NCAA – Page 147 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Tourney Authority Not Ruling U Out

Posted on March 13, 2013March 13, 2013 by David Shama

Sources, including a former member of the NCAA Tournament selection committee, believe the Gophers might need a win in this week’s Big Ten Tournament to be included in the NCAA’s field of 68 teams.

McKinley Boston, the former Gophers athletic director, served on the selection committee for several years. During an interview with Sports Headliners, he labeled the Gophers, 20-11 overall and 8-10 during the Big Ten regular season, a “bubble team.”

The Gophers have stunned their followers after a 15-1 start that included nonconference wins over Memphis, Stanford and Florida State, and Big Ten Conference victories in their first three league games against Michigan State and Northwestern at home and Illinois on the road. Since January 9, Minnesota has won five games, losing 10. The Gophers are 4-6 in their last 10 games, including two consecutive losses. Their league road record is 1-8.

Boston, now athletic director at New Mexico State, was asked about how the selection committee views teams that stumble late in the season. “Well, that was one of the things that the committee looked at. How was your record in the last 10 games? Were you hot? Were you faltering?

“It’s not a good thing that they’re not finishing strong (the Gophers), but at the same time you can’t dismiss the strength of the league this year. That’s going to carry a lot of weight.”

Many authorities who rank college basketball conferences — like Teamrankings.com — have the Big Ten No. 1. The league has four teams in the A.P. top 10 and five in the top 25 this week.

And then as every “March Madness” expert knows, the selection committee uses the Ratings Percentage Index (the famous RPI) as prime criteria in deciding who is invited to the NCAA Tournament and who is rejected. There are five Big Ten teams among the top 25 in the latest RPI listings from CBSsports.com including the Gophers at No. 24. Statistically, Minnesota’s strength of schedule ranks near the top nationally.

Although Minnesota finished in a three-way tie for seventh place in the Big Ten, the Gophers are ahead in the RPI rankings of No. 41 Wisconsin even though the Badgers were 12-6 in league games and tied for fourth in the standings. Illinois, a team that tied the Gophers along with Purdue for seventh place in the Big Ten, has a No. 43 ranking.

The Illini, the No. 8 Big Ten Tournament seed, and the Gophers, the No. 9 seed, split two games during the regular season. Minnesota won at Illinois, 84-67, while the Illini were winners in Minneapolis, 57-53.

It’s possible — perhaps even likely — that regardless of who wins tomorrow’s game, both Illinois and Minnesota will make the tournament. Eamonn Brennan, writing yesterday for ESPN.com, believes both schools probably will be invited when the tourney selections are announced on Sunday. “Odds are the Gophers will back their way into this thing. But it’s not like they’ve been convincing in doing so,” he wrote.

Worth Noting

Gophers coach Tubby Smith wasn’t happy with his defense in 53-51 and 89-73 road losses to Nebraska and Purdue last week. “This is probably the worst defensive team we’ve had, to be honest with you,” Smith said on Saturday during his postgame show on 1500 ESPN. “That’s disappointing — to have five seniors and still have the worst defensive team we’ve had.”

Smith has coached the Gophers for six seasons and his regular season Big Ten record is 46-62. This season’s seventh place finish in the league standings follows 10^th and 9^th place finishes the two previous years. None of his teams have placed higher than sixth in the Big Ten or won more than nine games in a league season.

Sid Hartman, the Star Tribune and WCCO Radio personality, has defended Smith and said the coach won’t be let go after this season. But Hartman said on WUCW’s “Sports Show” on Sunday night that Smith needs to have a winning team next season.

The name often speculated upon as Smith’s successor is VCU’s Shaka Smart but he may prefer to wait for an opening at one of the nation’s premier programs. His name is rumored with the job at UCLA, arguably still college basketball’s most storied program.

This is the 75^th year of the men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. Sports Illustrated, in its March 6 issue, picked the 10 players the magazine believes were the “best performers” in tourney history: Lew Alcindor was No. 1 followed by Bill Walton, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Bradley, Magic Johnson, Christian Laettner and Jerry West.

Former Gophers athletic director McKinley Boston, now AD at New Mexico State, expects the 2013 Aggies football team to be better than the group that defeated Minnesota, 28-21, at TCF Bank Stadium in 2011. Boston said the Aggies have “more overall team speed” than the team that upset Minnesota two years ago.

The Aggies will open their season on August 31 at Texas before hosting the Gophers on September 7. Boston didn’t have the exact figure but believes his school will receive about $900,000 for playing the Longhorns.

Kickoff time for the Gophers game in Las Cruces will be 6 p.m. (daylight Mountain time). Boston predicted temperatures in the ”mid-90s” and possible rain.

The Aggies are a college football independent now and have a home game next season against Boston College. Former Gopher player DeWayne Walker left his job in January as New Mexico State’s head coach to become an assistant with the NFL Jaguars. Ex-Kent State head coach Doug Martin, who was offensive coordinator in the Aggies’ win in Minneapolis, is now head coach at New Mexico State.

A story yesterday on the International Business Times website listed the Seahawks — following the Percy Harvin trade with the Vikings — as 8-1 favorites to win the 2014 Super Bowl. The Patriots are 6-1, 49ers 7-1 and Broncos 8-1 favorites while the Vikings are 50-1.

Rookie Aaron Hicks, who already has Twins fans excited to see him during the regular season as the team’s new center fielder, leads the club in spring training home runs with four although he never hit more than 13 in five minor league seasons. Hicks, who is hitting .371 this spring and also leads in RBI with 13, led all Twins minor leaguers last season in stolen bases with 32 playing for New Britain.

Tom Windle, the former Osseo all-stater who last Saturday threw the first nine inning no-hitter for the Gophers since 1933, was an academic All-Big Ten choice last season as a sophomore. During his freshman season he made the Big Ten All-Tournament team after pitching eight scoreless innings and striking out six.

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Local Super Bowl Perspective: Birk vs Moss

Posted on January 23, 2013January 23, 2013 by David Shama

In journalism school the professors taught us to be objective about what we wrote. However, they gave us an out regarding objectivity when writing our opinions in editorials and personal columns.

Today I exercise my option.

I am pulling for the Ravens to defeat the 49ers in the Super Bowl a week from Sunday. It boils down to a preference to see Matt Birk on the winning team, not Randy Moss.

The two were Vikings draft choices in 1998. Nobody knew if Birk, a sixth round pick from Harvard via Cretin Derham-Hall, would make the team. But everybody couldn’t wait to see “The Freak,” the team’s No. 1 draft choice, blow by defensive backs and catch long distance touchdown passes.

At Winter Park I learned more about Birk and Moss than I ever could turning on a TV set. Birk was approachable, Moss could be intimidating.

Birk, who developed into an All-Pro and Pro Bowl center for the Vikings, would cruise around the locker room with a smile on his face, willing to talk about subjects ranging from football to his Twin Cities restaurants. The lasting image I have of Moss—the 6-foot-4 All-World wide receiver with cheetah-like speed—is watching him bolt out of the Winter Park locker room so angry I might have guessed his dog died.

“He (Moss) has had some bad PR,” acknowledged Dean Dalton, a Vikings’ assistant coach from 1999-2005. “He comes across unfiltered. He can be a thoughtful (considerate) guy.

“I’ve watched Birkie pretty close this year. He contemplated retiring (after last season) but his competitive spirit compelled him to go back. He’s been one constant on a line with injuries.”

Birk made a reputation here and in Baltimore for community service. He’s a past winner of the Ed Block Courage Award and Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, national honors recognizing inspiration and charity. Moss has reportedly done good deeds too but the resume is filled with negative stuff including his days with the Vikings.

In early 2005, Birk and Moss clashed after a loss to the Redskins with playoff implications for the Vikings. Moss left the field in the closing seconds and headed to the locker room, embarrassing teammates and angering fans. “Enraged, Birk confronted Moss in the locker room,” wrote Kevin Seifert on Monday for his espn.com blog.

The Vikings’ ownership tired of Moss and traded him to the Raiders during the 2005 offseason. He returned to Minnesota for four games in 2010 but apparently his immature behavior helped convince the Vikings to part ways. His most well publicized incident was a rant about food served by a local caterer at Winter Park.

Birk left the Vikings via free agency after the 2008 season. He’s the Ravens’ starting center and at 36 is playing in his first Super Bowl. Moss, who turns 36 on February 13, played on a Patriots team that lost the 2008 Super Bowl to the Giants. He came out of retirement to play for the 49ers this season and has been a modest contributor to the team’s success, catching 33 passes including three for touchdowns.

49ers’ coach Jim Harbaugh wants Moss to return next season, according to an nfl.com story by Dan Hanzus last Friday. Moss, who no longer terrorizes defenses but reportedly has been more civil and even helpful to teammates in San Francisco, has not made his plans known. Birk told Sports Headliners earlier in the year he’s undecided about how much longer he will play. Birk acknowledged he is physically not the player he once was “but I like to think I am a little smarter.”

This much is known about the future for the two former high profile Vikings: Birk or Moss will win a Super Bowl ring, and you know who I am pulling for.

Worth Noting

In addition to Birk and Moss, three other players in the upcoming Super Bowl have Minnesota connections. Ravens’ regular left tackle Bryant McKinnie, the former Viking, has become a late season success on a re-energized line. Ravens’ starting outside linebacker Terrell Suggs was born in Minneapolis and spent part of his childhood in the Twin Cities. Reserve 49ers’ defensive back Tramaine Brock was recruited by former Gophers coach Tim Brewster, and lettered for Minnesota in 2008.

Dalton, who provides NFL analysis for Sirius Satellite Radio, predicts a three point win by the Ravens in the February 3 game. The teams have similar strengths but the 49ers have been struggling with field goals. “I just really like both teams,” he said.

The Vikings need help in the 2013 draft at multiple positions. A record number of 74 college underclassmen have declared for the April 25-27 NFL Draft, according to the January 16 issue of USA Today. The list includes 15 defensive linemen, 13 defensive backs, 12 running backs and 11 wide receivers.

The NFL Scouting Combine for evaluating draft eligible players is February 23-26 in Indianapolis.

The basketball Gophers, losers in their last two games to top 10 ranked Indiana and Michigan, will try tonight for a second win this month against Northwestern in Evanston. The Gophers, who only led 17-14 at halftime in the January 6 game, defeated the Wildcats 69-51 in Minneapolis. Minnesota out-rebounded Northwestern 47-20 in that win. Look for the Wildcats to give the Gophers problems with a half court trapping defense.

According to Big Ten Conference statistics released Monday morning, the Gophers were second in rebounding margin among Big Ten teams at +9.8 per game. The Gophers were first in blocked shots per game at 6.4 and steals at 9.7. Minnesota, though, has the highest turnover average among the conference’s 12 teams, 14.7 per game.

Ross Bernstein, the local author and motivational speaker who c0-wrote Marc Trestman’s biography, told Sports Headliners that Trestman interviewed for the Browns head coaching job before being hired last week to lead the Bears. Trestman’s wife Cindy is from Cleveland so the Browns job would have been a good family fit and expectations for winning are lower than in Chicago. “He would be a hero if he won five games (the first season) in Cleveland,” Bernstein said.

The St. Louis Park native and former coach of Montreal in the CFL has never been a head coach in the NFL, although he was an assistant with the Vikings and other teams. “In my opinion his dream job would have been with the Vikings,” Bernstein said.

But Trestman, of course, is excited to be coaching the Bears, a team with potential to finish ahead of the Vikings in the NFC North next season. “Expectations are high in Chicago,” Bernstein said.

What did he learn about Trestman when the two co-wrote Perseverance: Life Lessons on Leadership and Team Work? “Just how smart the guy is. He is brilliant. He is also a quality human being.”

After Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall tweeted about Trestman’s book, sales increased dramatically and Bernstein said it is now among the top 100 sellers on Amazon.com.

Congratulations to Saint John’s men’s basketball coach Jim Smith who won his 750^th career game on Monday night when the Johnnies defeated Carleton, 73-66. He is the 19^th coach in college basketball history (all divisions) to reach 750 wins.

Condolences to the family of Conrad Smith, my former North Stars marketing colleague and friend for many years. Conrad passed away recently after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He worked for the North Stars, Twins and Timberwolves during his career, and most recently was chief operating officer of the Lynx. Conrad’s warm smile and quick wit made him a delight to be around.

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Spielman Earns Praise for Drafts

Posted on October 15, 2012October 15, 2012 by David Shama

With yesterday’s loss to the Redskins, the Vikings, 4-2, are still off to the club’s second best start since 2006. That team also started the season 4-2 while the 2009 Vikings won their first six games.

Losing 38-26 yesterday to the Redskins and freakishly talented quarterback Robert Griffin III is nothing to sob about. Griffin probably would have challenged most any NFL defense on Sunday. Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder had his plus moments but a fumble and interception led to two Redskins’ scores.

The Vikings have won more games already than all of last season (3-13) and almost anyone who says the team’s impressive 2012 performance was expected isn’t telling the truth. The fast start has come despite shakeups in the roster and lineup.

Since the 2009 season the Vikings have replaced eight offensive starters and seven regulars on defense. General manager Rick Spielman has done an impressive job of rebuilding the team, mostly via the NFL college drafts.

The Vikings have 11 starters from the 2009-2012 drafts. Included in that total are four regulars from the 2011 draft — Ponder, tight end Kyle Rudolph, guard Brandon Fusco and safety Mistral Raymond. The 2009 draft also contributed three starters, including the team’s MVP so far this season in wide receiver Percy Harvin, plus tackle Phil Loadholt and linebacker Erin Henderson.

Even the 2012 draft has three frontline contributors as rookies, tackle Matt Kalil, safety Harrison Smith and placekicker Blair Walsh. Cornerback Chris Cook is the only starter from the 2010 draft, although that draft has important contributors off the bench in running back Toby Gerhart and defensive end Everson Griffen. Other reserve contributors include safety Jamarca Sanford (2009 draft), No. 2 quarterback Joe Webb (2010) and rookie cornerback Josh Robinson.

Longtime pro football authority Paul Wiggin praised Spielman’s work. “I think Rick Spielman is doing a dramatic job, an incredible job,” said Wiggin, former Chiefs head coach and now a Vikings personnel consultant. “I think he will go down in history as a top-notch general manager. I think he leaves no stone unturned.”

Spielman and his staff have tried to acquire players with not only talent but character. Egos seem to be in control and the team plays for one another.

“It’s definitely a group of team first guys, and that’s a testament to our scouting team, and Rick Spielman and the entire organization making sure they bring in the right types of people,” said Vikings center John Sullivan.

Worth Noting

Jim Rantz, the Twins 75-year-old senior director of minor league operations, announced this morning he will retire at year’s end. Rantz has been with the organization since its inception, first as a player and later as an executive. He’s a member of the Twins Hall of Fame.

Vikings punt returner Marcus Sherels lives in the basement of his brother Mike’s Twin Cities home. Mike, the former Gophers linebacker, is a graduate assistant for the Gophers and pursuing a coaching career. “Talking football with him day in and day out,” Marcus said. “He’s been a good big brother.”

Joe Webb, the Vikings No. 2 quarterback, has extra incentive in looking forward to next month’s team bye in the schedule. It will be the first time during his pro career when his birthday comes up during the bye week. Webb turns 26 on Wednesday, November 14 and the Vikings don’t practice that week. “Now I finally get to celebrate (the birthday),” he said.

Webb talking about playing behind Christian Ponder: “I am all for Christian. He’s a great guy to work with.”

Blair Walsh, the Vikings rookie placekicker, said no fake field goal plays have been put in the playbook calling for him to throw the football. He said people “have made fun” of his throwing motion.

The Wisconsin football team the Gophers play in Madison is now 5-2 after consecutive wins the last two Saturdays by scores of 31-14 over Illinois and 38-14 against Purdue. The Badgers were much criticized early in the season when they were 3-2 but the two losses were by a combined six points. Minnesota (4-2) hasn’t won in Madison since 1994 and the Badgers have won eight consecutive games in the series.

Although the Gophers are redshirting most of their 2012 recruiting class, the coaches took the redshirt off two players last Saturday in their loss to Northwestern, running back Rodrick Williams and tight end Lincoln Plsek.

The October 15 issue of Sports Illustrated reports that Big Ten football teams are 5-9 in nonconference games against BCS teams and “the league has slipped in recent years” because of population decline in the Rust Belt and Midwest.

College football lost one of its most colorful characters and dedicated fans when ESPN commentator Beano Cook, 81, died last week.

Luke Winn, writing last week for sportsillustrated.com, lists the Gophers No. 26 in his national rankings of college basketball teams. Big Ten teams ahead of the Gophers are No. 1 Indiana, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Michigan State and No. 16 Wisconsin.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith will take point guard Andre Hollins and forward Rodney Williams to the Big Ten Media Day in Chicago on October 25. Obviously left at home is senior forward Trevor Mbakwe who although he is one of the nation’s top power forwards has experienced a series of off-court incidents including a recent conviction for a DWI.

The Gophers and Ball State were showing interest last week in Osseo High School 6-9 junior Ian Theisen, according to an email from prep basketball authority Ken Lien. He also wrote that former Hopkins High School guard Siyani Chambers is likely to start as a freshman for Harvard.

Ex-Timberwolves player and front office executive Fred Hoiberg, now head coach at Iowa State, turns 40 today.

Gregg Wong, former Pioneer Press sportswriter, emailed that Rochester native Eric Butorac and Philipp Petzschner defeated the world’s No. 1 tennis doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan 6-4, 3-6 (10-6) in the second round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters tournament last week. The victory was the first ever for Butorac, one of the best doubles players in the world, over the Bryans. On November 17 Butorac will see the Bryans again when he teams with his 2011 partner Jules Rojer in the Minnesota Tennis Challenge at Lifetime Athletic Club in Eden Prairie. More at www.ebmntc.com.

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