NCAA – Page 6 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Sleeper Pick for Timberwolves at No. 17: Ryan Kalkbrenner

Posted on June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 by David Shama

Who do the Timberwolves select at No. 17 of the first round in next week’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn? It could be a center and the suggestion here is a sleeper pick in 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton.

There is speculation the Wolves could be interested in moving on from center Rudy Gobert, their soon to be 33-year-old center who is not only aging but carries a burdensome reported salary of $35 million for next season. The Wolves front office and ownership are sensitive to payroll and face an offseason where forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid can opt for free agency.

Edwards photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves

Finding a trade partner willing to take Gobert could bring future draft picks to the Wolves and/or add veteran talent to the roster. The dream acquisition, of course, is a deal perhaps involving Gobert and bringing Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant to Minneapolis. Such a move would give the Wolves two elite and difficult to defend scorers in Durant and guard Anthony Edwards.

After 12 NBA seasons, Gobert remains a game-changing defensive player and rebounder. This past season he was All-NBA second team defense. He’s a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Gobert has finished top 10 in total rebounds in nine of the last 10 seasons, leading the league twice in that period. This past season he averaged 12 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

The Wolves have no one on the existing roster who comes close to matching Gobert’s profile. But Kalkbrenner, who mock drafts project going later than No. 17, potentially does.

The two players have more in common than their height and weight (approximately 260 pounds each). This past season Kalkbrenner was named both the NABC National Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. Four times in his career he was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Kalkbrenner also avoids foul trouble. In his five-year career with the Bluejays there were only 13 times when he had four fouls in a game.

His senior season this is how he ranked nationally in top 50 categories: second in field goals made, third in total blocks, fourth in field goal percentage, fourth in blocks per game, 22nd in total points and 28th in total rebounds.

The 23-year-old was a second and third team All-American in 2025 after averaging 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.

Kalkbrenner reportedly also has soft hands, a key asset for a big man in grabbing the basketball. Combined with his height, that makes him an inviting target for lob passes.

And his offensive game in the NBA could include three-point shooting. In his two final seasons he made 37 of 115 attempts, or 32.2 percent.

Rudy can’t match that. He’s never made an NBA three-point shot.

Worth Noting

The Wolves have the first pick in the second round. They could bite on a point guard, perhaps combo guard Ben Saraf from Israel.

The first round of the draft is next Wednesday and begins at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time with ABC and ESPN televising. The second round starts at 7 p.m. Thursday with ESPN broadcasting.

General impression so far is Niko Medved is a popular hire as the new men’s Golden Gophers basketball coach. That won’t translate immediately into big crowds at Williams Arena, though. The Gophers might do well to see about a 2,000 sale increase in season tickets for the 2025-2026 home schedule. That could push the total into the 7,000 range.

Happy belated birthday to legendary Golden Gophers football player Bobby Bell who turned 85 yesterday.

The state Legislature didn’t finalize the new University of Minnesota Board of Regents members before it recessed this spring. The authority now falls on Governor Tim Walz who is expected to appoint four new regents to fill vacancies after the application process closes in early July.

Here’s hoping former Hormel executive and ex-U interim president Jeff Ettinger is interested now or in the near future.

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Even in Spring College Football Magazine Brings Excitement

Posted on June 8, 2025June 8, 2025 by David Shama

At the Walgreen’s checkout line on Friday, I was surprised to see a college football magazine for sale. I almost gagged at the price of $14.99 but simultaneously fell into a state of ecstasy.

Everyone should have something that takes them back to their favorite childhood endeavor. At the top of my list is and was searching the magazine shelves at a pharmacy or bookstore for the first college football publication of the year.

I couldn’t resist buying Athlon’s magazine, even at a ridiculous cost of $16.27 including tax. Don’t tell Athlon but $22 is probably my ceiling.

Years ago, it was usually Street & Smith’s that was out first. It was a comprehensive national preview, and you didn’t need a small loan to buy it.

Steet & Smith’s magazine hit newsstands in August. Decades ago, the college football season didn’t start until mid-September or later in the month. Now the preview publications will be out in June, partially because the season starts in late August.

As a youth, I was waiting for the Gophers’ return to Big Ten glory and national championships. That’s what my elders talked about, the great legacy of Minnesota football. I rushed to the store with anticipation that a Gopher player might be a magazine cover boy. Couldn’t wait in the 1950s and 1960s to see if Minnesota was forecast among the nation’s elite.

Nowadays, I still get excited about buying and reading the magazines, but with tempered expectations, of course. Yes, I am ready for whatever fortunes are forecast for the Maroon and Gold, but I am also curious to see what the Big Ten and national landscape is supposed to be.

Know that Athlon lists Minnesota No. 42 in its 2025 rankings of 136 college football teams. Matthew McConnaughey’s Texas Longhorns are No. 1, and the Golden Flashes of Kent State are No. 136.

Athlon predicts Minnesota will finish 11^th in the 18 team Big Ten Conference. That’s not a lofty forecast but the magazine thinks the Gophers can have a winning season and forecasts a postseason appearance against the Big 12’s Baylor Bears at the Rate Bowl in Phoenix.

Bears beware! The Gophers have won eight consecutive bowl games, including six straight under head coach P.J. Fleck.

Koi Perich photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

I do have something else Gopher fans can strut about. Sophomore safety and wunderkind Koi Perich is an Athlon third-team defense All-American and first team All-Big Ten. As the magazines come out and national award candidates are announced, the preseason recognition will mount for the Esko, Minnesota native who figures to impact games this fall as a defender, special teams player and even offensive threat.

Fleck will be in his ninth season leading the Gophers program. His best season was in 2019 when the Gophers finished 11-2 and ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll.

The notion from some skeptics endures that Fleck will use the Gopher job as a stepping stone. Athlon reinforced that with a quote from an opposing Big Ten assistant coach.

“…It’s no secret Fleck wants to be at a high-end, title contending program,” he said anonymously. “This doesn’t look like a ’19 season on paper, but if they win nine games or so, he’ll be on the hunt to move.”

I am going to sign off now and get back to devouring Athlon’s pages. Doesn’t everyone want to know what awaits not only the power conference teams but also the likes of Kennesaw State, Old Dominion and Liberty (not the insurance company).

If you see an older guy with a stack of magazines at Barnes & Noble any time soon be sure to lend a hand. Or maybe a couple of bucks. This stuff is expensive!

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Golden Gophers Football Recruiting Alert: Mataalii Benjamin

Posted on May 28, 2025May 28, 2025 by David Shama

The first of two Gophers Summer Splash weekends starts on Friday in Minneapolis. The invitation only event is for high school football players Minnesota is targeting for its recruiting class of 2026.

The attendees will number about 25, including 10 who already have made verbal commitments to the Gophers, per recruiting authority Ryan Burns from Gopher Illustrated and 247Sports. He talked to Sports Headliners about prospects who already are, or will be, of high interest to Minnesota fans.

Yes, Burns said the Gopher coaches would be “through the roof” in the coming days if they received a verbal commitment from the state’s No. 1 ranked player, Roman Voss from Jackson.

“I’d also tell you they’d love to add a kid from Utah named Mataalii Benjamin who is a very high upside offensive tackle,” Burns said. “And being able to add tackle bodies is very important. They’re one of the toughest things to find across college football because they’re always in such high demand.

“Benjamin has offers from all over the country but being able to get him on campus this weekend is very important for them. …I think he’s one of the higher upside guys that they’ve been targeting along the offensive line in some time.”

A player Burns is locked in on is wide receiver Hayden Moore from Newberry, Florida. After Moore verbally committed to the Gophers, he picked up an offer from Big Ten power Penn State and he is “tentatively” scheduled to visit there next month, per Burns who is curious to learn the Florida native’s thoughts after this weekend.

Voss is the player who Gopher fans have zeroed in on. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound prospect is so versatile he could be a possibility at multiple positions in college, but Burns predicts he will be a tight end.

“I think he’s going to be a great college tight end,” Burns said. He added that Voss “is as athletically gifted a tight end as I’ve seen come out of this state since Brevyn Spann-Ford (former Gopher now with the NFL Cowboys).”

Burns said in college Voss could remind him of former Iowa All-American Sam LaPorta, now a standout tight end for the NFL Lions. He added that Voss and his family are on board with his playing tight end in college.

At one time it was thought Voss, who is expected at Summer Splash, might choose Iowa. The Hawkeyes are known as a tight ends factory and Jackson is near the Iowa border. “Iowa is not in it for (securing) Roman Voss,” Burns said.

Voss is “essentially bound” to either Alabama or Minnesota, per Burns who said the coveted prospect will visit the Crimson Tide in June with indications a college destination will be made after that. Jackson is a short drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer became acquainted with southwest Minnesota recruiting when he was leading the program at the University of Sioux Falls.

Four-star state of Minnesota recruits Howie Johnson, a defensive lineman from Forest Lake, and Andrew Trout, an offensive tackle from Cold Spring, are already Gopher commits and expected to be at Summer Splash. They are players Burns believes could contribute early in their college careers.

The next highest ranked in-state player is high three-star Dodge Center athlete Pierce Petersohn who is also expected to attend Summer Splash. Burns said the uncommitted Petersohn is projected as a college linebacker by Minnesota and Iowa State, and a tight end by Penn State. “He’s going to take official visits to all three of those schools coming up here in the next month or so, and then he’s going to try and figure out what’s best for him.”

How does Burns view the quality and depth of talent in the state for the class of 2026? “I just don’t think it’s a very good year in the state of Minnesota to be quite honest with you. I think it’s a below average year. It’s a year where you’ve got a lot of high-end guys at the top. Guys like Roman Voss, Howie Johnson, Andrew Trout, Pierce Petersohn, but I think the cliff drops off pretty steeply after the top five I would say; top maybe 6, 7, 8. …In terms of depth I don’t think it’s a great year.”

Despite not being that enthused about the in-state talent depth, Burns believes the 2026 Gopher recruiting class could be one of the best since head coach P.J. Fleck came to Minnesota in 2017. Burns offered praise to the staff for getting in early with a lot of their targets and building relationships.

An example is offensive tackle Daniel McMorris from Oklahoma who is expected at Summer Splash. Burns said Minnesota was the first school to offer McMorris but now he has over 20 offers including Wisconsin and Stanford.

To make this one of Fleck’s best classes Burns said the Gophers will need a “great next 30 days of recruiting.” He projects by the end of June the 2026 Minnesota will have “north of 20” verbal commitments.

The Gophers will host a second Summer Splash June 13-15, with a smaller number of targets expected to attend, per Burns.

Under NCAA rules, prep players can’t make signed agreements with schools for several months from now.

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