful because Purdue will be desperate.  They need some wins if they’re gonna have a chance of the tournament.  Historically we have not played well at Purdue.  So that game I think will be up for grabs.”

Dutcher praised the Gophers’ performance in upsetting Indiana, including the physical play of Minnesota, scoring inside on the Hoosiers and out rebounding them (44-30 with a 23-10 advantage in offensive rebounds)).  He also offered “props” to Smith for allocating substantial minutes to the starters and limiting the use of subs.

“He shortened the bench,” Dutcher said.  “I think that gave the team a little more rhythm.  I think it gave them some confidence.”

Pre-Big Ten season expectations were high for Minnesota, and the team’s failings have caused media and fans to chastise Smith.  The Gophers have faltered in the past too, including late season nosedives.  In six seasons Smith has a losing record in conference games, winning 45 games while losing 60.  He has no finishes in the Big Ten above sixth place.

Critics want a coaching change.  How does Dutcher respond?

“It’s been frustrating the way they’ve been blown out of some games.  They’re too good to lose to Iowa by 20 some and Ohio State by 20 some, but he (Smith) still has time to turn a disappointing season around.  He took the first step to that (against Indiana) but now he’s gotta complete the journey.  Win these last three games.

“You can’t describe their Big Ten (record now)…as anything but disappointing.  But the season is still up for grabs.  The final chapter hasn’t been written on this team.”

Dutcher acknowledges athletic director Minnesota Norwood Teague has been deluged with critical communications about Smith.  But when asked if Smith deserves to keep his job, Dutcher responded affirmatively.

“As of today I would say yes, but it’s still a work in progress.  I think at the end of the year Norwood and his group (will) do a complete evaluation of the year.  It’s hard to do in midstream, to make those kinds of decisions.

“And to Norwood’s credit, I am sure there was pressure on him to make a change after Iowa and Ohio State.  But they didn’t panic.  They said let’s let this season play out and let’s do an evaluation at the end of the year.  Which was good.  That’s what I would have done.  So the jury is out.”

Worth Noting

University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler was asked this week about the Gophers basketball coaching situation.  “We will do what we always do…look at the end of the season and make some decisions.  Norwood will make those decisions.  I don’t like to talk about that team situation during the course of the season—distracts the team and the coaches.”

Kaler acknowledged to Sports Headliners he will have input on a decision.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill will speak to high school coaches at a Nike clinic in Philadelphia tomorrow.  Asked if his talk has a title, Kill said it’s about “being a football coach for 30 years.”

On Sunday Kill will meet the public at the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show in the Minneapolis Convention   Center.  Vikings players Everson Griffin (tonight), Kyle Rudolph and Toby Gerhart (Saturday), and Joe Webb (Sunday) are also scheduled.

I guess ESPN college football analyst Mark May put Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and other NFL personnel experts on notice this week.  May said any general manager who drafts Notre Dame linebacker Manti T’eo in the first round should be “fired.”  The Vikings’ draft needs include help at linebacker.

Among players Twins personnel decision makers will be rooting for in the 2013 World Baseball Classic is pitcher Deolis Guerra with the Venezuela team.  He is the last player remaining in the Twins organization from the 2008 deal that sent Johan Santana to the Mets.  The 6-5, 245-pound Guerra turns 24 in April and although his strikes to innings ratio is impressive he has yet to prove he can excel in Triple-A where he seems likely to begin the season for the Twins’ Rochester farm team.

The World Baseball Classic starts tomorrow with Pool A and B games in Japan and Taiwan.  Venezuela (Pool C) doesn’t begin play until next Thursday in Puerto Rico.  The United States (Pool A) has its first game against Mexico a week from tonight at Chase Field in Phoenix.  WBC games are televised by the MLB Network.

Twins on the USA team are catcher Joe Mauer and reliever Glen Perkins who turns 30 tomorrow.  Perkins will be in his first full season as the Twins’ closer.  Perkins, 3-1 last season with a 2.56 ERA and 16 saves, had the second most saves for a left-hander in major league baseball.  The Reds’ Aroldis Chapman had 38 saves.

Former Twins third baseman Danny Valencia, now with the Orioles, has played in three spring training games and has two hits in nine at bats.

The No. 1 ranked St. Thomas men’s basketball team has seven players including center Tommy Hannon and guard John Nance who were on the roster of the 2011 Division III national champs.  Hannon was a starter and Nance a key reserve.  “That (experience) doesn’t give you any points but it gives you confidence,” said head coach John Tauer who was an assistant on the 2011 team.

The Tommies host Aurora (Illinois) tomorrow night in an opening NCAA playoff game and have dreams of playing in Atlanta next month for another national title.  Hannon is the team’s second leading scorer after guard Will DeBerg, another returnee from the 2011 champions.  Nance, the team’s third leading scorer, is a name familiar to Gophers football fans who followed him at Minnesota.  All three players are 2013 All-MIAC selections.

Nance leads the team in steals and blocks.  Tauer said the former Cretin-Derham Hall athlete has made a lot of progress since arriving at UST as a freshman.  “I am so proud of him.  Frankly, he was a little rusty with basketball.  He had some bad habits.  I don’t know if I’ve seen a guy improve so consistently over four years.  He could score 20 a game if we needed him to.  He’s become one of the best defenders in the country.  You couldn’t say that last year.”

The game tomorrow night at St. Thomas begins at 7 p.m.  Adult admission is $7 and student $4.