Lindsay Whalen – Page 6 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Winfield May Return Punts for Gophers

Posted on August 15, 2018August 15, 2018 by David Shama

Enjoy a Wednesday notes column.

Safety and post-season Big Ten awards candidate Antoine Winfield Jr. was fielding punts at a recent Gophers football scrimmage open to the public and media. Winfield, who missed eight games last season because of injury, is part of an “experiment” by head coach P.J. Fleck to determine who will have the punt return job when the season opens August 30 at home against New Mexico State.

Fleck is also considering redshirt senior cornerback Antonio Shenault and true freshman wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Winfield is a redshirt sophomore who probably is Minnesota’s best player regardless of position.

No doubt Fleck wants an athlete with sure hands to become his No. 1 punt returner. He will welcome a playmaker at the position who can advance the ball up field when few could. The Gophers, who struggled to score points last season and could again in 2018, didn’t return a punt for a touchdown last season, or the year before.

Shenault shared punt returning last season with the departed Drew Hmielewski. Shenault had four returns for 11 yards. Winfield hasn’t returned punts in college, while Bateman has yet to step on the field for a college game.

Bateman made some difficult catches at last week’s scrimmage open to the public and media. “He’s like that everyday,” Fleck said.

A four-star recruit in high school, per 247/Sports and Rivals, the Tifton, Georgia native has a reputation for speed, explosiveness and big plays. National power Georgia tried to persuade Bateman to change his mind about becoming a Gopher.

The Gophers’ football schedule avoids three of the five Big Ten teams Sports Illustrated has in its top 15 teams in the nation. The S.I. college football issue out last week ranks Wisconsin No. 3 (predicting a national playoff spot), Penn State No. 7, Ohio State No. 9, Michigan State No. 11 and Michigan No. 15. Minnesota plays at Ohio State October 13 and closes the regular season at Wisconsin November 24.

Eden Prairie, defending 6A football state champs, started two-a-day practices this week along with other high school teams in the state. Head coach Mike Grant minimizes tackling in preparation for the season. His best players might only participate in contact for a series or two in a scrimmage before the Eagles open the season against Eastview on August 30. Excluded from any contact will be starting quarterback Cole Kramer.

Grant has won 11 titles at Eden Prairie since starting there in 1992. He told Sports Headliners the Eagles might have won five more if not for injuries.

A pro football source said the Vikings reached out to 59-year-old Mike Tice about becoming offensive line coach after the unexpected death this summer of Tony Sparano. Tice, a former Vikings head coach with a 33-34 record from 2001-2005, is retired from coaching after most recently working as offensive line coach for the Raiders.

Viking veteran Kai Forbath has a history of inconsistency on extra points. New rookie kicker Daniel Carlson will give Forbath a lot of competition for the job of converting extra points and field goals, and kicking off. This could be the most intense player competition in training camp.

Carlson was 4-for-4 on extra points and 2-for-2 on field goals last Saturday night in the Viking opening preseason win in Denver against the Broncos.

Another battle is to see who emerges as the No. 3 wide receiver. Laquon Treadwell, a No. 1 draft selection in 2016, hasn’t caught a touchdown pass in two seasons. In Saturday’s preseason opener he had one reception for three yards. Rookie Brandon Zylstra, injured and not able to play last Saturday, could not only make the roster but perhaps emerge as the No. 3 WR this season.

Legacy statistic for Lindsay Whalen who is retiring from the Lynx after this season: Since 2011 the club’s record is 60-3 when she has seven assists or more.

Former Gopher basketball player Larry Overskei, a three-year starter from 1967-1970, is retired after 47 years of coaching including most recently the boys golf team at Coon Rapids High School. During Overskei’s career he also coached basketball and one of his players was now Baseball Hall of Famer Jack Morris. At Highland Park High Morris helped the team win two St. Paul conference titles.

“Quick as a cat, tenacious, and a wonderful shooter,” Overskei wrote about Morris via email.

It will be interesting to see how center fielder Jake Cave of the Twins hits the rest of the season. Since being recalled on June 25, he is batting .377 (20-for-53) at Target Field. He has a hit in 18 of 22 games at home this season, batting .358 (24-for-67) with 18 RBI.

The 25-year-old Cave enters today’s home game against the Pirates hitting .273 with four home runs and 22 RBI in 139 at bats.

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U Holds in with 5-Star Recruit Hurt

Posted on August 1, 2018August 1, 2018 by David Shama

Matthew Hurt, the five-star basketball recruit from Rochester John Marshall, might be only a few months away from finalizing his college choice. The state’s most elite and sought after prep prospects in the recent past—like brothers Tyus and Tre Jones—have chosen the blueblood programs of college basketball rather than the Gophers, but Hurt’s story might have a different ending, although don’t bet your Christmas budget on it.

USAtoday.com reported last Friday Hurt plans to soon narrow his list of eight possible schools—Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Minnesota, North Carolina and UCLA. Then he intends to line up campus visits and could sign with a school as early as November 14, 2018.

Kansas might be among the schools falling off Hurt’s list if he is concerned about FBI reports connected with the Jayhawk program. The FBI has been investigating corruption in college basketball, and Kansas reportedly has released two subpoenas showing the bureau requested information about the program.

Former Gopher Richard Coffey saw his son Amir go through the recruiting process a few years ago before choosing Minnesota. Sports Headliners asked him about programs that might be under scrutiny as Kansas apparently is. “I think you would have to avoid those schools,” Richard said. “You never know how things are going to go and a school could get penalized (including no postseason play).”

Sources have told Sports Headliners for awhile KU is a Hurt favorite but with a potential cloud over the Jayhawks, Duke could be the eventual winner in the recruiting race. The school, the program’s history of success, and the reputation of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski could be too much for Hurt to turn down.

Indiana perhaps could fall off the list because it might be too much for Hurt and family members to have Matthew competing in the Big Ten for the Hoosiers against the home state Gophers. UCLA, far away in Los Angles and a program long removed from its glory days, also looks suspect.

In a (Rochester) Postbulletin.com article Saturday, Hurt talked about the things important to him in choosing a school. “…The biggest factors for me are my relationships with the players and coaches, the campus and how the program is doing,” he said.

Hurt’s brother Michael will be a junior on the Gopher team this fall. The two brothers have a close relationship and a source said the Hurts would strongly value the experience of playing together, even if it is only for one season before Matthew moved on to the lure of the NBA .

Matthew told USAtoday.com that Michael is “loving it up there (Minneapolis).” Matthew has heard “good things about their campus,” and mentioned he is “pretty close” to incoming 2018 Gopher freshmen Gabe Kalscheur (DeLaSalle), Jarvis Omersa (Orono), and Daniel Oturu (Cretin-Derham Hall).

Although Michael won’t be in the starting lineup for Minnesota next season, he is likely to earn regular playing time off the bench. The Gophers, led by Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy, have two potential All-Big Ten front court players. They lead a Gopher team that could be back in the NCAA Tournament next spring for the second time in two years. Minnesota’s new Athletes Village, including its basketball facilities, has been described as a “game changer” for the recruiting and servicing players.

Committing to a university in advance of Hurt’s senior season at John Marshall will relieve the distraction and time commitment of the recruiting process. Presumably every program in the country would like to have the 6-9 forward who is so skilled he could play in the front court or backcourt in college. He has followed up a sensational junior season at John Marshall with impressive recent performances for USA and AAU basketball teams.

Hurt is a consensus top 10 player by recruiting evaluators for the class of 2019. He is, for example, ranked No. 6 among all players in the 2019 class by 247Sports.com and No. 3 among power forwards.

Hurt told the Post-Bulletin he takes pride in showing on a national stage the quality of high school basketball in Minnesota. He said Minnesota is “the most underrated state in the country.”

Apparently Hurt likes proving how good Minnesota talent is and he would certainly have that opportunity with the Gophers where he could play with his brother and Kalscheur, Omersa and Oturu —all natives of the state.

Worth Noting

Richard Coffey said there is no doubt Amir will be recovered from last season’s shoulder injury that caused him to miss most of the Big Ten season. “He’s healed up really well,” said Richard who predicted his son will probably be full go before school starts (first week in September).

Coffey photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications

Richard said Amir is a “legit 6-8” and has increased his weight since last season to about 215 pounds. “We talk a lot about strength and flexibility,” the older Coffey said.

Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck spoke to a record turnout at Twin Cities Dunkers yesterday as part of a busy day that included an interview with the Golf Channel and a team commitment at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. The Golf Channel segment was filmed yesterday with Morning Drive co-host Charlie Rymer and scheduled to air today. The Golf Channel is in town to cover the 3M Championship and wanted to highlight the start of Gophers football this week.

A new Row the Boat graphic was unveiled at the hospital yesterday, symbolizing a never give up attitude. Gopher players and staff held a barbeque with patients and families while enjoying lawn games and other activities.

Former Star Tribune Gopher men’s basketball writer Amelia Rayno has a passion for travel and adventure. She describes herself as a “full time nomad and freelancer” on her new blog Ameiliarayno.com.

Bloomington native Steve Rushin has a byline story in the July 31 issue of Sports Illustrated about Lindsay Whalen that refers to her as “Minnesota’s ever-agreeable favorite daughter.” Whalen, 36, said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” show Sunday she hasn’t decided whether she will play for the Lynx next season, or solely concentrate on her new job as Gopher women’s coach.

Whalen’s husband, former Gopher golfer Ben Greve, has qualified for the August 13-19 U.S. Amateur in northern California.

St. Paul native Jack Morris, enshrined in Cooperstown last weekend, will be honored before a St. Paul Saints game September 1 at CHS Field. Morris pitched for the Saints in 1996 after his big league career.

Nita Killebrew, wife of Twins Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, is preserving the legacy of her late husband for helping others. The inaugural Harmon’s Heart of Baseball fundraiser event and award presentation will be August 25 in conjunction with the Twins-Oakland game in Minneapolis.

Funds raised will help provide opportunities for people with disabilities through two nonprofits: Productive Alternatives and Shriners Hospitals for Children® – Twin Cities. The award recognizes a Minnesotan with disabilities who exemplifies the values and heart of Killebrew. More at Twinsbaseball.com/harmon, or call 612-210-5525.

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New & Improved Trivia Quiz Here

Posted on June 26, 2018June 26, 2018 by David Shama

Well, this is almost as traditional as fireworks and hot dogs on the Fourth of July. My annual Independence Day Trivia Contest arrives early this year so you have more time to share with friends and family.

Okay, so I exaggerated with my opening paragraph, but I am delivering 18 questions about Minnesota sports to test your trivia IQ. Answer 16 to 18 correctly and you might become a future trivia quiz contributor. With 12 or more correct, don’t hesitate to test the know-it-all at work who thinks he is “Mr. Minnesota Sports.” Nail 8 to 11 correct answers and figure you were (somewhat?) competitive. Less than eight right answers? Start prepping for the 2019 quiz.

In composing the quiz I kept reminding myself earlier quizzes had too many difficult questions. Admonish me if I remain too harsh of a taskmaster. So dive into the 18 questions, with no peeking at the answers below until answering every darn one.

And Happy Fourth of July!

Trivia Quiz Questions

1. Name the deceased former Vikings coach who will have his name added to the franchise’s Ring of Honor later this year.

2. Kirk Cousins signed an $84 million contract with the Vikings earlier this year, but coming out of college what round of the NFL Draft was he selected by the Redskins?

3. During training camp the Vikings will host another NFL team for joint practices. Name the team.

4. Name the Twins pitcher who struck out 12 Rangers in Minnesota’s win over Texas on Sunday.

5. Who did the Twins trade to the White Sox in July of 2012 to acquire infielder Eduardo Escobar?

6. When these three Twins are in the outfield they like to say, “Nothing falls (between them) but raindrops.” Who are they?

7. This Twins relief pitcher wears his cap cockeyed and during an early season game pursued snowflakes with his tongue. Who is he?

8. Name the Golden Gopher baseball player who the U announced last week has signed a contract with the St. Paul Saints.

9. Name the new Minnesota Wild advisor who once was the Minnesota North Stars’ GM?

10. Where was Wild star Zach Parise born?

11. Who did the Wild select with the 24th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and how do you spell his name?

12. Who is the former Golden Gopher basketball player who once made such a spectacular dunk at Williams Arena that ESPN referred to him as the “Jewish Jordan?”

13. This Golden Gophers basketball starter has a sister who was an All-American at Northwestern. Who is he?

14. Who is the Minnesota Lynx guard who also is head women’s basketball coach for the Golden Gophers?

15. The Timberwolves have two players on their roster who played high school basketball in the state of Minnesota. Name them.

16. Where did Timberwolves first round draft choice Josh Okogie play collegiately?

17. Name the Golden Gophers’ junior wide receiver who is a preseason All-Big Ten choice.

18. What’s the name of the Minnesota United’s soon-to-be home stadium?

Trivia Quiz Answers

1. Dennis Green referred to himself as the “Sheriff” and he rounded up more wins than any Vikings head coach in history except for Bud Grant (101 versus 168).

2. Kirk Cousins was drafted in the fourth round by the Redskins in 2012 and no one could have predicted he would one day sign a three-year $84 million deal.

3. The Jaguars will come to Eagan for joint practices with the Vikings August 15 and 16 at the TCO Performance Center.

4. Jose Berrios, looking increasingly like the staff ace, struck out 12 Rangers and gave up two hits in seven innings in Minnesota’s 2-0 win on Sunday.

5. The Twins sent one-time star pitcher Francisco Liriano to the White Sox in a deal that brought infielder Eduardo Escobar and pitcher Pedro Fernandez to Minnesota.

6. Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario are so slick in the field they can (presumably) even run down raindrops.

7. Fernando Rodney is the Twins closer who wears his cap like he put it on in the dark and during a snowy game in Pittsburgh pursued snowflakes.

8. Golden Gopher senior infielder Luke Pettersen, who was an All-Big Ten third team selection at second base, has joined the St. Paul Saints.

9. Jack Ferreira, 74, once directed the personnel decisions for the North Stars and now Wild GM Paul Fenton has made Ferreira an advisor to him.

10. Even if you can’t skate, hope you got this one: Zach Parise was born in Minneapolis.

11. The Wild chose 18-year-old defenseman Filip Johansson, and please note the first name begins with the letter “F” and there are two “S’s” in Johansson.

12. ESPN’s SportsCenter was blown away by Sam Jacobson’s spectacular dunk but incorrectly referred to him as “Jewish.”

13. Golden Gopher forward Amir Coffey’s sister, Nia, was an All-American at Northwestern and their dad, Richard, was a member of the Gopher teams from 1986-1990.

14. WNBA and Lynx veteran Lindsay Whalen, 36, was named Golden Gopher women’s coach earlier this year (another uncontested “layup” question and answer for you).

15. Timberwolves guard Tyus Jones played for Apple Valley in high school, while center Cole Aldrich was a prep at Bloomington Jefferson.

16. Josh Okogie, who the Timberwolves selected with the No. 20 pick in the first round, played collegiately at Georgia Tech.

17. Golden Gophers junior Tyler Johnson is a third-team preseason All-Big Ten pick at wide receiver by Athlon magazine.

18. Allianz Field, located in St. Paul, will host the MLS United starting in 2019.

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