NCAA – Page 134 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

WCHA and Big Ten Explore Alliance

Posted on January 25, 2016January 27, 2016 by David Shama

WCHA and Big Ten leaders are discussing ideas that could result in more men’s hockey games between the two leagues.

WCHA men’s commissioner Bill Robertson told Sports Headliners he had an exploratory meeting recently with Big Ten deputy commissioner Brad Traviolia. Discussion included some day having a combined tournament with teams from the two leagues, and also a series of regional rivalry games.

“The next step is we’re going to continue these discussions and bring ideas to each other’s executive committees and coaches to help define how we move forward,” Robertson said. “At this point it’s all conceptual but certainly there are ideas we will continue to build on.”

The WCHA is a tradition-rich league that still boasts nationally-ranked teams but the conference lost some prestige when historic power programs Minnesota and Wisconsin opted out to help form a Big Ten hockey league. The WCHA currently has 10 teams including two from the state of Minnesota, Bemidji State and Minnesota State. The six-team Big Ten began in the fall of 2013, and the league has its critics including in Minneapolis-St. Paul where fans miss old rivalries and feel the Gophers should be in a larger, more hockey oriented conference.

Robertson, who has career marketing experiences in the NHL, is an innovator and he believes both the WCHA and Big Ten could benefit in exposure and revenues with alliances that might include something similar to basketball’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge. That annual fall matchup schedules games between teams from the two leagues that have been popular with fans and TV audiences. A Big Ten/WCHA Challenge could include regional rivalry games like Minnesota-Minnesota State and Michigan-Michigan Tech.

Robertson, whose league offices are in Edina, continues to dialogue with Arizona State about that school’s hockey program joining the WCHA. He said more will be known in the spring, and that 2017-2018 will be the earliest the Sun Devils would join the league.

An 11-team league isn’t ideal, though, so a 12th member could eventually be added—perhaps UNLV. Las Vegas is a growing hockey market and a possible location for an NHL expansion franchise.

Worth Noting

Carter Coughlin, the Gophers’ four-star linebacker recruit from Eden Prairie High School, who is expected to sign his National Letter of Intent next month, will have to rest his left shoulder for about 3½ months following surgery last Thursday. Jennie Coughlin, Carter’s mother, told Sports Headliners the shoulder injury dates back to his junior season, and the expectation is he will be healthy when the Gophers start workouts in June. She said Carter is already recovered from the concussion he sustained in a high school all-star game earlier this month.

Richard Pitino’s basketball team is 0-8 in Big Ten games and appears headed toward a low final finish in the conference standings, but the coach will be rewarded with $450,000 this spring. In addition to his normal compensation of more than $1.5 million, Pitino will receive $450,000 on April 30 for a “contract fulfillment incentive.” If he is still the Gophers coach on April 30, 2019, he receives another $450,000.

Ken Lien, the state prep basketball authority who runs the Mr. Basketball program, travels extensively watching high school boys teams. He shared his state rankings with Sports Headliners:

Class 4A. 1. Hopkins; 2. Apple Valley; 3. Osseo; 4. Maple Grove; 5. Champlin Park; 6. Lakeville North; 7. Shakopee; 8. Wayzata; 9. Woodbury; 10. Rochester John Marshall.

Class 3A. 1. Red Wing; 2. DeLaSalle; 3. Delano; 4. Waconia; 5. Orono; 6. Benilde-St. Margaret’s; 7. Marshall; 8. Austin; 9. Minneapolis Patrick Henry; 10. Fergus Falls.

Class 2A. 1. Caledonia; 2. St. Croix Lutheran; 3. Braham; 4. Lake City; 5. Melrose; 6. Albany; 7. Minnehaha Academy; 8. Eden Valley-Watkins; 9. Esko; 10. St. Paul Academy.

Class 1A. 1. Minneapolis North; 2. Spring Grove; 3. Rushford-Peterson; 4. Central Minnesota Christian; 5. Murray County Central; 6. Hillcrest Lutheran; 7. Goodhue; 8. Browerville; 9. North Woods; 10. Battle Lake.

The Twins announced today they have given third baseman Trevor Plouffe a one-year contract for $7,250,000 in 2016. Plouffe, who was originally drafted by the Twins in the first round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, set single season highs last year in hits (140), RBI (86), runs scored (74), games (152), at-bats (573) and triples (4). Plouffe’s .972 fielding percentage ranked third among major league third basemen last season.

After last weekend’s two-game sweep of the Badgers, coach Don Lucia’s Gophers hockey team is 13-10 overall and 8-2 in Big Ten games. League-leading Minnesota has won five straight and could boost the spirits of often critical fans next weekend in the North Star College Cup at the Xcel Energy Center.

The Gophers play Bemidji State on Saturday while an earlier game matches Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. If Minnesota defeats the Beavers, a cup title game on Sunday against the Minnesota State and St. Cloud State winner could be opportune for the Gophers to earn more national respect. St. Cloud State, ranked No. 3 in the latest USCHO.com national poll, might be the best team in the country. The Gophers are No. 20 in the poll, while Minnesota State is No. 19.

Gophers booster and St. Paul native T. Denny Sanford celebrated his 80th birthday last month in both Sioux Falls, where Tim McGraw entertained, and also in San Diego at a party with Frankie Valli performing.

The Gophers baseball team will play some of its games starting in 2017 in U.S. Bank Stadium, the new downtown covered facility. The Gophers will have their own locker room in the multiuse facility that is expected to host over 200 amateur baseball games in its first 12 months of operation. The longest distance from home plate to the outfield will be 400 feet, while the shortest will be 301 feet. Coach John Anderson and his players toured the stadium last Friday. The Gophers will also continue to play games outdoors at Siebert Field.

With Seahawks safety Earl Thomas unable to play because of an injury, Vikings safety Harrison Smith has been selected for his first Pro Bowl. Since entering the NFL in 2012, Smith is one of two players to have at least 12 interceptions and 5.0 sacks. Reshad Jones from the Dolphins is the other player. The Pro Bowl will be played next Sunday in Hawaii.

New Vikings assistant coach Pat Shurmur will coach the tight ends. The club announced today that former tight ends coach Kevin Stefanski will take over as the running backs coach replacing Kirby Wilson who is joining the Browns. Shurmur, a former head coach with the Browns, was the Eagles tight end coach from 1999-2001.

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway turned 33 earlier this month, and his returning for another season with the team seems questionable. A highlight for him last year was his 22 tackles game against the Raiders, the second best in franchise history.

Greenway was durable during the 2015 season. Ben Goessling, writing for espn.com last Wednesday, said Greenway maxed out on his per game bonus incentive by being on the 46-man roster for all 16 regular season games. Greenway, who agreed during the offseason to take less salary in 2015, earned $500,000 in bonus money, according to Goessling.

Las Vegas sports books positioned the Panthers as four point favorites over the Broncos for Super Bowl 50, according to an online story this morning by Matt Youmans for the Las Vegas Journal-Review.

Friends of the late Steve Wilkinson remembered the one-year anniversary of his death last Thursday. The legendary former Gustavus Adolphus national championship tennis coach touched many lives with the Gusties and his well-known Tennis and Life Camps.

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U Gets Poised Leader in Seth Green

Posted on December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 by David Shama

East Ridge High School assistant coach Dave Fritze raves about Seth Green’s poise and general demeanor. He also told Sports Headliners the quarterback recruit’s verbal commitment to Minnesota may have been influenced by East Ridge fullback Connor Mohs, who is going to be a preferred walk-on with the Gophers.

Green, who played at East Ridge in Woodbury prior to moving to Texas earlier this year, flipped his verbal commitment from Oregon to Minnesota with an announcement yesterday. He is a coveted pass-run quarterback recruit who is now expected to sign a Letter of Intent with Minnesota on National Signing Day February 3.

“He is probably the most calm player I’ve ever been around as a coach,” said Fritze. “As a freshman he came off the field in a tight game and a coach was going crazy. Seth said, ‘Hey, coach, we’re going to be fine here.’ ”

Fritze was the Eagan High School head coach for 17 years and is now the Raptors defensive coordinator. Fritze, whose son Dan is the East Ridge head coach, said Mohs and Green have been friends since both were high school freshmen. He also said the two are talking about rooming together at Minnesota and their close relationship could have impacted Green’s decision to become a Gopher.

Mohs was a two-year starter for the Raptors and had Division II offers but wants to accept preferred walk-on status with the Gophers. Preferred walk-ons, although they aren’t scholarship players, generally are assured of a roster spot their first year on the team at major college programs. “He was probably the best leader on our team,” Fritze said about the 6-2, 230-pound Raptors captain.

Green is expected to enroll at Minnesota in January, with Mohs coming to campus later in the year. Fritze said it’s expecting a lot for a freshman quarterback to play in games his first year at the Big Ten level but he doesn’t hold back in evaluating Green’s skills.

“Seth has got all the physical and mental tools,” Fritze said about the 6-4, 215-pound Green. “He’s got great height, great speed, (is) strong, (and a) really strong arm. He’ll have to learn how to read defenses and see two or three receivers (on the same play).”

Fritze also said Green is an outstanding student, and is “just a great kid, nice young man.”

The Fritzes helped coach the Raptors to a surprise 11-2 record this fall and a Class 6A playoff run that ended with a loss to Osseo.

Worth Noting

The Gophers football team arrives in Detroit on Christmas Eve day to participate in events leading up to the December 28 Quick Lane Bowl game against Central Michigan. Minnesota will practice at Ford Field, the game site, on Christmas Day. The Gophers have practices on campus this week.

Steve and Dorothy Erban’s Stillwater-based Creative Charters is taking a fan group to Detroit for the bowl game. The group will depart Minneapolis on the morning of the game and return the next day. The cost of $499 per person includes air transportation via Sun Country, ground transfers, one night’s lodging, and game ticket. The Erbans have been taking fans to Gophers games since 1993. More information at Creativecharter.com.

New Gophers coach Tracy Claeys will speak to the CORES group on March 10. Twins president Dave St. Peter speaks on January 7. CORES lunch programs are held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

The best basketball game I’ve seen this fall—pro, college or preps—was at Minnetonka High School on Saturday where Hopkins defeated Apple Valley, 89-81. It was an up and down the floor game with lead changes and athletic plays. Seldom, if ever, has a high school game in Minnesota included so many talented players including coveted college recruits Gary Trent Jr. and Tre Jones of Apple Valley, and Hopkins’ Amir Coffey.

The game was the featured piece of the annual Breakdown Sports Tipoff Classics at Minnetonka involving boys and girls teams. The West Court was so packed for the game the Minnetonka fire marshal and police arrived to clear exits and aisles for safety.

Basketball fans and the Minnesota State High School League have to hope for a rematch between Hopkins and Apple Valley in March during the prep playoffs.

Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith and assistant Joe Esposito were at Minnetonka High on Saturday. Esposito said the Red Raiders are recruiting five Minnesota preps currently. After Smith’s six-year tenure as Gophers coach, he and his staff still have relationships in the state and they target Minnesota as a key recruiting area.

Esposito, Saul Smith, and Vince Taylor, all former Gophers assistants under Tubby Smith, are on the staff at Texas Tech. Ron Jirsa, who was a key assistant at Minnesota with Smith, is an assistant coach at Radford (Radford, Virginia).

Kevin Garnett is now the NBA’s all-time leading career defensive rebounder but the league didn’t begin keeping the statistic until 1973. That failure does a disservice to the NBA’s great rebounders from the 1950s and 1960s like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell who averaged more than 20 rebounds (offensive and defensive) per season. In today’s NBA it’s unusual to see anyone average over 16 rebounds.

The Vikings announced a roster move today, signing defensive end Justin Trattou and waiving safety Shaun Prater. Trattou has already played in two games this season, with his stats including one interception.

The NFL season is in its closing weeks and as usual the injuries totals are troublesome for teams. Durability over a 16-game season has everything to do with the success of a team and individuals. Bud Grant, the former Vikings coach who took the team to four Super Bowls, said all the great players have durability. Earlier this month he talked about Brett Favre’s consecutive starts streak of 297 games and how players like Jim Marshall, who played for Grant, never missed a practice or game.

“You find out that the greatest ability a player has is his durability,” Grant said. “You never achieve greatness without durability. It doesn’t do any good to play eight games a year. You gotta play 16 games a year. It doesn’t do any good to be great one year, and out the next year.”

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Sky Not Falling on Gophers Football

Posted on October 7, 2015October 7, 2015 by David Shama

Dark clouds above the Minnesota tundra are expected (as usual) this fall but that doesn’t mean the sky is falling on Gophers football.

The pessimists are all atwitter over the Gophers offensive miseries. Indeed, production has been awful. Through five games (four nonconference and one league game), Minnesota ranks last in scoring among Big Ten teams at 15.4 points per game. The Gophers are also last among the 13 other teams in rushing offense (141.2 yards per game) and tied for ninth with Michigan State in pass offense (195.4).

But more of the not so positive details later. The day brightener these days is the Gophers defense—a unit that, despite the loss of injured defensive backs, ranks fourth in the Big Ten versus the pass giving up 154.6 yards per game. The overall defense has lived up to the preseason hype of being among the best units in the Big Ten and although allowing an eighth-best 20.2 points per game the defense has sometimes been put with their backs near the end zone because of miscues not of their doing.

Jerry Kill inherited a mess, including personnel shortages, when he took over the program as Gophers coach after the 2010 season. He set a goal of fixing the defense first and he has done just that. He has also upgraded the kicking game with senior Peter Mortell being one of the nation’s better punters. Sophomore Ryan Santoso has a powerful leg and he has shown accuracy in his early career while both kicking off and booting field goals.

Kill is five games into his fifth season at Minnesota. His overall record is 28-28. In the last 29 years the Gophers have had two other head coaches who were around long enough to coach 56 games—Glen Mason with a 25-31 record and John Gutekunst, 26-28-2.

The opinion here is Kill is the best coach at Minnesota since Lou Holtz made a stopover (1984 and 1985) between assignments at Arkansas and Notre Dame. In the last two seasons the Gophers have twice had overall records of 8-5, with 4-4 and 5-3 records in the Big Ten. The 1999 and 2000 seasons were the last ones the Gophers were at .500 or better in the Big Ten during consecutive years.

The Gophers are 9-6 in their last 15 conference games. The 9-6 ties Iowa for the fourth best mark in the Big Ten during that period. Excluding the results of Big Ten title games, the records of other teams include Ohio State 15-0, Michigan State 14-1, Wisconsin 12-3, Nebraska 8-7, and Michigan and Penn State, both 6-9.

Kill has turned around the football program beyond the playing field. His team collectively had a 3.04 GPA last spring semester and his players are earning their degrees after he inherited a program where players were on academic probation and not attending classes. Also, ask the University police and Minneapolis police if there hasn’t been a dramatic change in off-field behavior.

This week the University Board of Regents is expected to approve detailed plans to move ahead on the $190 million project to improve athletics facilities. Included in that project will be a badly needed new football practice facility. Kill has been adamant about such a facility becoming a reality and has hinted he might not be at Minnesota long-term without it.

Without Kill, the reported $80 million or so that has been fundraised wouldn’t be in place. He is the single most important fundraiser in the athletic department and millions of dollars have been donated because of him.

The anticipated good news about the athletic facilities project is well timed after the offensive debacle at Northwestern. The Wildcats, who shut out Minnesota 27-0, have one of the Big Ten’s best defenses but the Gophers’ biggest obstacle offensively is themselves.

It’s disappointing that after five seasons the Gophers haven’t developed an above average Big Ten quarterback. Instead, there has been a parade of quarterbacks unable to consistently perform at a high level. Kill and his staff developed outstanding quarterbacks in just three seasons at Northern Illinois. Look for them to get the QB riddle solved by next year, perhaps with true freshman Demry Croft who has promising skills both passing and running.

The offensive line has made many misplays this season, another disappointment since that unit was supposed to be among the best in the Big Ten’s West Division. Injuries have kept starters Ben Lauer and Jon Christenson from playing, although Christenson is expected back for Saturday’s game at Purdue. Injuries have slowed other players and forced the coaches to reshuffle assignments. The results have been a mess with the Gophers sometimes unable to pass block or run block.

The offense’s failures include an inability to make long gains. Freshman running backs Rodney Smith (one 30 yard run) and Shannon Brooks (40 yards) show some big play potential but the Gophers are still looking for receivers to consistently step up.

The Gophers might be advised to focus on a power run game, rather than use it occasionally along with their spread offense. Load up the offense with extra tight ends and a blocking fullback. Run not only using the tailbacks, but also let the quarterbacks carry the ball. Both Croft and Mitch Leidner are effective runners, with Croft offering elusiveness while Leidner runs with power.

The offense needs a spark and it seems likely both Croft and Leidner, who has been the starter since going back to last season, will play at Purdue. One or both of them could make plays with their feet and arms to give Minnesota a lift against a less than impressive Boilermakers defense. Purdue is giving up a Big Ten worst 33 points per game.

If the offense can raise its level of play and the defense can cause turnovers, and turn them into points, the dark skies over the program will fade at least for next Saturday. A win gives the Gophers a 4-2 record and moves them within two victories of bowl eligibility.

If Minnesota earns a 2015 bowl win, that will be the program’s first postseason victory since 2004. That would lift spirits, too, as fans anticipate a much less demanding schedule in 2016 than the Gophers are facing in 2015. Michigan and Ohio State go off the schedule while Maryland and Rutgers come on. A better Minnesota record in 2016 is likely.

Gophers fans down in the dumps can remember success doesn’t always follow an ascending line on a chart. Consider nationally-ranked 5-0 Northwestern, riding high at the moment, but coming off consecutive 5-7 seasons. Iowa is also 5-0 after a 7-6 record last season. Head coach Kirk Ferentz, the longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten season, came into this season on the hot seat.

Yeah, short-term things aren’t so cheery with the Gophers because of on-field scoring problems this fall. But big picture—including the successes already achieved, the new facilities coming and Kill’s commitment to coaching here—things look much better. The sky isn’t falling, and brighter days are ahead.

Big Ten Power Rankings

1. Ohio State (5-0, 1-0): As the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, the Buckeyes are targeted for each team’s best shot.

2. Michigan State (5-0, 1-0): Spartans not playing like a top-five ranked team and after a warm-up game Saturday at Rutgers better get ready for October 17 at Michigan.

3. Michigan (4-1, 1-0): After an opening loss to nationally-ranked Utah, the Wolverines have outscored their opponents 122 to 14.

4. Northwestern (5-0, 1-0): Wildcats now in a key schedule stretch with games at Michigan on Saturday and then home versus Iowa.

5. Iowa (5-0, 1-0): The planets align for the Hawkeyes every few years—and this might be one of them.

6. Wisconsin: (3-2, 0-1): These may not be Barry Alvarez’s, Bret Bielema’s or Gary Andersen’s Badgers.

7. Penn State (4-1, 1-0): After the offensive line faltered in opening game loss to Temple, Nittany Lions looking better.

8. Illinois (4-1, 1-0): Illini made an upgrade in August when interim coach Bill Cubit took over for Tim Beckman.

9. Minnesota (3-2, 0-1): Gophers might have the most unproductive offense in the Big Ten after producing a total of 37 points in the last three games.

10. Nebraska (2-3, 0-1): Huskers can’t win the close games, losing three by a total of nine points, and that’s no endorsement of new coach Mike Riley and his staff.

11. Indiana (4-1, 0-1): After a softie nonconference schedule and close loss to OSU, much more will be learned about the Hoosiers after their game at Penn State on Saturday.

12. Purdue (1-4, 0-1): Boilers got a moral victory in 24-21 loss at Michigan State last week. You better believe they’re thinking real win against the Gophers.

13. Rutgers (2-2, 0-1): Wins over Norfolk State and FBS punching bag Kansas don’t impress.

14. Maryland (2-3, 0-1): Porous Terps defense gave up 121 points in losses to Bowling Green, West Virginia and Michigan. No relief in sight as Maryland plays at Ohio State on Saturday.

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