Golden Gophers – Page 362 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Smith to Hire another Ex-U Assistant

Posted on June 12, 2013June 12, 2013 by David Shama

Although it hasn’t been announced, Tubby Smith told Sports Headliners yesterday Vince Taylor will join his staff at Texas Tech.

Taylor worked for Smith as an assistant coach at Minnesota until earlier this year. Already on the staff are Joe Esposito, who was Smith’s director of operations with the Gophers, and Alvin “Pooh” Williamson, the first player Smith recruited when he was head coach at Tulsa. Smith is still searching for a director of basketball operations at Tech.

Smith’s son Saul, another assistant with the Gophers, won’t be joining the staff in Lubbock. Smith said his son has always been interested in NBA coaching and could join a pro organization. “Saul has a great mind and feel for the game,” his father said.

Smith was the Gophers’ coach for six seasons before new athletic director Norwood Teague dismissed him last March. Smith, who will be 62 on June 30, was surprised by his termination and thought the Gophers job would be his last.

Throughout his tenure at Minnesota there were rumors other schools wanted to hire Smith who built a national reputation at Kentucky by winning the 1998 NCAA championship and routinely had his teams advance to the NCAA tournament second round or better. Smith confirmed yesterday there were a “bunch of times” he was pursued by other programs while at Minnesota.

If Smith had known one day the Gophers planned to part ways with him he would have reacted differently to the contacts from other schools. “I would have been long gone,” he said.

Smith said he left the Minnesota program and community better than he found it including through his work with the Minnesota Chapter of the Tubby Smith Foundation that supports charities benefitting underprivileged children. Highlights of Smith’s basketball success at Minnesota included three NCAA tournament appearances and a nationally publicized upset win over No. 1 ranked Indiana at Williams Arena last February.

At Texas Tech Smith takes over a team that was 11-20 last season and 3-15 in Big-12 Conference games. The two previous seasons the Red Raiders were 8-23 and 1-17, and 13-19 and 5-11.

One worry Smith doesn’t have is his former home in Minneapolis. He and wife Donna sold the residence a couple of weeks ago.

Worth Noting

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino has a day camp for youngsters 7-18 this week at Williams Arena. Cost is $325 per camper.

Wally Ellenson, who will be a sophomore playing for Pitino next fall, earned All-American recognition last week in the high jump (2.20 meters) at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Bob Sadek, who was the starting quarterback on the Gophers’ 1963 football team, passed away last month. Sadek’s career as a teacher and coach followed his sports success at Richfield High School and with the Gophers. His younger brother Mike Sadek played with the baseball Giants after signing his first professional contract with the Twins.

Gophersports.com is featuring a video highlight of the 1973 Minnesota football team that finished third in the Big Ten with a 6-2 record. The team included freshman running back Larry Powell who after the season developed French Polio ending his football career and changing his life. Powell was a special prospect and Gophers coach Cal Stoll often said Powell was going to be his “Tony Dorsett”—the University of Pittsburgh running back who won the Heisman Trophy in 1976.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said at OTAs yesterday he was impressed with a telephone call from veteran defensive lineman Jared Allen. “He calls me, maybe a month ago now, and he says, ‘coach, count on me this season to be even a better leader than I have been in the past.’ That was music to Coach Frazier’s ears.

“It was unsolicited and he calls me out of the blue and tells me that. That’s what you need. You need your great players to be great leaders if you want to have a chance to change your culture and also win games. For him to call me and say he wants to do even better than I’ve done before, that’s inspiring. …”

Angel Morales, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, the three Twins prospects promoted earlier this week from Class A Fort Myers to Class AA New Britain, couldn’t make their Eastern League debuts last night because the Rock Cats’ game with Altoona was rained out.

Only three MLB relief pitchers have more saves than former Twin Joe Nathan who has 20 for the Rangers. His ERA is 1.71.

Public relations executive and WCCO Radio “Sports Huddle” co-host Dave Mona will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Twins-Royals game at Target Field on June 27.

The College World Series starts Saturday in Omaha. Indiana is the first Big Ten team to play in the series since Michigan in 1984. The Gophers’ last appearance was 1977. Minnesota won NCAA titles in 1956, 1960 and 1964.

Indiana advanced to the College World Series with a two-game regional playoff sweep of southern power Florida State. NCAA rules changes are making northern teams more competitive than in the past, according to Gophers assistant coach Rob Fornasiere. Teams across the country have the same starting date for practices, first games and number of games.

During the second day of last week’s first-year player draft the Twins’ selections included two players from Indiana, 6-9, 250-pound pitcher Aaron Slegers and 6-2, 200-pound third baseman Dustin DeMuth. Fornasiere said Slegers has “amazing control and athleticism for a guy that size.” He described DeMuth as “very athletic” with a strong left-handed bat.

Fornasiere said Coon Rapids High School pitcher Logan Shore is the “most polished” Minnesota high school pitcher he has seen in years. Fornasiere also said Shore showed no serious interest in the Gophers and will pitch for Florida. Fornasiere heard Logan was looking for major compensation in a pro contract but wasn’t selected until the 29^th round by the Twins.

Jim Dutcher enjoyed a reunion last month with 13 of his former players in Ypsilanti, Michigan where he coached Eastern Michigan for six seasons. Among those unable to attend was one of Dutcher’s ex-NBA players, George Gervin, selected one of the league’s 50 greatest players in 1996.

Dutcher, the former Gophers coach from 1975-1986, thinks Minnesota’s Trevor Mbakwe will be a mid-second round draft selection in the NBA draft later this month.

Minnesota native Mike Muscala who played collegiately at Bucknell and Indiana’s Cody Zeller are among the NBA draft hopefuls who will workout this afternoon at Target Center.

Mike Miller, the Mitchell, South Dakota native who played for the Timberwolves during the 2008-09 season, has come off the bench to make nine of 10 three point shots in three games of the NBA Finals for the Heat who trail the Spurs 2-1 in the series.

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Morneau Faces Improbable Twins Future

Posted on June 5, 2013June 5, 2013 by David Shama

Even if Justin Morneau reverts to becoming a superstar slugger in the next four months it seems unlikely he will finish his career with the Twins. The club could even reach agreement with Morneau and another team to send the 32-year-old first baseman elsewhere this summer before the major league trading deadline.

Morneau, who reportedly can’t be traded without his approval, hit .324 with 31 home runs and 130 RBI in 2006 when he was the American League’s MVP. Since 2010 his rough times have included a concussion, troublesome back and wrist surgery. In 2010 he played in 81 games and then 69 the next season. After hitting .227 with four home runs in 2011, Morneau had a comeback performance last season although his numbers —.267 average, 19 home runs and 77 RBI — weren’t like his best years.

This season Morneau is hitting .291 but has only two home runs. His decline in power isn’t acceptable for a player who is finishing an $80 million deal this season, signed in 2008. Neither is his frequent absence from the lineup during the course of his six-year contract.

Morneau is a terrific teammate. He bleeds Twins colors and no doubt wants to play his entire big league career with this organization. Despite the loyalty, it’s rational to wonder whether Morneau really would accept a huge slash in compensation on his next contract with the Twins. Another big league club might offer more than what the Twins are willing to pay — whatever that figure is — and if the rival team just happens to have World Series potential that could entice Morneau elsewhere.

The Twins aren’t going to the World Series anytime soon and Morneau would like to be a world champion. The Twins also aren’t growing their payroll, reducing it about $18 million in 2013 and $13 million in 2012, according to the website Baseballprospectus.com that also lists individual compensation for players.

The Twins ownership wants a winning team but also is interested in the financial bottom line. Average home attendance in 2013 could be down for a fourth consecutive season. The organization’s marketing approach now is to emphasize entertainment more than winning. The front office knows the club performance has to be much better than the two consecutive last place Central Division finishes of 2011 and 2012 but is counting on rebuilding with minor league hotshots, not aging veterans like Morneau.

Among those hot prospects is 6-3, 220-pound Miguel Sano who struggles as a third baseman. He could be the Twins’ first baseman within a couple of seasons. And the truth is the organization is deep in potential first basemen including Chris Parmelee who mostly plays right field now.

Joe Mauer, 30, can play first base and is going to be catching fewer games in the future while needing some place else to play other than designated hitter. Ryan Doumit can also play first base and is a versatile player. Doumit is also a catcher and outfielder, and at 32 the same age as Morneau. He reportedly earns $3.5 million per season and has a contract that goes through next year.

Doumit is a better value to the Twins than Morneau. So too is 34-year-old outfielder Josh Willingham who reportedly earns $7 million per season through next year. On a power-poor roster, Willingham is a savior for the Twins, a real slugger who led the team in home runs with 35 last season and is tops this season with 10. He is another player with better value than Morneau.

Right now Morneau doesn’t have much negotiating leverage when it comes to a future contract with any team. Even if he soon shows the plate production of the old Morneau he’s probably too expensive for the Twins and their vision for the future. If Morneau approaches his production of last season, the Twins might offer $7 million for two years but that is a big cut in compensation — especially if another club is willing to boost his wallet and ego by offering more. Don’t count on the Twins sending a lot of money his way.

Worth Noting

The Twins will see their former center fielder, Denard Span, starting on Friday in Washington. Traded during the last off-season, Span is hitting .264 with no home runs and 15 RBI. Pitching prospect Alex Meyer who the Twins acquired in the trade is 3-3 with a 3.69 ERA for Double-A New Britain. He has struck out 73 batters in 61 innings.

The Twins won’t see Washington’s 21-year-old outfielder and phenom Bryce Harper who is on the 15-day disabled list. The second-year slugger has 12 home runs in 44 games.

Span’s successor in center field for the Twins, Aaron Hicks, leads American League rookies in runs (24), home runs (six) and RBI (19) despite having only a .175 batting average. He has sometimes been spectacular in the field.

Not only is Bud Grant on ESPN’s list of the 20 greatest NFL coaches of all-time but three others with Minnesota connections are included. At No. 20 is Tony Dungy who played quarterback for the Gophers and later was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator. Mike Shanahan, a former Gophers offensive coordinator, is No. 19 while Minneapolis North High School alum Sid Gillman is No. 18. Grant is No. 15 on a list that is still counting down the final seven names. A group of voters including Chris Berman, John Clayton, Mike Ditka, Herm Edwards, Mike Golic, Bill Polian and Rick Reilly cast ballots to determine the top 20 coaches in recognition of the late Vince Lombardi’s 100^th birthday.

Vikings wide receivers coach George Stewart on whether the team’s offense changes now that game-breaker Percy Harvin plays for the Seahawks: “I don’t think we change at all. Percy (was) a great talent here. We have guys. …We have a bigger athlete (than Percy) in Cordarrelle Patterson that can do the same kind of things. So I think we’ll be the same. We have some different wrinkles that we had a chance to evaluate during the course of the offseason so we’re not going to change much. We’re going to be a good football team, running the football obviously, and when it comes to the passing game I think we have a chance to excel in that area as well.”

The 2013 Sporting News College Football Preview, on newsstands now, predicts the Gophers will finish fifth in the Legends Division, one spot ahead of Iowa. The magazine projects the Gophers playing in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Former Gophers defensive coordinators now at other schools are David Gibbs at Houston, Greg Hudson at Purdue, Ted Roof at Georgia Tech and Everett Withers at Ohio State.

Rodney Williams, unlikely to make an NBA roster this fall, should consider the Harlem Globetrotters among his future options. The former Gopher not only has the athleticism and dunking ability to entertain crowds but also a pleasing personality and engaging smile.

Don Berry, who has won the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am a record six times, tees off at 1:10 p.m. Friday and 7:50 a.m. on Saturday at Southview Country Club. The men’s event begins Friday while the women’s event started yesterday. More at www.tapemarkgolf.org.

Radio personality Dark Star, who died June 1 of last year, has a race named after him now—the $50,000 Dark Star Cup at Canterbury Park this Saturday. Star was a former horse racing handicapper for the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press. He was a major promoter of Canterbury Park and is a member of the track’s Hall of Fame.

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Greenway: Henderson to be ‘Great’

Posted on May 29, 2013May 29, 2013 by David Shama

Opinion, news and notes from Chad Greenway, Rene Pulley and Joel Maturi.

Chad Greenway said after practice this afternoon at Winter Park he expects Erin Henderson will be “great” at middle linebacker during the 2013 season. Henderson is moving from weakside linebacker to middle linebacker and the transition will be among the most scrutinized Vikings moves between now and the end of the season.

Greenway said learning pass coverage responsibilities will be a challenge but Henderson has “great instincts.” Greenway, the Vikings’ Pro Bowl strongside linebacker, will be surprised if Henderson doesn’t play well. “He’ll be on it and will be great,” Greenway said.

Henderson, 26, knows there are doubters but said he isn’t upset with them. “It doesn’t anger me. I can’t get mad at people for having their opinions and having their beliefs and how they view things.”

Henderson has been dedicated to his conditioning during the offseason. He knows he will be on the field for three downs at a time and doesn’t want a lack of conditioning to interfere with his “technique.”

Greenway, 30, said his offseason included activities to make him more effective within the “10-yard box” that he so often plays in during games. “Worked on little things that can make my game a lot better. Just balance, footwork.”

Youth basketball authority Rene Pulley told Sports Headliners prep point guard Tyus Jones is already an extraordinary player. “He is like a pro now,” said Pulley who is executive director and CEO of Howard Pulley Basketball.

The Apple Valley High School junior is a target of new Gophers coach Richard Pitino, along with Robbinsdale Cooper shooting guard Rashad Vaughn and DeLaSalle forward Reid Travis who are other members of the state’s super class of 2014. Pulley said it’s difficult for a young coach at a new school to recruit against coaching legends like Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.

Pulley doesn’t know if the Gophers will land any of the Big Three but Vaughn might be the most likely to play at Minnesota. “He has always wanted to embark on his own trail,” Pulley said. “Since the U is down on talent, he could trail blaze.”

Former Gopher Rodney Williams, trying to interest NBA teams, was scheduled to workout for scouts today at Target Center. Pulley has observed the high potential, low performance four-year career of Williams at Minnesota.

“I think he was way under his potential, and I am not placing blame anywhere,” Pulley said. “He has the athleticism of the LeBron Jameses, Kobe Bryants and Michael Jordans. He can be a very fantastic player.”

Pulley expects his Pro City League at the High Performance Academy in Eagan to begin its schedule in late June. Jones, Travis and Gophers players are among those expected to participate. As in the past, the public is welcome.

Joel Maturi has spoken to new Texas Tech basketball coach Tubby Smith. “He feels good about another opportunity,” the former Gopher athletic director told Sports Headliners.

How does Smith feel about his six seasons at Minnesota and being let go in March? “He has nothing but good things to say about Minnesota,” Maturi said.

Although Smith was a national championship coach at Kentucky, he struggled at Minnesota winning just one NCAA Tournament game and had a losing record in the Big Ten. Maturi, who hired Smith, declined to talk about why he believes the coach wasn’t more successful here. “I have my own feelings but I don’t want them in print,” Maturi said.

Smith will have a more difficult time winning at Tech than he did at Minnesota. The Red Raiders were 11-20 overall, 3-15 in the Big 12 Conference last season, and counting Bobby Knight employed five head coaches since 2007.

Smith has been a head coach at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota and now Texas Tech. In a mid-May story by the Amarillo Globe-News he was asked how the Tech job compares to the others. “It’s tough. This is probably the toughest,” he said.

Smith has yet to complete his staff and recruiting seems to be off to a slow start. Former Gopher assistant Joe Esposito, who has connections in Texas, is on the Tech staff.

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