Golden Gophers – Page 387 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Football & Other Notes

Posted on February 3, 2012February 3, 2012 by David Shama

Hired as Gophers coach about 14 months ago, Jerry Kill’s leadership is becoming more evident. How do you measure it?

The classroom attendance and grades by his players are improving. Academics were much more of a problem on the team when Kill and his staff first came here. For fall semester the football team earned an impressive overall 3.1 G.P.A. Expect more positive future news about football G.P.A.’s.

Although no major college football program is bullet proof, the Gophers haven’t been in the news for major off the field behavior problems and scandals. There’s a code of conduct emphasized by the staff and plenty of reminders.

Most of the sports public is still apathetic about Gophers football but Kill has won many admirers among boosters, media and high school coaches since he came here in December of 2010. His straightforward manner has earned him friends and is in contrast to his outspoken predecessor, Tim Brewster.

Kill has shown commitment to making the Gophers much better than a Big Ten bottom feeder with his tireless work on the job. He has also demonstrated courage in dealing with his seizures. Whether it’s coaching in front of a regional TV audience, or talking to a recruit in his home, Kill hasn’t let his history of seizures deter him.

At a Signing Day news conference on Wednesday, Kill said he’s still not driving a car. His wife Rebecca accompanied him on recruiting trips to help out.

Signing Day on Wednesday was another indication that Kill will build his program similar to Wisconsin’s. The Gophers signed 10 players from Minnesota to national letters of intent, compared to five in 2011 and three in 2010. The Badgers roster, including stellar offensive linemen, has for years listed a dominant number of Wisconsin high school products.

Kill and his staff will continue to recruit plenty of players from beyond the Minnesota border but expect higher numbers of Minnesotans than in the past. Kill knows there are good players here, just not enough to completely fill the roster of a contender.

Among the 27 signees are high-profile Hopkins wide receiver Andre McDonald and Mankato West quarterback Phillip Nelson. McDonald, an ESPN four-star recruit, is a “tremendous talent,” Kill said. MaxPreps’ Tom Lemming rates Nelson the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the country and National Sleeper of the Year.

Tim Salem, the former Gophers quarterback, has been hired as running backs and special teams coordinator at Illinois.

Gophers junior player Rodney Williams isn’t included among players projected to be drafted next June by an NBA team, according to nbadraft.net. In 2010 the website predicted Williams would be among the first 10 picks in the 2011 NBA draft.

There’s speculation the Vikings will take USC left tackle Matt Kalil with the No. 3 choice in the first round of the upcoming college draft. He’s listed as the second best player in the draft after Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck by ESPN.com-Scouts Inc.

It was 40 years ago this winter the Vikings re-acquired Fran Tarkenton, pulling off a major trade with the Giants to bring the quarterback back toMinneapolis. Tarkenton led the Vikings to three Super Bowls in the 1970s.

Seven new affiliates have joined the Timberwolves Radio Network, bringing the total to 26, the most since the 2006-07 season. The new affiliate stations in Minnesota are Aitkin/Brainerd, Mankato and Montevideo. New in North Dakota are Carrington, Jamestown, Oakes andValley City.

Former North Stars executive Dean Lombardi, now general manager of the Kings, is earning praise for his decision to replace coach Terry Murray with Darryl Sutter. The Kings are second in the NHL’s Pacific Division.

Herb Brooks, who coached the Gophers to three national championships and America’s “Miracle on Ice” in the 1980 Olympics, is included on the short list of the Big Ten Network Icons series that includes Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler and Dan Gable.

St. Olaf hockey seniors Ben Leis, Charlie Raskob and Jeff Warren made the right impressions during summer internships and have full-time employment waiting after graduation. Leis and Warren will be joining Best Buy as Demand Planning Analysts later this year. Raskob will work for Target as a Business Analyst.

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Sampson Told Son to Stay with Gophers

Posted on February 1, 2012February 1, 2012 by David Shama

Ralph Sampson III is in the final months of his college basketball career but the Gophers 6-11 senior center appears no closer to fulfilling his potential now than when he was a freshman.

A gifted athlete and the son of former college Player of the Year Ralph Sampson II, the younger Sampson has compiled similar stats and performed inconsistently this season as in the past. Tonight the Gophers play at Iowa—halfway through their Big Ten regular season schedule—and Minnesota fans wonder what contributions Sampson will make to a Minnesota team (4-5 in conference games, 16-6 overall) that could qualify for the NCAA tournament with a strong finish in February and March.

Last Saturday night, with his dad in town to watch him, Sampson played only 20 minutes before fouling out in Minnesota’s game against Illinois at Williams Arena. He had three rebounds and five points while making two of eight shots.

That performance contrasted with Minnesota’s game at Illinois in late December when the Duluth, Georgia native scored 22 points and had nine rebounds in 35 minutes on the floor.

During Sampson’s first three seasons he shared playing time with center Colton Iverson and with Iverson having transferred after his junior season last spring it was expected that Sampson’s minutes and contributions would increase. But he’s averaging 22.9 minutes per game, the fewest since his freshman season. His scoring average of 8.2 points and rebounds of 4.8 per game this season are almost identical to career stats of 8.2 and 5.1.

Sampson’s lack of aggressiveness has limited his success and frustrated fans who often target him for criticism. His dad was asked if Sampson can play more assertively for coach Tubby Smith.

“I know he is (capable),” Ralph II said. “I’ve worked with the kid for all my life. It’s just how do you do that? How do you do that with the system and don’t break the system? Tubby has that system where five guys play five minutes, and five guys play the next five minutes. That’s a little different. …”

Sampson’s dad, who at 7-4 was a four-time All-American at Virginia, said ample minutes on the floor allow big body players to have a feel for the game, becoming more comfortable with themselves, teammates and opponents. What’s evident, though, is the younger Sampson isn’t earning a lot of extra minutes in the Smith system and he doesn’t look like a player enjoying his time on the floor.

Does fan criticism bother the Gophers center? Ralph II said fans should consider that unlike Iverson and guard Devoe Joseph, his son didn’t transfer from Minnesota. Ralph III is the only player remaining from his freshman class at Minnesota. “…You didn’t transfer like everybody else did and you stuck it out,” Ralph II said. “I think they should appreciate that.”

Sampson said his son thought about transferring from Minnesota to another school. “Every year, like everybody else,” Ralph II said. “First year to this year. I wouldn’t let him leave. We started it, we’re gonna finish it.”

The Gophers’ team potential the last two seasons has lessened because of several players leaving the program. The departed include forward Royce White who has become an All-American candidate at Iowa State in his first season. Joseph is Oregon’s leading scorer at 15.4 points.

“The question is why did they leave?” Ralph II asked. “What was going on that made them leave and wanted to leave? I am not going to get into a lot of details with it because I don’t know the internal things about it. …”

What the older Sampson knows is he believes in his son’s potential to become a better player. He acknowledges, too, that Ralph III is a young man of character who has never given his father problems. “He’s a great kid,” Ralph II said. “He’s the best in the world. The sky’s the limit if he wants to work at it.”

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Worth Noting

Posted on February 1, 2012February 1, 2012 by David Shama

Gophers guard Austin Hollins on the Big Ten race: “I think we’re still in it.”

Minnesota, 4-5, has three more losses than conference leader OhioState, 7-2. Gophers coach Tubby Smith regards Ohio State and Michigan State (6-3) as “head of the class” teams. The Buckeyes have the most talent but Michigan State may have the conference Player of the Year in Draymond Green, Smith said last weekend.

The Gophers 2012 football recruiting class will be announced today and the group is ranked last in the Big Ten by Rivals.com. Scout.com ranks Minnesota No. 11 ahead of Illinois. Gophers coach Jerry Kill, interviewed on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle Sunday, said player speed was emphasized in recruiting this class. Several of his recruits are already in school and he said six of them are among the 10 fastest players in the program.

Kill also said 6-5 former quarterback Moses Alipate has been switched to tight end for spring practice.

Kill’s news conference to talk about his 2012 recruiting class will be shown live on Gophersports.com starting at 3 p.m. today.

Don’t be surprised if the Vikings stadium site turns out to be Farmers Market and Hennepin County becomes a major partner in the financing.

Dan Patrick reports in the January 16 issue of Sports Illustrated that Christian Ponder has already been told by the Vikings, who hold the No. 3 pick in the upcoming college draft, that Minnesota won’t select a quarterback. In the same issue Peter King writes the Vikings are “desperate” for help at guard and left tackle “but the biggest trouble by far is at cornerback.”

WCCO Radio’s Eric Nelson is covering his 19^th Super Bowl this week. He said about 5,000 media are expected in Indianapolis for the New England and New York Giants game on Sunday.

Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman on the strike-shortened and compacted NBA season. “Even if you’re young (like the Wolves), you get tired.”

Wolves guard Wes Johnson, who has been recovering from pneumonia, said he’s been in the worst shooting slump he can remember. He’s only made 7 of his last 20 field goals and his percentage for the season is .368.

Speculation is Wolves All-Star forward Kevin Love wasn’t happy about not receiving the maximum contract offer for five years and about $80 million but his performance since signing a four year, $61 million deal has been impressive. Love is averaging 27.7 points in games since last Wednesday.

Rookie point guard Ricky Rubio plays flashy but on the court and off he consistently tries to defer to his teammates. Rubio doesn’t seek news media publicity.

Former Gopher Joel Przybilla, who has played 10 seasons in the NBA, is without a club now but his name has been linked with the Celtics and Bulls.

NBA legend Jerry West recalls in his new book, West by West, he was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers but soon thereafter the franchise moved to Los Angeles. In the book West writes about a dream NBA game involving him and other NBA greats representing East and West teams. The scroe is tied at 105 with five seconds remaining when Mr. Clutch, despite the presence in the huddle of Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, demands the ball. How does the tale end? Read the book.

To help celebrate the 26th National Girls and Women in Sports Day the Lynx will participate in a ceremony at the State Capitol today from noon to 1 p.m. National Girls and Women in Sports Day was first chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1986 and honors female athletic achievement and recognizes the positive influence of sports participation for girls and women.

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