Does the search for a new Gophers athletic director include Wisconsin deputy athletic director Sean Frazier?
Jerry Kill said at his pre-spring practice news conference that senior quarterback MarQueis Gray has “tremendous ability” but must continue to progress like he did at the end of last season. “Is he our starting quarterback?” Kill asked. “You bet. If there’s three guys back there and somebody outperforms him, then you’re going to play the best player.”
Among the quarterbacks behind Gray are sophomore Max Shortell who played last season, and freshmen quarterbacks Philip Nelson and Mitch Leidner who enrolled early at Minnesota to participate in spring practice. With the possibility of injury, Kill said it’s imperative the Gophers have a ready replacement for Gray.
Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman speaking to Kill about junior punter Dan Orseske who was inconsistent last season: “I could do as well as your guy did last year.”
Kill answered that the coaches could have done more to help Orseske who averaged 37 yards per punt in 2011. He also said redshirt freshman Peter Mortell will compete for the punting job.
Defensive tackle Scott Ekpe is only 17 but has shown a remarkable will to gain weight and strength since enrolling at Minnesota this winter. The 6-foot-4 Lewisville, Texas native has seen his weight increase from 248 to 276, according to Kill. “Just think in four years what that youngster will look like,” Kill said.
Kill talking to Sports Headliners earlier this year about college coaches like Michigan’s Brady Hoke who can access private funds almost on demand to help their programs: “If he needs $100,000 for something, he’s gonna get it in five minutes.”
The Vikings are under the NFL salary cap but don’t take that as an indication ownership is planning to sell or move the team. The Wilfs and the NFL can see progress being made on the stadium issue here. No stadium deal this spring in the legislature won’t prompt a transfer to Los Angeles.
The Twins’ big four off-season personnel losses were hitters Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, and Jim Thome, along with relief pitcher Joe Nathan. In spring training so far Cuddyer is hitting .286 with Colorado, Kubel is batting .242 for Arizona, Thome, with Philadelphia, is hitting .273 and Nathan has a 13.50 ERA for Texas in four innings.
Twins first baseman wannabe Chris Parmelee is hitting .333 with two home runs and has six RBI. Justin Morneau, trying to recover from injuries and with two years remaining on his contract, is batting .091 with two RBI and no home runs.
Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan said on 1500 ESPN Wednesday that a Twins official told him Parmelee could have a Kubel-like career at the plate. Kubel’s career statistics include a .271 batting average and three years he’s hit 20 or more home runs in a season.
Brian Dozier, the 24-year-old infielder trying to make the jump from Double A to the Twins starting shortstop in 2012, was rated this off-season by Baseball America as having the best strike zone discipline and being the best defensive infielder in the organization’s minor league system.
Timberwolves fourth-year forward Kevin Love has no chance of winning the NBA MVP award because his team plays .500 basketball and his name is not as prominent as other stars in the league. Love, though, is the only NBA player who ranks among the top five individuals in scoring average (25.7) and rebounding (13.7).
The Gophers have earned a trip to the NIT semi-finals in New York four times prior to this year, but the 2012 team is the first in school history that won all its qualifying games on the road. Minnesota plays Pac-12 Conference champion Washington in a semi-final game in New York’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
Hopkins coach Ken Novak Jr. talking about Apple Valley’s Tyus Jones, considered by some authorities to be the best sophomore point guard in the country: “He’s kind of like one of those kids like Ricky Rubio (and) Royce White that don’t care if they score. Not searching for numbers, just playing for the beauty of the game, playing to win games. He’s a kid that people just love to watch. Why? Because he’s selfless. ..”
With the winter sports season completed, Augustana (Sioux Falls) has taken the lead in the NSIC/US Bank All-Sports Standings. The Vikings have moved up from third place in the fall and lead second place Minnesota Duluth and third place Minnesota State, Mankato.