Media – Page 46 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

“Crown Jewels” among U Walk-ons

Posted on January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 by David Shama

A Wednesday notes column with the focus on football:

Don’t expect the Golden Gophers to add any scholarship football players to their recruiting class of 2018 when the second of two National Signing Dates occurs February 7. Coach P.J. Fleck has no remaining scholarships but next week expect Minnesota to announce the names of “seven to nine” preferred walk-ons, according to Ryan Burns, the college football recruiting authority and publisher of GopherIllustrated.com.

Burns told Sports Headliners the “crown jewels” of that group will be Zack Annexstad and Max Janes. Annexstad, a Mankato, Minnesota native, was outstanding last fall as a pro-style quarterback at IMG Academy in Florida. Burns said Janes, a tight end and linebacker from Mounds View, turned down four Division I offers to become a Gopher. While preferred walk-ons don’t receive scholarships, they put themselves in position to earn assistance by future performances.

It was thought the state’s Mr. Football as chosen by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association in December might agree to a walk-on offer from Fleck but Burns believes Eden Prairie linebacker Antonio Montero is accepting a scholarship to either Rice or San Diego State. Montero recently visited both schools.

Eden Prairie quarterback Cole Kramer, who will be a senior next fall and helped lead the Eagles to the 2017 6A state title, has verbally committed to Minnesota as a scholarship player for the class of 2019. Fleck has stressed the importance of having legacy players in his program, and Kramer is the grandson of former Gopher football MVP Tom Moe who also became athletic director at Minnesota.

Owatonna running back Jason Williamson has also verbally committed to Minnesota’s class of 2019. Burns said Iowa had interest in Williamson and Michigan State was following Kramer.

Fleck and his staff will headline the annual MFCA Clinic April 5-7 at the DoubleTree Park Place in St. Louis Park. South Dakota coach Bob Nielsen will be among the speakers.

Former Gopher football captain Jim Carter said his friend Mike Sherels, the ex-University of Minnesota assistant coach under Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys, has received an offer to join the Wake Forest staff as linebackers coach, and that Wisconsin also has interest in Sherels. Jay Sawvel, who worked with Sherels at Minnesota, is the defensive coordinator at Wake Forest. Popular with players and others associated with the Gophers, Sherels was a successful coach and recruiter who worked the states of Minnesota and Florida during his time at Minnesota.

Word is each player on the two Super Bowl teams can acquire about 15 tickets for Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium but only two are free. The other tickets must be purchased at face value, with a guesstimate the cost is over $2,000 per ticket.

Winning players in the game receive $112,000 each, losers $56,000.

A downtown parking spot near U.S. Bank Stadium that cost $40 during the Vikings season will go for $120 on Sunday.

Dave Mona believes the Super Bowl will likely return to Minneapolis after this year’s game but it will be at least 20 years. Northern sites for the big game are rare and that works against a U.S. Bank Stadium encore.

Mona, who helped establish a top public relations agency and for decades has talked sports on WCCO Radio, was involved with efforts for the 1992 Super Bowl at the Metrodome. Next Sunday he will be the press box announcer for the game between the Eagles and Patriots. Mona has the same assignment for Vikings games.

Vikings public address announcer Alan Roach, who has also worked previous Super Bowls, will be the P.A. man for the game Sunday. Roach grew up as Kelly Burnham and lived in Slayton and Brainerd Minnesota.

The 1992 Super Bowl was the first time the NFL offered the now popular fan experience headlined this year as “Get Inside the Game.” The interactive attraction is at the Minneapolis Convention Center through Saturday as part of Super Bowl activities, charging $35 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under. Fans can experience NFL games via virtual reality technology, run a 40-yard dash against NFL players on a giant LED screen, obtain autographs from NFL players and learn football skills at clinics.

Taste of the NFL, another high profile annual Super Bowl event, also originated here in 1992. Often referred to as the “party with a purpose,” the event has raised millions of dollars to fight hunger in the United States. Minneapolis restaurateur and philanthropist Wayne Kostroski founded the event and still leads it.

Eric Curry, the well-known college basketball referee from Minneapolis, has left his executive position at Sun Country Airlines. He officiated last night’s Wisconsin-Nebraska game in Madison.

The Gophers’ Hugh McCutcheon, a former Big Ten and American Volleyball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, speaks to the CORES lunch group March 8 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Condolences to the family and friends of Twin Cities native Les Layton who died earlier this month. His career included newspaper, public relations and insurance work. Newspaper employers included the Pioneer Press and Sun publications.

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Ring Not Money Excites Vikings Joseph

Posted on January 9, 2018January 9, 2018 by David Shama

Linval Joseph has one Super Bowl ring and the Vikings’ defensive tackle wants another.

Joseph was a 23-year-old second-year pro when he started for the Giants in their 2012 Super Bowl win over the Patriots. This week he and his Vikings teammates are preparing for their playoff game against the Saints, while hoping it will be the first of three tests ending with a Super Bowl title in U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4.

Each player on the Super Bowl winning team will receive over $100,000 but that’s not Joseph’s incentive. “It’s mostly about the ring, (rather) than the money,” Joseph told Sports Headliners. “You really don’t get that much money playing extra games. It’s about the ring and that’s what’s most important right now. Minnesota has never won a Super Bowl, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to do something that hasn’t been done here before.”

Not only are the Vikings 0-4 in Super Bowls, but no team has ever played the big game in its home stadium. Joseph believes the Vikings are a better group than the 2012 Giants. “I think this is the top team I’ve ever played on.”

Joseph played four seasons with the Giants before signing as a free agent with the Vikings in 2014. “This team is younger than the Giants (were),” he said. “This team feels as hungry as the Giants were when I played with them in 2010, 2011.

“So this is a great team. I’ve seen the growth in the last four years of this team, and I just can’t wait to go to war with this team.”

Case Keenum (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Joseph is part of an elite defense that Vikings fans expected to excel, but there were doubts about the offense after journeyman quarterback Case Keenum replaced the injured Sam Bradford starting with the October 15 game against the Packers. Keenum has been outstanding, playing a major role in helping the Vikings to 10 wins in the next 11 games.

Joseph played for East Carolina in college and competed against Keenum who was setting NCAA records at Houston. Joseph said he isn’t surprised by Keenum’s success, although some others in football are. Keenum never established himself as a full-time starter playing for two other NFL franchises. Even coming out of college he was labeled too short to be a big time prospect (generously listed by the Vikings at 6-feet-1).

“Case is sneaky really good, and the world got to see him this year,” Joseph said about the Vikings quarterback who wasn’t drafted coming out of college. “I am happy for him… because he works his butt off to get where he is at.”

Joseph said players are labeled—often unfairly—coming out of college into the NFL but that now the Vikings have “a hell of a quarterback.” Keenum was signed as a free agent during the last offseason.

The Vikings, 13-3, are a favorite of odds-makers to win two games in the NFC playoffs and advance to the Super Bowl. What could derail the team? “Not staying focused,” Joseph said. “…We know what we gotta do and coach (Mike) Zimmer is going to make sure we…do that.”

Joseph welcomes the possibility the Vikings could play all three postseason games indoors at U.S. Bank Stadium. Two years ago the stadium hadn’t been completed and playing outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium would have been the alternative for Vikings’ home NFC playoff games.

“I feel the weather (when cold like last week) is a big difference,” Joseph said. “The ball is different; you move different.”

Worth Noting

Joseph, 29, talking about how much longer he wants to play: “Until God tells me I can’t play no more. Right now I feel good. …I love my job. I wouldn’t trade it for any job in the world right now.”

Offensive lineman Joe Berger, 35, is a free agent after the playoffs. Berger told Sports Headliners he considered retiring prior to the 2017 season and remains undecided about his future. “If nobody (the Vikings or another team) calls the decision is easy, right? We’ll see (in) February-March, figure out what we want to do.”

Pro Football Focus tweeted that Viking All-Pro Harrison Smith graded the highest ever for a safety in the last 12 years. Smith was named to the Associated Press first team all-defense last week.

Minnesota wide receiver Adam Thielen made second-team AP all-pro offense. His 1,276 receiving yards and 91 receptions ranked among NFL leaders. He is only the third undrafted NFL player since 1970 to exceed 90 catches and 1,200 yards. The others are Rod Smith and Wes Welker.

With a playoff bye last weekend, the Vikings had time off and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur reportedly interviewed for NFL head coaching openings with the Bears and Giants in recent days. He has previous head coaching experience with the Browns.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph. “I think he deserves it (the interviews), and I know he’ll be a great head coach in this league again. I think it’s a testament to him and the way he’s really brought our offense to a top 10 offense in this league.”

Word is WCCO Radio and legendary Sid Hartman, who turns 98 in March, have been talking contract extension. Hartman has been part of programming at the station since the 1950s.

American singer, song writer and actress PINK will sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, the NFL announced Monday.

Don’t be surprised if an announcement is made soon that two college basketball games will be played on the same date in U.S. Bank Stadium next December. It’s been known the Golden Gophers will play one game there to help the facility and NCAA with 2019 Final Four preparations, but there could be a second game, too, so watch for more.

Nancy Lindahl, who along with her husband John Lindahl have been generous donors to University of Minnesota athletics, is the 2018 “Head Coach” of the Twin Cities Dunkers. In her role she presides over meetings, and also schedules guests for the organization that recognizes and pays tribute to athletic achievers.

The Cavs defeated the Timberwolves six consecutive times by an average of 17.7 points prior to last night’s loss at Target Center. The Wolves led by 35 points going into the fourth quarter and won the game 127-99. The Wolves have now held six straight opponents under 100 points.

Minnesota, 26-16, and leading the Northwest Division, has won as many games as the 26-14 Cavs, a team among the favorites to win the NBA title in 2018.

The best player on the floor last night was Wolves forward Jimmy Butler whose defense against LeBron James was superb, helping to hold the superstar forward to 10 points. Butler scored 21, with nine assists and eight rebounds.

The Gophers and college basketball’s elite are recruiting Rochester John Marshall power forward Matthew Hurt who is among the top players nationally in the class of 2019. Ed Rauen, the longtime Rochester radio man who has seen all the state’s best high school big men dating back to the early 1950s, told Sports Headliners the athletic Hurt can be better than any of them.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association is helping promote the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Mini-Camps for middle and high school football players during the week leading up to the Super Bowl. The training sessions, covering various experiences, will be held at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine downtown.

The Gophers men’s tennis team is in Australia for a 10-day preseason training trip. The team left Minneapolis last Thursday for the 9,500-mile trek. Minnesota opens its season January 20 against North Carolina State at the Baseline Center.

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Fran Fraschilla: U Point Guards Critical

Posted on January 2, 2018January 2, 2018 by David Shama

It might be anyone’s guess whether Nate Mason’s injured left ankle allows him to play Wednesday night against Illinois but ESPN basketball authority Fran Fraschilla is clear about the senior point guard’s importance to the Gophers.

Mason hurt his ankle December 23 and didn’t dress for last Saturday’s game with Harvard. Minnesota coach Richard Pitino said recently he didn’t know about Mason’s availability for Illinois.

The Gophers, 1-1 in Big Ten competition so far, have both Illinois and Indiana (Saturday) at home before playing four of their five following games on the road. Without Mason, the likelihood of two wins this week diminishes and could be difficult.

“If he’s not the best point guard in the Big Ten, it’s a very short list and he’s on it,” Fraschilla told Sports Headliners by telephone Sunday. “To have him return as quickly and healthy as possible is critical.”

Without Mason, freshman Isaiah Washington started at point guard against Harvard. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Washington hustled for a team-leading 13 rebounds and was effective defensively, but he had only two assists and made just four of 17 field goal attempts.

Washington’s shooting (34 percent made field goals) and decision making with the basketball have frequently been disappointing through the first 15 games of the season. There have been high expectations about Washington after he became one of the nation’s most acclaimed point guards while playing at St. Raymond’s in New York City.

Fraschilla watched the former state of New York Mr. Basketball in AAU basketball even before he arrived in Minneapolis. Fraschilla said it’s typical of a talented freshman to be struggling early on in his career. “Just trying to do too much and not yet understanding that he has to value the ball and shot selection a little bit more than he did on the AAU circuit—and that will come.”

Isaiah Washington (photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications)

But if Mason can’t play tomorrow night (or is sidelined longer), the Gophers have to hope Washington matures fast. In Mason’s absence, Pitino is likely to continue using Washington as his starting point guard. Even when Mason returns, Washington is all but certain to potentially be the highest impact player off the bench. Minnesota’s lack of depth is the team’s biggest weakness.

“He (Washington) now needs to understand that every possession in the Big Ten is going to be critical,” Fraschilla said. “One play can make or break your season. One great decision, or bad decision, can affect whether you help your team get to the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully that was the lesson coming out of nonconference play for him.”

The depth issue gives Fraschilla pause about Minnesota’s success this winter but he likes the skills of several players including the shot-blocking of both center Reggie Lynch and power forward Jordan Murphy. Murphy also has 15 consecutive double-doubles in points and rebounds this season.

By Saturday night he could have the most NCAA consecutive games of double-doubles to start a season since Tim Duncan in 1996-1997. ”I became a really big fan of his early in the year when he got off to such a great start,” said Fraschilla who thinks Murphy can be named a first-team All-Big Ten player this year.

The Gophers were 7-0 and ranked in the top 15 nationally when Fraschilla was the ESPN analyst doing their game with Miami. Since losing to the Hurricanes, Minnesota has dropped out of the top 25 rankings and hasn’t looked like the same team that had impressive early wins against Providence and Alabama.

Minnesota’s other starting guard Dupree McBrayer was injured and missed the Miami game. That forced Washington into the starting lineup alongside Mason. Washington scored 14 points but made some mistakes, including five turnovers, that contributed to the loss. Bench players totaled two rebounds, no points and no assists against No. 10 ranked Miami.

Depth was a concern even before the season because sophomore forward Eric Curry is out until next fall following ACL surgery on his left knee. The 6-9 Curry showed during his freshman season while averaging over five points and five rebounds that he was going to be an impact player coming off the bench and Minnesota’s best sub.

Prior to the Miami game there was talk the Gophers might challenge Michigan State for the Big Ten title and Minnesota looked like the league’s No. 2 team. Fraschilla thinks the Gophers still can finish high in the conference standings and earn their way into the NCAA Tournament. “I would say right now they still have a chance in my mind to be the third best team (after Michigan State and Purdue) in the conference,” he said.

Whether Minnesota can equal or better last season’s 11-7 Big Ten record will have much to do with Mason’s injured ankle. Fraschilla refers to Mason, who was all-Big Ten last season, as the team’s “catalyst.”

“You can’t ask a team that doesn’t have the depth that the Gophers have, and are trying to break in a talented but erratic freshman point guard, to play without their team leader for very long,” Fraschilla said.

Shorn Morris, the Big Ten Network analyst who was at Williams Arena for the Harvard game, also sees Minnesota as the league’s third best team behind Michigan State and Purdue. The upcoming games with Illinois (0-2, 10-5) and Indiana (1-1, 8-6) will tell more about the Gophers but he’s not ready to label them must-win opportunities.

“I think it’s really important (to win those games), especially when let’s not forget they’re already 1-1,” Morris told Sports Headliners last weekend. “They dropped a road game at Nebraska. You want to make sure you take care of the two…home games here.”

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