NCAA – Page 154 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Looks for Answers Tonight in Champaign

Posted on December 27, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Although the Gophers are prompting speculation they can be a 2012 NCAA tournament team, Minnesota has plenty to prove starting tonight against Illinois in the Big Ten Conference opening game for both teams.

The Gophers, 12-1 during non-conference play, will need at least a few upset wins over nationally ranked Big Ten teams to persuade the NCAA invite committee they deserve to be in the field of 68. Minnesota defeated major conference schools DePaul, Virginia Tech and USC during a whoopie pie non-league schedule but has no wins over top 25 clubs.

Illinois, after recent losses to UNLV and Missouri, has dropped out of the top 25 since last week but a Minnesota victory in Champaign tonight against the 11-2 Illini will perk up the Gophers resume. A win would also be a surprise.

Not only is Illinois favored, but the Gophers are 10-25 in conference road games during the Tubby Smith era. Road woes in four seasons under Smith is why the coach has a losing record in Big Ten games. He’s 32-40 overall in league play and none of his teams have played .500 basketball in conference away games.

The 2010-11 team for awhile was his best at Minnesota and even climbed to a No. 13 national ranking, but the transfer of guard Devoe Joseph and a season-ending injury to guard Al Nolen ruined the season. Minnesota went 2-7 in Big Ten road games, finished 6-12 overall in the conference and didn’t even earn an NIT invite.

The Gophers completed nonconference play last week with a 63-59 win over North Dakota State, a solid team that lost at Arizona State by three points and will be a contender in the Summit League. Bison coach Saul Phillips saw his team lead 16-5 with nine minutes to play in the first half before the Gophers defensive pressure and offensive togetherness pushed Minnesota ahead by halftime.

“I think they will win their fair share,” Phillips said about the Gophers. “They play solid. They have their roles (and) they play them well. They’ve got a chance to be an NCAA tournament team.

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Worth Noting

Posted on December 16, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Christian Ponder threw three interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown last Sunday in a 34-28 loss to Detroit. For the season he has 11 interceptions and a lowly passer rating of 73.4. He also had a fumble in the Lions game leading to a touchdown.

It’s difficult to be patient with a rookie quarterback but reality is it requires time to develop efficiency. Four years ago in New Jersey Giants quarterback Eli Manning, then 26, was still learning the NFL game and threw four interceptions — including three returned for touchdowns — in a 41-17 loss to the Vikings. And Manning was in his third season as a full time starter. This season Manning might be headed for a career season and has a rating of 95.5, his best ever in the NFL.

Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin’s 38 receptions since week 10 of the NFL schedule (11/14/11) are the most in the league. His five touchdowns are second best in the NFL during that period.

With 200 career receptions, Harvin ranks third on the franchise’s all-time list for most catches by a wide receiver during the first three seasons.

The 2-11 Vikings have three remaining games on the schedule and will be underdogs in all of them. In franchise history three teams won three games in a season while the 1962 team had a worst ever 2-11-1 record.

The Vikings have chosen 30 prep football players for its All-State team and will recognize them at halftime of Sunday’s home game against New Orleans. Totino-Grace coach Jeff Ferguson has been selected Coach of the Year.

Unlike Rivals.com which lists the projected Gophers 2012 football recruiting class last in the Big Ten, Scout.com has Minnesota ahead of Nebraska and Illinois.

The Twins are sending an electronic holiday greetings card featuring “Gardy Claus.” Poke Gardy in the belly and he announces what he wants for Christmas including “Joe Mauer’s hair” and “lasik” surgery for umpires. Well done.

Minneapolis native and former Mr. Basketball Kevin Noreen, a redshirt freshman forward at West Virginia, is averaging 3.1 points for the Mountaineers. His brother Kyle Noreen is a freshman guard at Radford where he averages 1.7 points per game.

Mike Stehlik announced his resignation after 22 years of directing the women’s soccer program at Gustavus. He had an overall record of 223-137-30 in 22 seasons and ranks 35th in career victories in NCAA Division III women’s soccer.

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No U Program Cuts for Next Year

Posted on November 14, 2011December 28, 2011 by David Shama

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said there are no plans to cut any of Minnesota’s 25 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports for 2012-13, despite an anticipated extra $450,000 his department will pay athletes on full scholarships.

The Big Ten Conference is expected to follow an NCAA initiative made this fall that will increase grants by up to $2,000 each to athletes to more closely cover the cost of attending college. Maturi said the change will impact approximately 225 Gophers athletes on full scholarships. (It’s presumed that all ─ or at least most ─ Big Ten schools will give each qualifying athlete the full $2,000, rather than put themselves at a competitive recruiting disadvantage against other major conference programs).

There are no large revenue increases anticipated at Minnesota to offset the $450,000 but eliminating sports isn’t Maturi’s intent. Instead, he will look at various ways to address the budget including sometimes not giving staff pay raises.

There has long been empathy for college athletes who come from financially needy backgrounds and find that scholarships providing tuition, fees, room, board and books aren’t enough to meet their needs. Maturi and others question providing the extra $2,000 to all athletes.

“I am not opposed to giving those that really have a need some spending money,” he said. “But if Joel Maturi’s son or daughter is on a full scholarship, quite frankly, they don’t need the extra $2,000. I make enough money. If they don’t work I can get them the pizza money, whatever it might be.”

Financially needy athletes already receive Pell Grant money that can provide over $5,000 annually. Maturi said those receiving that grant money will also get the $2,000.

With the $2,000 being given to athletes, will that lessen the alleged illegal paying of college players at some schools? “No, not a bit,” Maturi said. “Not in my mind.”

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