Maturi said the contract hasn’t been signed but it’s likely the Gophers will play a major conference opponent that will be a local box office draw as part of next fall’s nonconference schedule. The Gophers nonconference home schedule is frequently criticized for not having marquee opponents.
The Big Ten and ACC annual series has helped enhance the nonconference schedules for teams in both leagues. A new alliance between the Big Ten and Pac-12 might lead to an annual basketball series, further improving nonconference schedules.
A Monday article in the Wall Street Journal ranked the Gophers as the 10th most valuable Division I college basketball program in the country. Citing a study by Ryan Brewer, an assistant professor of finance at Indiana-Purdue Columbus, the publication listed Louisville ($211.5 million) No. 1 followed by Kansas, Indiana, Ohio Sate, Arizona, North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, UNLV and Minnesota ($87.9 million). The study included a formula using current revenues and expenses, and also other data. The Gophers and fellow Big Ten schools Indiana and Ohio State benefit from the lucrative Big Ten Network revenues.
Jerry Robertson, grandfather to Gophers forward Rodney Williams, said his grandson benefitted from playing near the basket when inside players Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III weren’t able to play because of injuries. Williams had three straight 20 point games in the NIT. “Rodney was forced to step up his game instead of deferring to Mbakwe and Sampson,” Robertson said.
Robertson, who coached Williams in AAU basketball, thinks his grandson will come back for his senior season rather than pursue the NBA draft.
Redshirt freshman center Elliott Eliason, a business management major, was the only Gopher basketball player to make Academic All-Big Ten this past winter. Minnesota and Ohio Sate were the only schools to have just one selection while Purdue and Indiana had a league-leading seven each. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten, student-athletes must be letter winners who are in at least a second academic year at their institutions and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Don’t be surprised if the basketball Gophers lose one or more players with remaining eligibility who decide to transfer.
The Gophers women’s swimming and diving team had 23 Academic All-Big Ten student-athletes. The men’s gymnastics team 13, the men’s swimming and diving team 11, and the women’s basketball team 10.
Timberwolves president Chris Wright said the franchise has renewed 98 percent of its Target Center lower bowl season ticket holders, and 94 percent overall. The club has sold over 900 new full season tickets and hopes to reach 2,000 by next season. That would push the total on full season tickets to more than 8,000, Wright said.
Timberwolves rookie point guard Ricky Rubio tore his ACL on March 9. The Wolves were a .500 team with him but their record is 4-11 since he’s been unable to play.
The Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced tonight from Tampa as part of the Frozen Four. The finalists for the award honoring college hockey’s best player are Spencer Abbott, senior forward from the University of Maine; Jack Connolly, senior forward from the University of Minnesota-Duluth; and Austin Smith, senior forward from Colgate University. The announcement will be aired live on the NHL Network and on the Hobey Baker website at 5 p.m. Minneapolis time.
WCCO TV’s Mark Rosen signed copies of his new book, “Best Seat in the House,” for two hours last week at the downtown Barnes & Noble store. Chapters include one devoted to former Vikings coach Bud Grant who signed copies of the book at the store and surprised Rosen by staying for 90 minutes. “I would have been happy if he had stayed 15 minutes,” Rosen said.
No dates and times yet but the Vikings will play preseason games (in this order) at San Francisco, home against Buffalo and San Diego, and at Houston.
Congratulations to St. Croix Lutheran’s Carl Lemke, honored as the 2011 MFCA Coach of the Year at the Minnesota Football Coaches Clinic last week. St. Croix Lutheran won the Class 3A state championship last fall. Lemke was also recognized as the Class 3A coach of the year. Other coach of the year winners by class: Class 5A, Mike Grant, Eden Prairie; Class 4A, Mike Rowe, ROCORI; Class 2A, Brent Schroeder, Caledonia; Class 1A, Cory Larson, Dawson-Boyd; Nine Man, Andrew Fleischman, Edgerton/Ellsworth.
Wally McNeil, “Wally the Beerman,” said racehorse Wally’s Choice is retired. McNeil was a part owner of Wally’s Choice, a horse that earned the second most money ever for a Minnesota bred racehorse.
