Gophers Basketball – Page 172 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

NIT Bid to Face Modest Applause

Posted on March 9, 2012March 12, 2012 by David Shama

The thought won’t rally an apathetic fan base but the Gophers may have earned a National Invitation Tournament bid with their 75-68 win over Northwestern last night in Indianapolis.

Last Saturday morning Minnesota sources were talking about the need to win two games to make the NIT. That was just hours before Minnesota, losers of six consecutive games, defeated Nebraska in the Gophers’ final regular season game. And then early yesterday evening Minnesota, the No. 7 seed, defeated Northwestern, the No. 10 seed, in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament for both teams.

Minnesota’s two-game winning streak leaves the Gophers with a 19-13 overall season record. That could be enough to put the school back in the NIT for the first time since 2008.

Certainly a win tonight over Michigan will remove any doubt the Gophers would be invited to the tournament that is the oldest in college basketball, and holds its semifinals and championship game in New York’s hoops mecca, Madison Square Garden.

The NIT selection committee will have to decide if there are 32 teams more to its liking than Minnesota. Probably not, but either an invite or rejection won’t be met with much passion by Minnesota’s fan base.

The Gophers used to be popular with NIT administrators who liked the large crowds Minnesota drew for their NIT games. That’s history now. The NIT novelty wore off here long ago and the last NIT game (2008) in Minneapolis drew 3,882 fans.

Then there’s the problem of declining interest in the Gophers. Coach Tubby Smith has been under heavy criticism after finishing with a 6-12 Big Ten regular season record in each of the last two years. His five year Big Ten record is 39-52. Average home attendance this season was the lowest in five years.

But give Smith and his players credit for upsetting Northwestern last night, spoiling any chance the 18-13 Wildcats had of earning an NCAA invitation. In the overtime, Smith put a smaller lineup on the floor using four guards and forward Rodney Williams. The unit shutdown Northwestern’s offense as the Gophers outscored the Wildcats 14-7 in overtime.

Minnesota trailed 36-34 at halftime after building a 15-5 lead early in the game. Northwestern soon switched to a zone defense and half court trap that changed the game in the Wildcats’ favor despite 16 first half points by freshman point guard Andre Hollins.

It was Hollins who led the team in scoring with 25 points and showed promise of giving Minnesotathe leader it has been looking for all winter. He made five of 10 three point shots and played with poise in overtime.

The Gophers will need more of that tonight against a Michigan team that was 13-5 during the conference regular season and shared the league title with Michigan State and Ohio State. Game time is 5:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

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Worth Noting

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

Fox Sports North hockey analyst Kevin Gorg picks Hermantown to win the Class 1A tournament and Benilde-St. Margaret’s to take the Class 2A championship.

The consensus among Sports Headliners’ sources is the Vikings — this year or next —will gain public approval for a new stadium in Minneapolis. Don’t dismiss the possibility, though, the stadium could be built near Target Field, and not on the Metrodome site.

Mark Rosen’s new book, The Best Seat in the House, will be available starting in late March. The WCCO TV sports anchor and reporter writes about his experiences at Ch. 4 and sports figures he’s known. Rosen has been on local TV longer than any other news or sports anchor in this marketplace. He started working part-time at the station in 1969.

Gophers basketball, for the first time in memory, had only two home sellouts this season. The Gophers averaged 11,794 fans (capacity 14,625) for 19 home games. Minnesota’s average for Big Ten home games was 12,723. For conference games two years ago the Gophers average was 14,625, while last year it was 13,241.

The Gophers, who finished with a 6-12 Big Ten record for the second consecutive season, play their opening conference tournament game tomorrow starting at 4:30 p.m. in Indianapolis against Northwestern. During the regular season Minnesota defeated the Wildcats 75-52 in Minneapolis, but lost 64-53 in Evanston.

Northwestern is likely to win tomorrow if the Gophers don’t minimize the Widcats’ three point shooting. Northwestern made five more three point shots than the Gophers in Evanston. The Wildcats were second in Big Ten three point field goal percentage at .385.

Based on past statistics, Twins catcher Joe Mauer, 28, figures to have a comeback year after last season’s .287 average. He ranks No. 7 with a .323 batting average among the top career major league hitters since 1950 (minimum 3,500 plate appearances). Among those ahead of the Twins three-time batting champion is Tony Gwynn at .338 and Ted Williams, .335. They rank No. 1 and 2 while former Twin Kirby Puckett is No. 10 at .318.

Since the Twins inception in 1961 the club ranks No. 2 in hits, No. 3 in batting average and No. 4 in both runs scored and on-base percentage among major league teams.

Gustavus and St. Thomas, the two MIAC men’s hockey programs in the Division III tournament, both play tonight. The MIAC playoff-champion Gusties (16-6-5) will host Milwaukee School of Engineering (22-6-1) in St. Peter. The MIAC regular season champion Tommies (18-5-2) play at defending national champion St. Norbert (17-5-5) in Green Bay.

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Ex-Governor Casts U A.D. ‘Vote’

Posted on March 5, 2012March 5, 2012 by David Shama

Arne Carlson was outspoken last week when he advocated that the University of Minnesota promote John Anderson to athletic director, and hire Flip Saunders and Lindsay Whalen as basketball coaches.

The former Minnesota governor is a U alum and passionate supporter of Gophers athletics. Speaking on Thursday’s WCCO Radio morning show with John Hines, Carlson said he isn’t formally involved with the search for a new athletic director but added “we have a lot of gold right under our nose.”

“John Anderson would be a remarkably good athletic director,” Carlson said. “A very successful baseball coach, knows how to build a program. He’s very modest, but also very capable.

“And then look at what else we have—Flip Saunders. How many people would love to see him take over the basketball program? And then you look at Lindsay Whalen. What a remarkable addition she would be on the women’s side.

“We have the talent right here and we have to learn to develop that talent to give them a chance to manage, to build, and then we can hold them accountable. But these are all good people.”

Anderson is in his 31^st season as Gophers baseball coach. He, Saunders and Whalen are Minnesota alums.

The Gophers athletic administration has often been criticized, and the department’s most visible programs like football and basketball have struggled to win games. Carlson said years ago Wisconsin was in the same “pickle” as Minnesota when it turned to former Badgers football hero and state native Pat Richter to become athletic director. That hire put the Badgers on a path to success that continues to this day.

Carlson said Minnesota can also learn a lesson taught in the University’s business school and practiced by the Wisconsin athletic department. When Badgers savior Barry Alvarez stepped down as football coach, he chose defensive coordinator Bret Bielema from his staff as his successor.

Succession planning and searching for local candidates makes sense to Carlson. “…If you look at that team of Anderson, Whalen and Saunders, I would buy that any day of the week,” he said.

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