Gophers Basketball – Page 176 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on November 28, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Among the Gophers completing eligibility on Saturday was Minnesota native and safety Kim Royston who started his career at Wisconsin. He left Madison after the 2007 season to be near his grandmother who was ill and has since past away. “I don’t have any regrets about transferring,” he said. Royston was involved with 13 tackles in the game Saturday.

Sophomore Dan Orseske has to be the most inconsistent Gophers punter in memory. He’s had punts of fewer than 10 yards and undoubtedly faces off-season competition for his job.

Ed Cohen, who keeps statistics in the press box for home games, completed his 55^th season working for the Gophers last Saturday. His longevity exceeds everyone else on the Minnesota game day crew.

One-sided score: Hopkins led Minneapolis North 80-0 at halftime in girls basketball Friday night on the way to a 94-14 win.

It’s been a busy seven days for Gophers broadcaster Mike Grimm. Last Monday night he did the play-by-play of the Minnesota-Mount St. Mary’s basketball game at Williams Arena. He also called the Gophers basketball games Thursday and Friday in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando. He then flew back to Minneapolis, arriving after midnight on Saturday so he could do the play-by-play on the Minnesota-Illinois football game. And yesterday morning he caught an early morning flight back to Orlando to call the Gophers Old Spice title game against Dayton on Sunday night, an 86-70 Minnesota loss.

It’s not well-known in Minnesota yet but the basketball Gophers will be one of the teams playing in the 2013 Maui Invitational. The field, including the Gophers, was announced last week at the tournament.

Here are Sports Headliners’ final rankings of Big Ten Football teams: Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier’s career record is now 5-12 including six games as interim coach last year. On the Vikings radio network following yesterday’s 24-14 loss to Atlanta he criticized his closing minutes play call when Minnesota was on the Falcons’ one-yard line. The fourth down play was unsuccessful while a touchdown would have made the score 24-21 Atlanta.

Jared Allen was a long snapper for Kansas City in 2005. Yesterday he filled in for injured Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler. As a defensive end, Allen has 13.5 sacks this season. He and the late Reggie White are the only players in NFL history to have 14.5+ sacks in three consecutive seasons.

By joining the Texas Rangers, former Twins closer Joe Nathan will no longer have to face one of the American League teams that was most effective against him. Nathan’s career ERA against the Rangers is 3.60, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Only Tampa Bay at 3.80 and New York at 3.71 had higher ERA’s against Nathan.

The Minnesota Golf Show will be February 17-19 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Comments Welcome

Worth Noting

Posted on November 15, 2011December 28, 2011 by David Shama

Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, who twice since 2007 has been rumored to be a candidate for the Gophers job, is head coaching material, said Barry Alvarez. The Badgers athletic director told Sports Headliners he’s received inquiries about Chryst and coaching jobs this fall.

Vikings reserve quarterback Joe Webb said although he hasn’t been asked by the coaching staff, he‘s willing to become a wide receiver. Webb played both positions in college and his experience could help him get open and catch the ball. He has the size (6-4) and speed (4.4) to be an intriguing wide receiver prospect.

The Oakland Raiders, now in first place in the AFC West with a 5-4 record, play the Vikings on Sunday at Mall of America Field and the franchise has a historic tie to this area. In 1960 Minneapolis was going to be one of the founding franchises in the new AFL but preferred an invitation to join the established NFL. Oakland accepted the franchise opening caused by the Minneapolis decision.

Vikings :30 and :60 second TV commercials advocating for a stadium in Arden Hills can be seen on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imCQC_Yd2Wg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnQaKCzUyGo

Former Gopher Royce White scored 25 points in his first regular season game for Iowa State, making nine of 15 field goals and seven of nine free throws last week. The Cyclones play at Drake tonight.

In its college basketball issue distributed last week, Sports Illustrated doesn’t include the Gophers among teams predicted to make the NCAA tournament. Ohio State is ranked No. 3 in the country, and also among the top 20 teams is No. 13 Wisconsin. Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Northwestern are other Big Ten teams predicted to qualify for the tournament.

Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald finished first in an NFL players poll about “who has the best fashion sense off the field,” according to S.I.’s November 14 issue.

St. Thomas received the most votes in a poll of league coaches to determine the preseason favorite to win the MIAC basketball championship. Former Gophers quarterback John Nance is expected to be among the Tommies’ key players. The other three MIAC teams receiving the most votes were St. Olaf, Augsburg and Carleton.

St. Thomas also received the most votes in the women’s coaches poll followed by Gustavus, Saint Benedict and Concordia.

Comments Welcome

U Needs More than Mbakwe Heroics

Posted on November 11, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

The basketball Gophers have been something of a one-man team in two exhibition game wins. The hope starting tonight at home with the regular season opener against Bucknell has to be that preseason All-American forward Trevor Mbakwe can sustain his heroics in most upcoming games and teammates will pitch in with more support.

Mbakwe scored on 13 of 15 field goals and 13 of 14 free throws in closer than expected wins over Bemidji State and Augustana (Sioux Falls). His totals of 39 points and 24 rebounds made it at least somewhat comfortable for the Gophers to earn 71-58 and 72-60 wins against a pair of Division II opponents.

In one of the most impressive second half performances for a Gopher seen in awhile, Mbakwe scored 16 points, had eight rebounds and five blocked shots against Augustana on Monday night at Williams Arena. The Gophers trailed the Vikings 38-33 at halftime and Minnesota had a 63-60 lead with 3:10 remaining in the game.

Only junior forward Rodney Williams with 10 points joined Mbakwe in double figures scoring. But more production is expected of Williams and also senior center Ralph Sampson III. Along with Mbakwe, they are the three Minnesota upperclassmen who have played Big Ten basketball. Sampson’s performance against the Vikings included seven turnovers and three points.

In the first two games coach Tubby Smith has given significant playing minutes to seven players who are either freshmen or sophomores, plus junior college transfers and newcomers Julian Welch and Andre Ingram. Collectively they’ve often looked unsure and when the Gophers play without Mbakwe on the floor the team usually struggles.

There’s not much doubt the Gophers need to improve to defeat Bucknell tonight at Williams Arena. The Bison are a favorite to win the Patriot League championship and center Mike Muscala, from Roseville Area High, is a mid-major preseason All-American. Bucknell has four starters back from a team that was 25-9 overall, 13-1 in the Patriot League and lost in the NCAA tournament to eventual national champion Connecticut.

Comments Welcome