Gophers Basketball – Page 157 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

‘Superman’ Inspires, Breaks Record

Posted on November 12, 2012November 12, 2012 by David Shama

Maybe it was fate that Adrian Peterson broke a Vikings’ rushing record yesterday against the Lions.

The All-Pro running back went over 1,000 yards for the fifth time in a season and broke a tie with Robert Smith for the franchise record of most 1,000 yard seasons. Peterson ran for 171 yards in a 34-24 win over the Lions, including a 61-yard touchdown run. It was the fourth consecutive game that Peterson, the NFL’s leading rusher, has totaled over 100 yards this season.

Peterson, now in his sixth pro season, is a clear choice as the franchise’s best running back ever. He plays in a division, the NFC North, that has three other franchises with legendary running backs. During their eras Barry Sanders (Lions), Walter Payton and Gale Sayers (Bears), and Jim Taylor (Packers) were superstar runners. Sanders is regarded by some historians as the greatest running back of all-time.

At 27 years old and healthy again after last season’s ACL injury, Peterson is on track to join Sanders, Payton and Taylor in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After yesterday’s win, Peterson’s teammates talked about him like he’s already a legend.

Yes, they described him as the “best back in the league” but the praise went beyond that. “Adrian is kind of a Superman,” left guard Charlie Johnson said. “He’s a freak. You would never think that an injury like that would happen to him. But it happened, and the way he fought back, it is inspiring to us.”

Peterson has been playing since the opening game of the season despite the brutal injury he suffered. He’s his old self running with power, making superlative cuts and possessing the straightaway speed to race past secondary defenders.

“He’s pretty darn good, huh? Best back in the league right now,” center John Sullivan said. “Those all-time discussions (best runner ever) are always going to be debatable. What he’s doing—especially in a pass happy league—is fantastic.”

Johnson agrees there’s no lasting impacting from the ACL injury. “He’s unbelievable. I really don’t think you can tell if he got hurt or not. It’s just the way that he’s running, and seeing the field well. It’s fun to block (for him).”

Johnson said Peterson’s ordeal of suffering the injury and then coming back so dramatically to reclaim his spot as the NFL’s premier running back set an example for the other Vikings. “He means a lot. For him to get hurt last year and for him to attack his rehab the way he did, that gets our attention. That the guy…had a major knee injury and he’s back way ahead of when everybody thought he was, that makes you work hard. It makes the whole locker room want to work hard and get better every day seeing that.”

The Vikings have a bye next week and for now they can celebrate being 6-4, ending a two-game losing streak. There were contributions from many Vikings on both offense and defense yesterday in beating the Lions (4-5) in a key division game but the main donor was No. 28.

Four of the Vikings’ six remaining games are on the road. Vikings marketing executive Steve LaCroix said small numbers of tickets are still available for the team’s last two home games, December 9 versus the Bears and December 30 against the Packers. Both games will sellout. Information on tickets: www.vikings.com.

Gophers, Wolves & Other Notes

The Gophers are bowl eligible for the first time since 2009 with their 17-3 win over Illinois on Saturday, winning the game with a reshuffled offensive line and using several true freshmen including quarterback Philip Nelson who had a difficult day facing Illini blitzes that seemed to have him and his receivers off balance.

Nelson passed for 78 yards. It didn’t help that two of his most reliable receivers, A.J. Barker and Derrick Engel, were injured and didn’t play.

Coach Jerry Kill has been shuffling personnel on the offensive line all season including having to replace starting left tackle Ed Olson and left guard Tommy Olson. At Illinois, injuries forced the Gophers to play three different centers.

In addition to Nelson, the Gophers received significant minutes from these true freshmen: defensive tackle Scott Ekpe, defensive end Alex Keith, wide receiver Andre McDonald, tight end Lincoln Plsek and running back Rodrick Williams.

Much of the Timberwolves’ fast start this season can be attributed to the team’s defensive play. The Wolves, despite a run of injuries that has sidelined multiple players, have a 4-2 record. They rank fifth among NBA teams in fewest points given up per game, 89.5, and third best in lowest field goal percentage allowed, .415.

But on Friday night before the Wolves earned their fourth win of the season, forward Andrei Kirilenko told Sports Headliners there’s much potential for improvement. “I still think we’re far from playing great defense but I think we’re doing a very good job in the mental effort. Everybody (is) trying to play defense. A lot of things when you play on defense, comes from the state of mind. …”

Kirilenko is a former all-NBA defense first and second team selection. He said it can take years for teams to maximize their defensive effectiveness as they learn assignments, how to help each other and develop the required work ethic.

Kirilenko said his wife, former Russian pop singer Marina Masha Lopatova, is living with him in Minnesota. Can Kirilenko sing? “I can sing in the shower,” he said.

The Wolves other Russian player, 23-year-old rookie guard Alexey Shved, has improved his English in the last few months. “I tell them you’re in America now, you have to speak English,” teammate Chase Budinger joked.

Budinger suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee on Saturday night against the Bulls in Chicago. Surgery will be scheduled later this week.

The November 12 issue of Sports Illustrated includes the magazine’s annual college basketball preview. The Gophers are ranked No. 31 in the country and forecast to earn a win in the NCAA Tournament. Indiana is No. 1, with two other Big Ten Conference schools in the top 10, No. 6 Michigan and No. 7 Ohio State.

The magazine includes former St. Cloud Tech High School guard Nate Wolters among its three players who are potential “game changers”—players from lesser known schools that could make a big impact this season. S.I. reports the South Dakota State point guard is a potential NBA draft choice, and last season accounted for 27.2 percent of his team’s field goals and 33 percent of the free throws.

The NHL lockout could end soon as players feel the pressure of continued lost paychecks. Meanwhile, players from the Wild work out at rinks in Edina, Orono and Wayzata knowing they have to be in shape and keep their skills sharp, or they will be at a competitive disadvantage if training camp and the season starts. It’s presumed NHL training camps will last only seven to 14 days.

The 2013 NHL Winter Classic scheduled for Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor has been cancelled but look for the site to host the game in 2014. The 2015 game? It’s worth a bet Target Field will be the site.

Gophers hockey reunions are planned for February 23 and March 2 recognizing the 10^th anniversary of the 2003 national championship team and the 30^th anniversary of the 1983 WCHA title team. The Gophers athletic department is inviting former team members, coaches and staff to receptions prior to Minnesota’s home games on those dates with Minnesota-Duluth and Denver. There will also be on-ice recognition of the anniversary teams during the games.

Twins president Dave St. Peter will speak at the Minnesota Minute Men Holiday Event on December 3 at Jax Café. The Minute Men welcome prospective new members at the 6 to 8 p.m. event that will include complimentary beverages and appetizers. RSVP at www.minnesotaminutemen.com.

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Rodney Williams: U Deserves Top 25

Posted on November 9, 2012November 9, 2012 by David Shama

Preseason college basketball polls have been giving the Gophers “sniffs,” but Minnesota hasn’t been included in the top 25 men’s basketball rankings of polls by the Associated Press, USA Today Sports, Sports Illustrated, and AthlonSports.com. Gophers forward Rodney Williams told Sports Headliners he believes Minnesota should be ranked with the nation’s better teams.

“I definitely think we deserve to be in the top 25,” he said. “I think we’re a team with a lot of depth, a lot of experience now. I think we can give a lot of teams trouble.”

After two exhibition wins, Minnesota opens the regular season tonight at home against American University and can begin to make its case with the pollsters. The Gophers return all five starters from last season’s NIT finals team. The regulars consist of Williams, a senior, and junior guard Austin Hollins, and sophomores Joe Coleman (forward), Andre Hollins (guard) and Elliott Eliason (center). Off the bench are two players who could become starters, senior forward Trevor Mbakwe and sophomore center Maurice Walker.

Coach Tubby Smith told Sports Headliners earlier this fall his team has three potential NBA draft choices in Andre Hollins, Mbakwe and Williams. But despite the talent and depth, there are doubts about the Gophers including whether the team can effectively close out games and avoid the injuries that have contributed to consecutive 6-12 regular season finishes in the Big Ten.

Williams thinks the Gophers are ready for a successful season in his last year at Minnesota. “It would definitely mean a lot because these past years we’ve been so close,” he said. “We lost a lot of games that we could have won with little turnovers at the end, or not getting that big rebound, but I think with the team we’ve got now we’ll be able to get over that hump and make some noise in the Big Ten Tournament, in the conference play and the NCAA Tournament.”

Mbakwe, who missed most of last season because of his injured ACL, has played limited minutes in the two exhibition games. He said his leg strength isn’t 100 percent but he expects to be at that level in a month or so.

But Williams already sees the physical, explosive power player that could impact games blocking shots, rebounding and scoring inside like Mbakwe did last year before the injury.

“You haven’t been able to see much of him out there in exhibition games because they are exhibition games and you don’t want to risk anything with him being back a little earlier than a lot of people thought,” Williams said. “I definitely think Trev is back to his old self and you’ll be able to see that a lot more on Friday.”

American University is a Washington, D.C.-based school and member of the Patriot League. The Eagles, who were 20-12 last season, placed third in their conference last year and could push for a similar finish in 2013.

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QB Draft Pick Shadows Vikings

Posted on November 7, 2012November 7, 2012 by David Shama

Did the Vikings draft the wrong quarterback in 2011?

The answer isn’t so easy to finalize—at least yet. Christian Ponder was chosen by the Vikings with the No. 12 selection in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. No other quarterback was then selected until the Bengals chose Andy Dalton in the second round with the No. 35 pick in the draft.

Before the draft, former Viking Bob Lurtsema was praising Dalton to Sports Headliners. Reached by telephone on Monday, Lurtsema, who is still close to the Vikings and was in Seattle for the Seahawks game last Sunday, said that based on 1.5 NFL seasons Dalton would have been the “far better” choice for Minnesota.

Dalton made the Bengals and a lot of other admirers look good in his rookie season of 2011. His numbers included 20 touchdown passes. Even more important he helped lead the Bengals to the playoffs for only the third time since 1991.

But Dalton has hit something of a sophomore slump, throwing five interceptions in his last three games. Lurtsema, a former defensive lineman, said there is such a thing as a sophomore jinx and the problem is “you start thinking more” than is needed.

Dalton has passed for 2,130 yards this season, ranking No. 12 in the NFL, while throwing for 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Pretty comparable to Ponder’s 1,806 yards, 10 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Their passer ratings are 86.7 Dalton, 82.0 Ponder.

Dalton’s Bengals are 3-5 while Ponder’s Vikings are 5-4. The Bengals have lost four consecutive games while the Vikings have been losers in two straight.

Not surprisingly, Lurtsema described Sunday’s Vikings home game with the 4-4 Lions as “huge,” and he hopes Ponder will shake off his Seattle performance that included no touchdown passes and 11 of 22 pass completions.

“I just hope he’s not playing scared because he’s missing a lot of open receivers,” Lurtsema said. “Trying to be perfect—rather than going with instincts—can really take a toll on your game.”

Not just Dalton and Ponder from the quarterback class of 2011 are struggling. No. 1 pick Cam Newton was sometimes the face of the NFL last season but in 2012 his numbers are humble including just six touchdown passes. Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert, quarterback first round picks at No. 8 and 10, have had their struggles, past and present. Their teams, the Titans and Jaguars, have combined records of 4-13.

Playing quarterback in the NFL is perhaps the most difficult position in sports and a second-year player can still have a big learning curve in front of him. A lot of factors impact success, including teammates, injuries, coaching and the opposition. And what’s between a quarterback’s ears—meaning his confidence, belief in his system and ability to make adjustments—can be the kind of stuff that can challenge a quarterback in his second season, regardless of whether the rookie year was boom or bust.

Allow two more years and then judge whether Dalton, the redhead from TCU, would have looked better in purple than Ponder.

Worth Noting

Ponder passed for 63 yards and had a passer rating of 37.3 in Sunday’s loss to Seattle, the Vikings’ third defeat in the last four games. Carlos Monarrez, writing for the Detroit Free Press on Monday, said “Minneapolis is now officially panic central” after the Vikings started the season 4-1.

“Looks like the Vikings are who we thought they were, namely a good defensive team that overachieved early on offense and now has regressed to the mean,” Monarrez wrote on freep.com.

Uh, oh. There goes the Redskins Rule that said if Washington, D.C.’s NFL team lost its most recent home game prior to the presidential election the non-incumbent candidate wins the White House. The Redskins lost at home on Sunday but Mitt Romney also lost the election yesterday to President Barack Obama.

The Gophers play at Illinois on Saturday, facing an Illini team that has lost six consecutive games. With three games remaining on the schedule, the 2-7 Illini have no chance to qualify for a bowl game.

Minnesota, though, has a 5-4 record and can become bowl eligible if the Gophers win against a team that has lost by two touchdowns or more in its six losses. On Monday the dailyillini.com quoted quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase as saying the Illini are playing only for the “love of the game” now.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill talked about injuries yesterday and said receivers A.J. Barker and Derrick Engel are questionable for Saturday’s game. Offensive tackle Ed Olson may be available.

Charlie Strong was Florida’s defensive coordinator in January of 2007 when the Gophers head football job was open. The Gophers chose Tim Brewster but it is believed Strong might have taken the job if offered. Strong became Louisville’s head coach in 2009 and this season the 9-0 Cardinals are ranked No. 9 in the BCS top 25.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Strong’s name was mentioned to succeed coach Derek Dooley at Tennessee. The Vols are 0-5 in SEC games, 4-5 overall.

The Gophers are averaging 47,043 fans per game in attendance, lowest of their four seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. Does a new stadium guarantee attendance success? Maybe not. The last three seasons in the Metrodome the Gophers averaged 52,206, 51,791 and 48,958. Minnesota’s on-campus stadium has a capacity of 50,805 (about 14,000 fewer seats than the Metrodome) but the Gophers have only sold out one game during the last two seasons.

Brainerd coach Ron Stolski, the winningest prep football coach in state history, is looking forward to 2013. In Brainerd’s final game this fall he started eight juniors and one sophomore on offense. “Year 52 coming up. Have as much interest, enthusiasm and passion as ever,” Stolski said via email.

Wolves guard Brandon Roy, trying to make an NBA comeback after not playing last season, has made just 0.292 percent of his field goals while averaging 6.7 points in three games. He is averaging 4.3 assists per game. The Wolves play the Magic at home tonight, Minnesota’s second regular season home game.

The Gophers have two potential NBA first round draft choices in senior forwards Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams but the team MVP could well be sophomore Andre Hollins. As the point guard, he’s the floor leader including late in games when the Gophers have often had problems closing out opponents. Hollins can create his own shot, drive to the basket or make outside jumpers.

The Gophers open their nonconference schedule on Friday night against American University, the Washington, D.C.based-school that is a member of the Patriot League. Last season the Eagles were 20-12 and are coached by Jeff Jones who played for Virginia against the Gophers and Kevin McHale in the 1980 NIT championship game. Jones was head coach at Virginia when he was 29 years old.

The Eagles have seven seniors on their roster. Junior center Tony Wroblicky had 18 rebounds in an exhibition game win over Mary Washington.

Gophers hockey coach Don Lucia will earn bonuses if his team wins the WCHA title and national championship. The Gophers have been ranked first or second nationally in polls this fall.

Notable former Twins in free agency this off-season are Torii Hunter, Francisco Liriano, Kyle Lohse, A.J. Pierzynski and Delmon Young. Bet your Target Field opening game tickets none of them will be pursued by the Twins.

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