Gophers Basketball – Page 60 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Zim Looks for New WR to Play Now

Posted on April 24, 2020April 24, 2020 by David Shama

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer made known his expectations for first round draft choice Justin Jefferson last night on KFAN Radio. “He’ll be able to come in and should be able to play right away.”

The Vikings selected the former LSU wide receiver at No. 22 in last night’s NFL Draft. Zimmer praised Jefferson’s ability to play inside and outside in an offense. He also mentioned Jefferson’s work ethic in practice, competitive nature and intelligence.

Jefferson has a reputation for making difficult catches and the Vikings considered him one of the best wide receivers in the draft. “Quite honestly, we tried to move up and were hoping that he would be there,” Zimmer said.

Minnesota acquired another first rounder in TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney at No. 31. Zimmer told KFAN the 5-foot-10 Gladney needs improvement with his playing technique but expressed enthusiasm about his new defensive player.

“He’s very quick. Good accelerator, has a lot of speed,” Zimmer said. “He’s a little on the shorter side. (But) of some of the other guys (in the draft) he had longer arms and longer wing span. But he’s a very competitive kid… .”

Will Jefferson and Gladney ultimately be judged as productive players for the franchise? General manager Rick Spielman is in his ninth season with the Vikings and led last night’s opening round decisions. Looking at his eight previous drafts, Spielman hit the success button more often than not, but a few misses standout now when the Vikings have needs at cornerback and wide receiver.

Cornerback Trae Waynes and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell were first round selections in 2015 and 2016. Neither is with the team and they didn’t even come close to being impact contributors for Minnesota. Spielman drafted cornerback Mike Hughes No. 1 in 2018 and while opportunity waits in 2020, Hughes has struggled with injuries and has made only five career starts at a position of ongoing need.

Those three players haven’t benefitted Minnesota much, but five others have from earlier drafts. That includes last year when the Vikings made Garrett Bradbury the highest drafted center in franchise history at No. 18 in the first round. He was a starter in his rookie year and while evaluators say he has lots to improve on, he’s a first round success story right now.

The Vikings didn’t have a No. 1 pick in 2017 but let’s count running back Dalvin Cook to Spielman’s credit. At No. 41 in the second round he was the first player chosen by the Vikings that year, and he is the team’s best weapon on offense.

Spielman had two first rounders in 2014, linebacker Anthony Barr and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. At No. 9 in the first round of the draft, Barr was the second highest linebacker the franchise ever drafted and has been a Pro Bowler. Bridgewater was on track to become the club’s starting quarterback for years until a devastating knee injury in 2016 eventually caused the Vikings to move on.

Spielman maneuvered for three first rounders in 2013 in this order: defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and receiver-kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. All three gave the Vikings help, with Rhodes becoming (at times) a shutdown cornerback playing one of the most important positions in the NFL.

The Vikings didn’t hit a homerun with their No. 4 pick in 2012, selecting offensive tackle Matt Kalil, but no one will deny Spielman a gold star for choosing safety Harrison Smith with the No. 29 selection of the first round. Smith is still a starter and has consistently been rated among the NFL’s better defensive players. In 2017 Pro Football Focus ranked him the third best player in the league.

From 2012-2015 Kalil started 64 consecutive games for Minnesota but is no longer with the team, and he never fulfilled the expectations of a No. 4 overall pick.

Worth Noting

With NFL teams done with the draft after Saturday, they will focus even more on college free agents and veteran NFL free agents. It could be a telling week for 32-year-old Everson Griffen who was once an All-Pro defensive end and opted for free agent status last month. Probably a long shot the Vikings will re-sign him.

Former Gopher All-American safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will likely be chosen in the second round of tonight’s continuing NFL Draft. Dan O’Brien, now head football coach at St. Thomas Academy, was a Gophers assistant coach when Minnesota recruited him. Winfield was only a three-star recruit out of high school in Texas but O’Brien said the Gopher coaches knew after the first couple of practices the freshman was going to be an impact player.

“He just had fantastic instincts,” O’Brien said. “It seemed like he would read the quarterback as good as any kid we had, even though he was just a freshman. He was one of those players that just was always in the right spot.”

With 13 verbal commits, including four four-star players, the 2021 Gophers football recruiting class is second in the Big Ten and No. 5 nationally in the latest 247Sports rankings.

Condolences to family and friends of former Gopher and Viking star lineman Milt Sunde from Bloomington, who died this week. Sunde, the Gopher team captain, played his last college game on the surprise date of Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1963. The game against Wisconsin at old Memorial Stadium had been moved from the original playing date of November 24 following the November 22 assassination of President John Kennedy. The Vikings drafted Sunde in the 20th round of the 1964 NFL Draft but he had a surprisingly successful career playing for 11 seasons for his hometown team.

Kerwin Walton, the four-star wing from Hopkins, is expected to announce his college choice Saturday. It’s believed his finalists are Arizona, Creighton, Minnesota and North Carolina. After following Walton’s recruiting, the guess here is Arizona will be the choice because of the Wildcats profile as a college heavyweight and the positive experience Zeke Nnjai, a former Hopkins teammate, had this season with the Pac-12 program.

This week NBAdraft.net projected Nnaji, a power forward, being selected at No. 22 in the first round. Gopher center Daniel Oturu is projected at No. 10, with Apple Valley point guard alum Tre Jones a second round pick at No. 41.

The NCAA has pushed its vote back to June regarding a new policy allowing a one-time immediate eligibility for athletes transferring from one school to another. Even if the policy is approved, it seems likely not to be implemented until the 2021-2022 school year given the late timing and upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Gophers Still Finalist for Hopkins Star

Posted on April 7, 2020April 7, 2020 by David Shama

Hopkins coach Ken Novak told Sports Headliners Monday morning coveted Royals shooting guard Kerwin Walton might choose the University of Minnesota as his college destination later this month.

Novak said Walton is likely to announce a decision in late April after selecting from a final list of Arizona, Creighton, Minnesota, North Carolina and Vanderbilt. Walton’s Hopkins teammate of a year ago, Zeke Nnaji, had a breakout freshman season at Arizona and is declaring for the NBA Draft. Creighton was the first program to offer Walton a scholarship and with all its key players returning will be a preseason top five team next fall. North Carolina is one of college basketball’s “blue bloods” and coach Roy Williams has personally been recruiting Walton. Vandy coach Jerry Stackhouse, who was an accomplished NBA shooting guard, has also made a favorable impression on Walton.

An indication of Walton’s interest in the Gophers was his attendance at multiple Minnesota home games this past season. Hopkins has a rich basketball tradition and former Royals who played for the Gophers (including Kris Humphries and Blake Hoffarber) are encouraging Walton to play at the U, per Novak.

“He is really up in the air (regarding a decision),” the coach said. “I really don’t think he knows yet.”

Novak talks regularly to Walton and is helping him sort through things. “Everybody (all five schools) has got some positives,” Novak said.

Ultimately the coach believes the college choice will be a family decision involving Walton and his parents. Since Walton is close to his mom and dad, the hometown Gophers might have an edge over rival schools because the Minnesota-based family could watch all his home games at Williams Arena.

The 6-5 Walton averaged 27 points per game for the Royals. He shot 50 percent on three-pointers. “Kerwin is as good a shooter as you can find in the country,” Novak said.

Novak describes Walton as “low-key” and likeable. “He is a very unselfish kid,” the coach said.

The superlatives don’t end there. Last winter Walton, who is a good defensive player, would not only practice with the Royals after school but also in the evenings head to a local fitness club to work on his basketball skills. “He is probably the hardest working kid I’ve ever had,” said Novak who has a long list of alums who went on to success in college and the NBA.

Worth Noting

Former Hopkins superstar Royce White, whose anxiety issues messed up his NBA dream, is pursuing a career in MMA while training in suburban Minneapolis. The 28-year-old White talks about his life in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. “He could play in the NBA now,” Novak said.

White attended Hopkins practices this past year and was helpful to the players. The coach said the public may not fully understand what a good person White is. “He is very close to my heart,” Novak said.

White turns 29 on Friday.

Drew Peterson, a potential basketball transfer to the Gophers, told the Houston Chronicle website last week he wasn’t going to leave Rice until two teammates made the decision to pursue other schools. The 6-8 Libertyville, Illinois native can play guard and forward. As a sophomore last season, he led the Owls in both rebounding average per game at 6.5 and in assists at 3.5. He was third in scoring at 11.1.

The NCAA has yet to rule on whether players can transfer one time during their college careers and become eligible to play the next season (rather than sit out a year). That will impact former Drake center Liam Robbins, a shot blocking specialist who is transferring to the Gophers. The guess here is the NCAA will approve the immediate eligibility rule. Keeping players on the field or court is in the organization’s best interest for marketing the college product. It’s also a difficult argument to say free-wheeling coaches can leave one school for another but players cannot.

The coronavirus epidemic limiting social contact has put a halt to NBA tryout sessions and that can’t help the draft prospects for Gophers sophomore guard Marcus Carr. Even if the evaluation sessions were in place, Carr could be a long shot to be drafted. He seems likely to withdraw his name from draft consideration.

Former Vikings Adrian Peterson (RB) and Cordarrelle Patterson (kick returner) are members of the 2010s All-Decade team announced yesterday by the NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame. Peterson is one of eight unanimous selections among the 53 players honored. Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald (WR) is also on the team.

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U Hit Bulls-Eye with “Greek Rifle”

Posted on March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 by David Shama

Ryan Burns has 10 years of experience as a journalist covering University of Minnesota football recruiting. In that time he has never been more impressed with a high school quarterback verbally committed to the Gophers than Athan Kaliakmanis.

Kaliakmanis, an Illinois native who has one more season of eligibility for Antioch Community High School, is referred to by Minnesota coaches as the “Greek Rifle.”

Burns, the publisher of the popular GopherIllustrated.com, can see why. “I know from watching Athan live last summer (at camp) what he was able to do at 15 years old,” Burns said. “He’s a legitimate 6-3, 6-4. He runs well and he’s got an absolute cannon for an arm. All the physical attributes in what you would look for in a Big Ten quarterback are there.”

Kaliakmanis is so far the only four-star recruit in Minnesota’s five-player class for 2021. Burns said Shakopee defensive end Devin Eastern, now rated a three-star recruit, is on the edge of moving up.

“He is the epitome of what a Big Ten defensive end should look like,” Burns said. “He is a legitimate 6-5. He is legitimately 265 pounds and he has been on a tear in the weight room over the last four months. He has been working out with former Viking long snapper Mike Morris, who is his trainer.”

Also part of the 2021 class is Dino Kaliakmanis, the brother who is 14 months older than Athan. Dino is expected to play wide receiver or linebacker for the Gophers, per Burns. Other 2021 verbal commits are Annandale offensive tackle Logan Purcell and New Lenox, Illinois (Providence Catholic) tight end Jameson Geers. The three players are three-star recruits.

The 2021 class is rated No. 19 nationally by 247Sports. Burns expects the class to eventually have about 20 players, and he mentioned a few who the Gophers are pursuing including a coveted four-star running back in Mar’Keise Irving from Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Illinois. He told Burns Minnesota “is in a very good position” in his recruitment.

Burns said the Gophers are in a “pretty heated battle” with Iowa for Totino-Grace offensive tackle Joe Alt. The three-star recruit’s dad is former Columbia Heights star John Alt who played for Iowa when Hawkeyes current head coach Kirk Ferentz was the offensive line coach.

Other players the Gophers are chasing include a pair of four-stars in Chicago Simeon offensive lineman Cameron James and cornerback Steven Ortiz from Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Arizona.

Worth Noting

An anonymous Gopher basketball season ticket holder—weary of the present era—emailed the following about the departure of All-Big Ten center Daniel Oturu for the NBA Draft: “Not a big surprise. Fortunately our roster is loaded with talent.”

Nbadraftnet.net projects Oturu being the No. 8 first round selection of the Charlotte Hornets. The last Gopher to be selected in the first round was Kris Humphries in 2002, drafted No. 14 by the Utah Jazz.

The same website had Duke point guard Tre Jones going in the first round earlier in the season but now has the former Apple Valley star being selected No. 54 in the second round by the Sacramento Kings.

Rumors have 2019 Minnesota Mr. Basketball Matthew Hurt transferring from Duke where he started 22 of 31 games, with five teammates playing more minutes. The Rochester John Marshall alum and prep All-American was fourth on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game. Hurt is back home with his family in Rochester.

With no Minnesota natives among his top assistants, fans may wonder if head coach Richard Pitino will hire someone with state ties now that assistant Rob Jeter has accepted the head coaching job at Western Illinois.

In these uncertain times, it’s a good guess the Wilf ownership group will not extend the one-year contracts of general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer.

Among inductees at the Mancini’s St. Paul Sports Hall of Fame Banquet on May 11 will be Cretin-Derham Hall’s Chris Weinke and Central’s Dave Winfield, according to Dick Jonckowski who emcees the annual gathering with Charley Walters.

Jonckowski (October 22) and NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry (March 28) call each other on their birthdays. Jonckowski said the coronavirus pandemic has led to a long list of cancelled appearances for him as an emcee, speaker and public address announcer.

Hopkins girls basketball coach Brian Cosgriff, who has won seven state titles, remains undecided about retiring and not returning to lead the Royals’ program. His daughter Brooke, a reserve on this year’s team, will attend UW-Eau Claire, but won’t play basketball. “She is genetically cursed,” Cosgriff said with humor. “Her mom is a 4-foot-10 Asian, and I am a slow 6-foot white guy.”

Former Gopher running back Barry Mayer emailing after he read Wednesday’s column detailing my back spasms: “The last one I had was so bad at first I was afraid I was literally going to die…and then I was afraid I wouldn’t!”

Minneapolis sportscaster and entrepreneur Lea B. Olsen will be the 2021 “head coach” of the Twin Cities Dunkers organization that dates back to 1948. In that volunteer role, Olsen will arrange program speakers.

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