Golden Gophers – Page 87 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Badger Hoop Titles Spotlight U Failures

Posted on March 6, 2022March 6, 2022 by David Shama

Another Big Ten Conference basketball season ends today with familiar outcomes for Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Badgers are again men’s Big Ten champions and the Golden Gophers have yet another finish near the bottom of the conference standings.

UW has shared or won outright six league titles this millennium. UM hasn’t come close to winning the Big Ten, and in only three seasons have the Gophers posted a winning conference record.

The Badgers have won league championships in two of the last three years. Minnesota has finished 13th and 11th in the 14-team Big Ten the past two seasons, and on this final Sunday hopes to avoid a last place tie with Nebraska.

Wait. The story gets worse.

Since 2000 Wisconsin has been to three NCAA Final Fours and one national title game. The Badgers have earned their way into the NCAA Tournament every year except 2018. The Gophers have been to the Big Dance five times in 22 years, with two wins.

Only a Gopher fan with no expectations could be satisfied with the disparity between the boys from Dinkytown and Minnesota’s rivals to the East.

What UW has achieved in basketball during the last 20-plus years is more than admirable. It’s remarkable. What the coaches and administrators in charge of Gopher hoops have done is embarrassing.

Two states with such similar histories, culture, populations and demographics. We’re also talking two land grant universities with similar resources for their basketball programs—but with such dissimilar results.

The 2000 Badgers went to the school’s first Final Four in almost 60 years. UW had undergone a turnaround with Dick Bennett, a proven coach who the Badgers found in nearby Green Bay—a guy who had turned the mid-major Phoenix into a power. In 1999 the Gophers had taken the riskier path by hiring a hot name among the mid-major programs—inexperienced Dan Monson from Gonzaga.

When the U said goodbye to Monson eight seasons later, Kentucky was okay bidding farewell to Tubby Smith. Gopher fans found out what Kentuckians already knew: Smith was most successful with the storied Wildcat program in the early years, following the glory run of coach Rick Pitino. Kentucky was in decline when Smith departed from Lexington to take over the Gophers.

While the U opted for a big name in Smith, Bo Ryan was the next home run choice to lead the Badgers. His coaching background included UW-Platteville where all he did was win four Division III national championships. From 2001-2015 Ryan’s Badgers won four Big Ten titles and played in two Final Fours.

True to form, the Gophers got the wrong coach and the wrong Pitino in 2013 after Smith was fired. They signed up Rick’s son Richard, then 30 years old, and without a resume to qualify him as a head Big Ten coach.

When Ryan retired in December of 2015, the decision makers in Madison remained true to their formula of hiring home state coaches who are superb teachers, using a system that fits the personnel, and understanding their recruiting base. Greg Gard, Ryan’s assistant and a Wisconsin native, has led the Badgers to two conference titles in seven seasons and had three other teams that finished no worse than fourth in the standings.

Gard should be national coach of the year for what he and his players have accomplished this season. Nobody saw this year’s success coming. The Big Ten title was supposed to be won by Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State or Ohio State. Those programs might have more talent but the Badgers are the definition of a team.

They play together in all phases of the game and execute fundamentals like they were at a coaching clinic. There is the trademark stingy defense, including the willingness to sacrifice “life and limb” to clog driving lanes. They move the basketball on offense and have efficient shot selection. They’re physically and mentally tough, and that pays off in various ways including rebounding.

Bennett, Ryan and Gard teams have all played this way. They have built success with players willing to buy in, and many of them are Minnesotans. This year the Badgers have three starters from the Twin Cities area, center Steven Crowl, guard Brad Davison and forward Tyler Wahl. Two years ago the 2020 Big Ten champion Badgers had five Minnesotans on the roster including key contributor Nate Reuvers from Lakeville North.

The parade to Madison started years ago and has turned out successfully for many Gopher state players including guard Jordan Taylor and forward Jon Leuer who were stars on Wisconsin NCAA Tournament teams. Truth is while the Gophers wanted some players who made the Badgers a Big Ten power, often the home boys were shown minimal interest. While the U was landing an Isaiah Washington, UW was signing up a Brad Davison.

Badger players know they will be taught how to play the game and how to win. Their teammates are mostly from Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota, with maybe a player or two from places like Ohio or South Dakota. Not a roster with glitzy prep recruits, but team oriented guys with more focus on winning the Big Ten than having a pro career. Despite all their Big Ten and national success, the Badgers haven’t had an NBA draft choice since 2015.

Maybe Ben Johnson, finishing up his fist season as Minnesota’s head coach, will row the program in a different direction. Finally the U has a Gopher alum and native son leading the program. Already he has shown a commitment to Minnesota prep players in his recruiting. The Big Ten record this winter of 4-11 heading into tonight’s final regular season game at Northwestern is dismal but the coaching and effort by the players has kept Minnesota competitive in many games.

But the future is speculation. As of today, the results of this millennium speak loudly in Madison and Minneapolis.

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Gophers’ Mafe Draws First Round Talk

Posted on February 27, 2022February 27, 2022 by David Shama

The NFL Scouting Combine starts Tuesday in Indianapolis and former Golden Gopher defensive end Boye Mafe is a name to watch between now and the NFL Draft April 28-30. Mafe had a head-turning performance at last month’s Senior Bowl and his draft stock could be rising with some NFL teams intrigued by his talent.

When Mafe announced in December he was forgoing his final season of eligibility with the Gophers, he projected as a second or third round pick. He still might be selected on the second day of the draft, but there is increasing speculation he could go late first round.

Ryan Burns, the college football authority who has tracked Mafe since his days at Hopkins High School, told Sports Headliners there is a “chance” at the first round. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network has the Packers taking Mafe at No. 28 in the first round of his mock draft from last week. “The Packers love raw, explosive edge rushers,” Jeremiah wrote.

Mafe, 6-4 and 265-pounds, has long been known for elite athleticism but seen more as a project than a finished first round product. He could play as an outside linebacker in the pros where extraordinary pass rushers are among the most valued of personnel.

Interestingly, another edge rusher gaining notice is Minnesota native Jermaine Johnson who finished his college career at Florida State after previous stops at Georgia and junior college. ESPN’s Todd McShay had the former Eden Prairie DE going to the Cardinals at No. 23 in the first round of his mock draft earlier this month. McShay was impressed with Johnson’s Senior Bowl performance.

Jeremiah had the Vikings using their No. 12 first round selection on Washington State cornerback Trent McDuffie. Interestingly, Jeremiah doesn’t project a quarterback being selected in the first round until the Saints choose Pitt’s Kenny Pickett at No. 18.

Former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond told Sports Headliners he expects cornerback to be a draft priority for Minnesota: “Because you really need to have four or five good cornerbacks in this day and age,” he said.

This is the second year college athletes, including football players, can monetize deals for name, image and likeness (NIL). Big payoffs are in place in some communities around the country, or are being planned, but apparently not in this state. “I would say Minnesota is behind the ball,” Burns said when asked about the presence of NIL benefitting Gopher football.

Outsiders need to lead NIL efforts because athletic departments aren’t allowed by the NCAA to do so. NIL opportunities will become increasingly more important in recruiting success for schools and their various programs.

Burns said in the Big Ten West Division it’s not just the football Gophers who aren’t benefitting from NIL. “There’s nothing going on with NIL at Wisconsin. There’s nothing going on with NIL at Iowa.”

Meanwhile, the SEC and some of its schools are drawing attention for their NIL efforts. As an example, WBIR TV in Knoxville reported in December that over 300 University of Tennessee men and women athletes profited from NIL since its inception about six months prior.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is 40 years old, coach Kevin O’Connell 36. Mensah hired Ryan Grigson, with 23 years of NFL front office experience, to help with personnel decisions. O’Connell hired assistant head coach Mike Pettine with 28 years of coaching experience. “I think those both were really smart moves to bring in… experienced guys when you’ve got a first-time head coach and a first-time GM,” Diamond said.

The new regime didn’t retain veteran defensive line coach Andre Patterson, now on the Giants staff. Vikings defensive end Daniele Hunter, a top talent but injury-prone, has a $22 million salary cap hit in 2022 (second only on the team to QB Kirk Cousins). If Adofo-Mensah moves on from Hunter to clear salary cap room, could the Giants be a landing spot?

In a ranking of Big Ten football transfer classes last week, Steven Lassan from Athlon Sports had the Gophers at No. 5. Nebraska, at No. 2 behind Michigan State, was the only West Division program ahead of Minnesota.

Earlier in the month Lassan ranked the Big Ten quarterbacks for next fall and had Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan No. 8 in the 14-team league.

Photo credit: Matt Krohn/University of Minnesota athletics

Coach Bob Motzko’s Gopher hockey team finished February with an 8-0 record for the month, including a weekend home sweep of the Badgers, 8-0 and 5-0, that gave Minnesota its first Big Ten championship since 2017. Minnesota outscored opponents 37-11 during the win streak.

As the No. 1 seed for the Big Ten Tournament, the Gophers have a bye in the quarterfinals and will host a semifinal game at 3M Arena at Mariucci March 12.

The Gopher men’s basketball team ends its home schedule tonight against Indiana and will not have one sellout crowd for 2021-2022.

Wishing a successful recovery to Mike Wilkinson after falling at home and having back surgery. Wilkinson authored the biography about former Gophers football national championship coach Murray Warmath, The Autumn Warrior.

Condolences to family and friends of Tommy King, the Edina native and halfback on Warmath’s 1960 national championship team, who passed away earlier this month. Tommy’s father, Ray King, was a 1937 All-American end at Minnesota who played on national championship teams in 1935 and 1936.

Popular Dave Schwartz, who many viewers expected to succeed Eric Perkins as KARE TV’s No. 1 sports anchor, turned 43 Friday and has a new career in communications with the Minnesota Wild.

Celebrity sightings at the Timberwolves-76ers game Friday night at Target Center included O’Connell. Sitting courtside was MLB Hall of Famer Dave Winfield who played on championship Gopher baseball and basketball teams. It was 50 years ago this winter Winfield and his teammates won Minnesota’s first Big Ten basketball championship since 1937.

Eagan resident Pat Fraher, with more than 18 seasons of NBA officiating experience, was in Minneapolis Thursday night working the Timberwolves-Grizzlies game.

The CORES luncheon group welcomes Stew Thornley as its guest speaker March 10 at the Bloomington Event Center. The Minneapolis native has authored numerous local sports books and is a long time official scorer for the Twins. Reservations must be made by March 7. For more information contact Jim Dotseth: dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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Even in Winter Iowa a Gopher Target

Posted on February 22, 2022 by David Shama

The game won’t be played until late November, about nine months from now. Yet even in the dead of winter the importance of it casts a shadow over the 2022 University of Minnesota football schedule.

P.J. Fleck will be in his sixth season as Golden Gophers head coach next fall. Fleck’s overall record at Minnesota is 35-23 and he is 23-10 the last three seasons (16-9 in Big Ten games). His overall winning percentage of .603 is third best among Gopher coaches who coached in 45 games or more. The Gophers are 3-0 in bowl games under Fleck and have won two of the last three against that rival school to the east.

But no Big Ten West Division championships yet.

What will it take for Minnesota to win the West and advance to the Big Ten championship game against the East Division champ?

“Get over the Kirk Ferentz hump.”

Those words come from Gopher Illustrated and 247Sports authority Ryan Burns who tracks U football year round. He told Sports Headliners that in talent Minnesota has pulled even with coach Ferentz’s Iowa Hawkeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers. But Iowa is 5-0 against Fleck and the 2021 West Division champion Hawkeyes stand in the way of a Minnesota breakthrough.

The Hawkeyes will be in town Saturday, November 19. Right now the offseason expectations are high for both Iowa and Minnesota. Count the two programs among early favorites to win the West. If that holds, the late season game in Minneapolis will have national focus and plenty of hype. And even if it doesn’t, Minnesota players and coaches will be hot to face the Hawks.

“To get Iowa at home on Senior Day, I can assure you there is no other game—outside of maybe Wisconsin—that these guys want to win (so much) because they’re sick and tired of losing to Kirk Ferentz,” Burns said.

The last time Minnesota defeated Iowa was in 2014. Ferentz is 17-6 all-time against the Gophers. His tenure as Iowa head coach dates back to 1999. His teams are almost always competitive and frequently among the elite in the Big Ten. The Ferentz way is to run a developmental program built around a firewall defense that some years is among the best in the country. The offense, though, often looks like an after thought, tasked as much with not losing games as scoring points.

Burns expects another lights-out defense in Iowa City in 2022. “…”But that offense is still dreadful,” he said. “If Minnesota can find a way to put up 20 points at home against Iowa this year I think they should be in pretty good shape. To me if you want to win the West, you have to finally get over that Iowa hurdle, especially when you get them at home and especially when it’s going to be on Senior Day.”

Gophers Newcomer Notes

The Gophers are rebuilding the offensive and defensive lines, with most starters not returning in 2022. Candidates to fill in are veteran reserves from 2021 along with transfers Quinn Carroll and Chuck Filiaga on offense, and Darnell Jefferies, Chris Smith and Lorenza Surgers on defense.

Fleck and his staff worked the transfer portal aggressively in past months, also adding cornerbacks Shannon Bishop and Ryan Stapp. Minnesota’s transfer class ranks No. 4 in the Big Ten, according to a February 247Sports story by Brandon Marcello.

Carroll, the former Notre Dame and Edina lineman, could play at tackle if his footwork is reliable. If not? “You just slide him into guard,” Burns said.

Filiaga projects as a guard at Minnesota and started four games last year for Big Ten champion Michigan. He was a 247Sports four-star prospect coming out of high school in Texas.

Jefferies, who turns 23 in July, saw his total snaps go down each of the last three seasons at Clemson. He is expected to at least provide depth at defensive tackle.

Smith, who made All-Ivy League at Harvard while studying human evolutionary biology, might make a big impression at that position for Minnesota. Burns predicts the impact could be similar to what the Gophers received from 2021 Clemson transfer Nyles Pinckney.

Burns said Surgers, a defensive end transfer from Vanderbilt, has impressed in winter conditioning. Getting noticed, too, are Bishop and Sapp, who both were all-conference corners at Western Kentucky and Abilene Christian.

Although potential All-Big Ten cornerback Justin Walley returns, the Gophers lose two corners in Coney Durr and Justus Harris who played significant snaps in the past. Veteran safeties Jordan Howden and Tyler Nubin are back after impressing with their improvement in 2021. Burns believes they could be the best safety duo in the West Division. He also thinks the mix of returnees, including corner Terel Smith and promising transfers, makes the secondary the strength of the defense.

After spring practice ends in April the coaches might look for more transfers. That could be prompted by two developments. First, some players on the current roster, after they see their ranking on the depth charts, may choose to enter the transfer portal.

The other “wild card” is Minnesota’s running back roster. Veterans Mo Ibrahim, Trey Potts and Bryce Williams are coming off significant injuries last season. The team’s leading rusher, Ky Thomas, transferred to Kansas.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take a transfer running back after the spring because I think we’re going to learn a lot more about how the injuries are going in that room,“ Burns said.

A development to watch, too, is whether true freshman Zach Evans is part of the running back rotation next fall. Burns expects Evans and Alexandria’s Kristen Hoskins to be at the front among freshmen who could see significant playing time in 2022.

Hoskins, a potential electrifying 5-9, 160-pound wide receiver, might not be targeted for passes next September but he may emerge as a regular punt or kickoff returner. Burns said Hoskins could well be the fastest of the wide receivers.

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