NCAA – Page 25 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Cheery 2024 Predictions for Three with Twins Connections

Posted on January 3, 2024January 3, 2024 by David Shama

This could be a year to treasure for Twins ace Pablo López , outfield prospect Walker Jenkins and hometown hero Joe Mauer.

MLB.com authority Anthony Castrovince wrote recently that López is his choice for 2024 American League Cy Young winner. He noted the 27-year-old right-hander pitched a career-high 194 innings in 2023, improved his strikes-walks ratio (struck out 234) and was “awesome” in two postseason starts against the Blue Jays and Astros going 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA. Lopez’s regular season record was 11-8 in 32 starts with a 3.66 ERA.

Castrovince wrote: “…He might have only scratched the surface, because now that he’s added a sweeper that held opponents to a .173 average and .287 slugging percentage, he has a genuine five-pitch mix that could even improve in effectiveness as he gets more comfortable utilizing it. López has the command to do so. If he does, he’s a Cy winner waiting to happen.”

Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com talked about Jenkins on a recent podcast. They predict big things for the 18-year-old who was Minnesota’s No. 1 draft selection last year. Callis believes Jenkins could be the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball for 2024.

The athletic Jenkins is a five-tool player who in coming years could become the Twins’ starter in right field or center field. His impressive swing and power are attributes that often first draw attention, with observers raving about his potential. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Jenkins was taken fifth overall and he might be the steal of last year’s draft.

Jenkins didn’t sign his $7.1 million contract until late July, but he turned heads in the minors and perhaps will play in Double-A this year. His stats last season with two farm system teams included 102 at bats, .362 batting average, three home runs, 21 RBI and a .988 OPS.

Mauer, the St. Paul native who excelled at first base and catcher for the Twins before retiring after the 2018 season, has been tracking well in votes for acceptance into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Select members of the Baseball Writers Association of America do the voting that ended December 31 and votes made public so far indicate there’s strong support for Mauer to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Approximately 400 association members had an opportunity to vote. A candidate must receive 75 percent or more of the votes and Mauer has impressive credentials.

In addition to Mauer’s three batting titles and MVP Award, he was named to six American League All-Star teams, earned five Louisville Slugger Awards and three Rawlings Golden Glove Awards. He is also the only American League catcher ever to win a batting title.

Voting results will be announced beginning at 5 p.m. January 23 on the MLB Network.

Worth Noting

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins continues to progress on rehab from Achilles tendon surgery and NBC reported Sunday night that he expects to go from just walking to jogging by February 1.

Who starts for the Vikings at QB in the final regular season game Sunday in Detroit against the Lions? The prediction here is Nick Mullens because he has played more recently than Josh Dobbs and better than Jaren Hall.

Word has been Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a target for the Vikings in April’s NFL Draft. His passing accuracy might be questionable, and he wasn’t that impressive in the high stakes semifinal playoff win over Alabama Monday night. He looks far from ready to play in the pros and maybe not first round worthy.

A trusted source believes Bethel’s Brian Raabe, who has coached the Royals for 12 seasons and is known for his prowess as a baseball instructor, could be the next head coach replacing legendary John Anderson who is retiring after the 2024 season.

The Gophers, seeking to add experience to their running back roster, have offered a scholarship to Northwestern transfer Anthony Tyus III. As a junior in 2023, he was third on the team in rushing yards with 254 and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. The Portage, Michigan native was an Associated Press first team All-State selection in high school.

That was former Gopher defensive tackle Trill Carter playing for Texas Monday night in the Longhorns’ semifinal playoff game against Washington. He didn’t record any defensive stats but has been a contributor for Texas while participating in 13 of 14 games.

Among Gophers who transferred after 2022, no one was more recognized for his accomplishments with his new team than cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. He was named to the American Football Coaches Association All-American second team and was first team All-Big 12.

Former Gopher edge rusher Austin Booker, who led Kansas with eight sacks for 61 yards, also made first-team All-Big 12. Defensive lineman Gage Keys also transferred from Minnesota to Kansas and played a lot of snaps in 2023 before recently deciding to play for Auburn in 2024.

Running back Trey Potts and wide receiver Dylan Wright were highly visible offensive players for the Gophers before transferring. Potts was fifth for Penn State in rushing with 155 net yards while Wright caught 11 passes for 187 yards at TCU.

Think there will be a little drama November 9 when the Gophers play at Rutgers if their former quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis, is playing for the Scarlet Knights?

It might not be widely known but the Gophers weren’t the first college football team from Minnesota to play in a January bowl game when they met Washington in the Rose Bowl on January 2, 1961. This college football bowl season is the 75^th anniversary of St. Thomas’ 1949 trip to the Cigar Bowl in Tampa where the Tommies tied Missouri Valley, 13-13. http://tommiesports.com

The Michigan basketball team the Gophers (10-3) play in Ann Arbor Thursday night is the only Big Ten club with a below .500 record at 6-7. The Wolverines are giving up a conference worst 79.1 points per game. Peacock televises the game starting at 8 p.m.

Hit by injuries, including star forward Kirill Kaprizov and goalie Filip Gustavsson, the Wild has lost three consecutive games and has to find a way not to go on a long losing streak.

In a state where many residents claim Norwegian descent, it’s interesting the Wild’s Mats Zuccarello is one of only eight players from Norway ever to play in the NHL. Norwegian Americans are 13.8 percent of Minnesota’s population, per Worldpopulationreview.com.

The Pelicans, who play the Timberwolves tonight in Minneapolis, are a difficult team for Minnesota when forward Zion Williamson plays. The Pels played last night and it could be Willamson is rested tonight by sitting out the game.

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Basketball Authority Thinks U Can Avoid Big Ten Cellar

Posted on December 5, 2023December 5, 2023 by David Shama

Jim Dutcher coached the 1982 University of Minnesota basketball team to the Big Ten Conference regular season championship, and he remains an authority on college hoops watching a lot of Big Ten and national games. He believes five programs are among the most likely to finish last in the 14-team conference: Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State and Rutgers. Many prognosticators have the Gophers finishing in the cellar.

Coach Ben Johnson’s first two Minnesota teams placed last in the standings, but this season’s roster could be built to avoid a third consecutive embarrassment. When Dutcher was asked about impressions of the 5-3 (overall record) Golden Gophers, he referred to the past and said: “I think (the) talent (is) much better, particularly up front. Their front line when they have (Dawson) Garcia and (Pharrel) Payne and (Joshua) Ola-Joseph is pretty impressive. Still have some trouble with guard play, turning the ball over too much, but there is some talent there.”

The three big men mentioned haven’t been starting together, with Payne coming off the bench, but that could be changing. More on the starting lineup later.

Dawson, the junior forward-center from Savage, is tied for second in scoring among Big Ten players. He and Tyson Walker of Michigan State are averaging 20.5 points per game.

Dawson had a career-high 36 points in Sunday night’s opening Big Ten game against Ohio State in Columbus. Dawson was particularly effective inside the lane, scoring on nifty moves near the rim. Now he could be poised for another big game Wednesday night in the conference home opener against Nebraska.

Dutcher told Sports Headliners coach Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers, who were 9-11 in the Big Ten last season, have improved but he identified a flaw that could work in Dawson’s favor. “Their weakness is still their inside defense and that is certainly a strength of Minnesota. Garcia is as good as I’ve seen there in a while. He’s not only good, he’s real good.”

Dutcher thinks Minnesota and Nebraska are competitively matched. The Huskers are 7-1 on the season but haven’t played a formidable schedule as is true for most Big Ten teams at this time in the fall. In their biggest test, they lost 89-60 to nationally-ranked Creighton in Omaha on Sunday. “I’ll pick us here (in Minneapolis) and I would have taken Nebraska at Nebraska,” Dutcher said.

Circling back to Minnesota’s front line, Dutcher sees improvement in sophomores Payne and Ola-Joseph. Their athleticism is evident every time they step on the court and both have the potential to impact the game in Minnesota’s favor offensively and defensively.

The Gopher backcourt, however, is problematic too much of the time. “As the year goes on, you’ll see some improvement in their guard play,” Dutcher said. “Right now, it’s just the case of too many turnovers at crucial times that keeps them in hot water.”

The Gophers are averaging a conference worst 14.1 turnovers per game. Their turnover margin per game against opponents is -3.00. Those numbers, BTW, have been compiled against mediocre, or worse, competition. Dutcher’s view: if the Gophers solve their turnover issues “they could be very competitive.”

Another offensive issue is lack of ball movement. “Their point guard (Elijah Hawkins) over dribbles the ball,” Dutcher said. “Anytime the guard is dribbling around, everyone else is standing. So a little bit better ball movement (is needed). Ben knows that and their staff knows that and they’re working to improve it.”

It’s not just been Hawkins (the starter) who hasn’t given the Gophers enough playmaking at guard. Mike Mitchell Jr., a transfer like Hawkins, and Braeden Carrington haven’t’ excelled in playmaking either.

The Gophers need improvement defensively, too. In their 84-74 loss to Ohio State, they trailed 42-28 at halftime and while they played better in the second half the Gophers couldn’t make the big defensive stops when needed.

Minnesota is 11^th in the conference giving up 68.8 points per game. In their three losses (including Missouri and San Francisco) the Gophers have yielded 70 points or more.

Johnson shortened his rotation in the second half Sunday night, and it helped. More playing time for his better players seems likely Wednesday night. There also could be a starting lineup change with Payne or freshman Cam Christie replacing forward Isaiah Ihnen who is scoreless in the last three games and twice has finished with no rebounds and no assists. He also struggled defensively in the Ohio State game.

Worth Noting

Want to see textbook defense? Watch last Saturday’s Virginia-Syracuse game and the performance of former St. Thomas star Andrew Rohde. The 6-6 guard was superb in individual and team defense for Virginia, consistently moving his feet to maintain position and using his arms and body correctly while having ball awareness.

The Brookfield, Wisconsin native has started all eight games for Virginia and is fifth on the team in scoring at 7.4 points per game. A sophomore, he leads the Cavs in assists with 22.

A reminder came yesterday that there have been a lot of unsuccessful seasons for the Timberwolves when Chris Finch was honored as the NBA’s Western Conference Coach of the Month for October and November—the first Wolves coach to be so recognized since Kevin McHale in 2009. Finch got the Wolves off to a 14-4 start in the first two months of the season.

Gophers football fans who want to attend Minnesota’s Quick Lane Bowl game in Detroit against Bowling Green on December 26 don’t have to miss Christmas at home. Steve and Dorothy Erban’s Creative Charters is offering a same day round-trip for $329 per person that includes flight and ground transportation. Anyone who does comparative shopping will see that’s a real bargain.

What’s the “over-under” for the number of Vikings fans who will attend Sunday’s game in Las Vegas between Minnesota and the Raiders? I’ll go with 7,000 in Sin City.

Season grades so far for Vikings’ starting offensive linemen by Pro Football Focus: left tackle Christian Darrisaw, 85; right tackle Brian O’Neill, 74.7; center Garrett Bradbury, 65.1; right guard Ed Ingram, 61.4; left guard Dalton Risner, 53.

Congratulations to St. Thomas athletics director Phil Esten for being named by Twin Cities Business as one of the “100 people to know in 2024.” The list recognizes achievers in the state expected to be newsmakers and change leaders during the coming year.

CBS ended its telecast schedule of SEC football games last Saturday, an association that started in 1996. Legendary play-by-play voices through the years were both native Minnesotans, Verne Lundquist and Brad Nessler. Two of the best, along with Keith Jackson, to ever call college football games.

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The Bet Here: A Nick Mullens Start at QB in Las Vegas

Posted on December 3, 2023December 3, 2023 by David Shama

It will be surprising if Nick Mullens isn’t named the starting quarterback for the Vikings in their next game, December 10 in Las Vegas against the Raiders. Head coach Kevin O’Connell declined to name a starter during last week’s bye period, but Josh Dobbs is 2-2 in leading the offense and is coming off a four interception performance against the Bears November 27.

Mullens’ back injury likely prevented him from being the starter after Kirk Cousins suffered his torn Achilles season-ending injury against the Packers October 29. Mullens has the best understanding of the offense on a quarterback roster that also includes rookie Jaren Hall.

Dobbs was acquired in an October 31 trade with the Cardinals. Mullens came to Minnesota in a trade with the Raiders in August of 2022. Both he and Dobbs are 28 years old, have been with multiple NFL teams and are considered journeymen.

Nick Mullens image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Mullens’ experience with the offensive system could give the Vikings the best outcome in getting the ball to superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson in Vegas and for the rest of the season. Jefferson is expected to play next Sunday after being sidelined with a hamstring injury for almost two months. The whole offense is predicated on passing success with other superb targets in rookie WR Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Likeable and soft spoken, Mullens has been a supportive backup to Cousins. If he starts next Sunday it will be his first for the Vikings during the regular season. In 24 previous games in the NFL, including 17 starts, he has thrown 27 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions.

The future status of the Vikings quarterback leadership beyond this season is muddled. The club seems almost certain to take a quarterback in the first round. Minnesota could be on pace to draft around No. 20 and the best available then might be J.J. McCarthy of Michigan. He not only has passing skills but has the mobility to add another option to O’Connell’s creative schemes and play calling. He is young (turns 21 in January) and will need developmental time.

The Vikings and Cousins have to determine if they can figure out a new contract. Cousins is a free agent and a proven top 12 NFL quarterback but his bargaining power will be diminished coming off such a severe injury. Still, he would be valuable to the Vikings for a season or two while they groom a McCarthy.

But how do the Vikings determine their salary cap and budget challenges in 2024 with expensive new contracts that could start with Cousins at $35 million, Jefferson at $30 million and pass rushing whiz Danielle Hunter at $25 million.

Worth Noting

McCarthy’s coach at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, is likely to leave the controversies of college coaching behind and take an NFL job in the coming weeks. Harbaugh interviewed with the Vikings two years ago with a resume that included taking a so-so 49ers team to the Super Bowl. Last week Yardbarker was quoting 5-1 odds he will be the next coach of the NFL Panthers.

Speaking of quarterbacks, a lot of fans have to be rooting for Cole Kramer to have a successful game leading the Gophers in their bowl game. The former Eden Prairie star enrolled at Minnesota in January of 2019 and has seen minimal playing time during his career including brief appearances in two games this season. He’s been the definition of the “loyal trooper” and it will be interesting to see if with starter Athan Kaliakmanis in the transfer pool he chooses to use his last year of eligibility at Minnesota in 2024.

The Gophers are targeting FCS passing leader Max Brosmer, the quarterback from New Hampshire who has entered the transfer portal. He was the team’s captain and is originally from Georgia. Brosmer was a semifinalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy recognizing the best football scholar-athlete in the nation for academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule told reporters recently “a good quarterback” costs $1 million to $2 million in NIL money. Presumably he’s talking FBS, not FCS, because the Gophers can’t afford that kind of money.

Dinkytown Athletes, the official collective of Gopher athletics, is making progress in generating NIL money including with creative ideas partnering with businesses. It’s believed NIL money will first be a priority here in retaining players on the roster.

Quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who once had an interest in the Gophers, is in the transfer portal and leaving Louisiana Tech. Coming out of high school in California in 2019, Bachmeier was one of the nation’s top ranked pro style quarterbacks and chose Boise State.

The Gophers haven’t played in the Rose Bowl since January of 1962 when they defeated UCLA in the “grandaddy” of all bowl games. That changes next year when Minnesota plays at UCLA on the Bruins’ home field, the Rose Bowl. Stillwater-based Creative Charters is already promoting a fan-trip to Southern California October 9-13.

Bill Guerin has fired two head coaches since becoming the Wild’s GM, Bruce Boudreau in 2020 and Dean Evason last week. If new hire John Hynes doesn’t last at least a few years, scrutiny will focus on Guerin who has yet to see one of his Wild teams make a deep playoff run.

After last night’s win over the Hornets in Charlotte, the Timberwolves are 15-4, the best record through the first 19 games of a season in franchise history.

Cleveland.com reports former Gopher and Minnesota native Jamison Battle is making a career high 38.6 percent of his three-point shots. Stephen Means of the website predicts Battle’s new team, the Ohio State Buckeyes, will win 73-61 against the Gophers tonight in Columbus in the first Big Ten game for both teams on the 2023-2024 schedule.

Popular emcee and former Gophers public address announcer Dick Jonckowski had a checkup last month and continues to be cancer free from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Dick was told he won’t need another checkup for a year.

David Mackay produced and directed a movie he filmed in Norway and Ireland titled “My Norwegian Holiday” which debuted Friday night on the Hallmark Channel. David is the son of Minnesota icon Harvey Mackay who has been a prominent booster of local sports and confidant to Gophers sports leaders over the years.

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