Preps – Page 121 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Tyus Jones Likley to Sign in November

Posted on July 22, 2013July 24, 2013 by David Shama

Tyus Jones‘ mom told Sports Headliners yesterday she expects her son to make his official college commitment in November. Debbie Jones also said during the telephone interview her son Tre Jones, an eighth grader next school year, hopes to play on the Apple Valley High School varsity team with Tyus.

Tyus, a nationally recruited point guard who is among the most sought after Minnesota preps ever, could verbally commit to a college now but that won’t happen. The family plans official visits to colleges including possibly Minnesota in August, September and October before a decision is made. Debbie said reports Tyus was ready to commit verbally to the Gophers early last spring weren’t accurate. “He wasn’t going to commit anywhere until he made his official visits and got on campuses,” Debbie said.

High school seniors can sign National Letters of Intent with colleges in November, or they can wait until the following spring for a second period of signing dates. Asked if Tyus will sign in November, his mom said: “I think so.”

Tyus and his friend Jahlil Okafor, a center from Whitney High in Chicago, are rated the No. 2 and No. 1 players in the national prep class of 2014 by Rivals.com. Debbie confirmed it’s likely the two will attend college together. Not only have Tyus and Okafor had discussions, but Debbie has talked with Okafor’s father, Chuck Okafor, too.

Tre is a gifted athlete and basketball player like Tyus. Tre is 5-9 and has grown at least five inches since last summer. Debbie is looking into the possibility of Tre joining the Apple Valley varsity and having a memorable experience of playing with Tyus for one season. “I know it would be great,” she said.

Among the biggest fans of Tyus and Tre is Debbie’s dad, Dennis Deutsch. For some time he’s had multiple health issues and most recently was diagnosed with cancer and then had a heart attack. “He’s a battler,” said Debbie about her father who has been out of the hospital for awhile.

Worth Noting

The Big Ten Network will offer extensive coverage of the conference’s football media days in Chicago including five hours on Wednesday featuring remarks by the league’s 12 head coaches. Programming starts at 10 a.m. Minneapolis time. Press conferences will re-air beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Each coach brings players from his team. Representing the Gophers will be defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman, running back Donnell Kirkwood and safety Brock Vereen. Hageman is on the watch lists of candidates for the Outland Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

The Gophers athletic department is pitching several different season ticket packages involving football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey to University of Minnesota students. Three of the packages have sold out, totaling 1,155 tickets. Student football season tickets sold as of July 18 totaled 1,281 compared with 776 on the same date last year.

University of Minnesota regent Dave Larson and others interested in Gophers athletics will meet with athletic director Norwood Teague a week from today to learn more about the Facilities Needs Assessment and Plan. Phase One comes with an estimated cost of $190 million, all of it to be privately funded.

Isaiah Whitehead from Brooklyn and Ja’Quan Newton from Philadelphia, who are Rivals.com top 50 players in the class of 2014, are interested in attending college together and the Gophers are one of only four schools to have offered scholarships to the two guards, according to a July 16 story on Collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com.

S.I.com is previewing the NFL’s divisions this month and in a July 10 analysis about the NFC North predicted the Vikings could be a playoff team for a second consecutive season. “They are capable of another run this season, but the margin for error is slim,” wrote Chris Burke.

His opinion is that for the Vikings to become Super Bowl contenders, Adrian Peterson will need plenty of help including from quarterback Christian Ponder who has the resources to succeed in his third season. The team became better in the offseason at wide receiver with the additions of veteran Greg Jennings and rookie Cordarrelle Patterson, but worse at cornerback with veteran Antoine Winfield joining the Seahawks. Jennings’ departure from Green Bay is viewed as a weakness for the Packers. Vikings’ second year safety Harrison Smith is likely to be the team’s breakout player.

In 2015 the Vikings can celebrate 50 years of training camps in Mankato. The team opens its 48^thconsecutive Mankato camp on Thursday at Mankato State University. Among NFL teams, only the Packers have more training camp longevity at the same location. The Packers are working on 56 years at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.

The latest issue of Sports Illustrated offers a MLB mid-season “re-forecast,” and predictions include a 69-93 final record for the Twins, finishing ahead of only the White Sox (65-97) in the AL Central. If correct, that will follow Twins records of 63-99 in 2011 and 66-96 in 2012. The magazine predicts the Cardinals over the Rangers in six games in the World Series.

Scott Diamond, the Twins’ starter and losing pitcher in yesterday’s game against the Indians, gave up six runs (five earned) in four and two-thirds innings. It was the fifth time this season he has allowed six runs or more. Yesterday was the third consecutive start Diamond, 5-9 record with a 5.53 ERA this season, has lasted less than five innings.

Sports Headliners reader Dan Hennen made a trip to Cedar Rapids to see the Twins’ Class A affiliate Kernels team. He compared the stadium atmosphere to a Saint Paul Saints entertainment experience including postgame fireworks. Tip for foodies: the stadium’s pork tenderloin sandwich is a winner. Hennen and family included a stop in Dyersville, Iowa to visit the Field of Dreams attraction. Picture taking in the “knee-high corn,” per Hennen’s e-mail.

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Greenway: Henderson to be ‘Great’

Posted on May 29, 2013May 29, 2013 by David Shama

Opinion, news and notes from Chad Greenway, Rene Pulley and Joel Maturi.

Chad Greenway said after practice this afternoon at Winter Park he expects Erin Henderson will be “great” at middle linebacker during the 2013 season. Henderson is moving from weakside linebacker to middle linebacker and the transition will be among the most scrutinized Vikings moves between now and the end of the season.

Greenway said learning pass coverage responsibilities will be a challenge but Henderson has “great instincts.” Greenway, the Vikings’ Pro Bowl strongside linebacker, will be surprised if Henderson doesn’t play well. “He’ll be on it and will be great,” Greenway said.

Henderson, 26, knows there are doubters but said he isn’t upset with them. “It doesn’t anger me. I can’t get mad at people for having their opinions and having their beliefs and how they view things.”

Henderson has been dedicated to his conditioning during the offseason. He knows he will be on the field for three downs at a time and doesn’t want a lack of conditioning to interfere with his “technique.”

Greenway, 30, said his offseason included activities to make him more effective within the “10-yard box” that he so often plays in during games. “Worked on little things that can make my game a lot better. Just balance, footwork.”

Youth basketball authority Rene Pulley told Sports Headliners prep point guard Tyus Jones is already an extraordinary player. “He is like a pro now,” said Pulley who is executive director and CEO of Howard Pulley Basketball.

The Apple Valley High School junior is a target of new Gophers coach Richard Pitino, along with Robbinsdale Cooper shooting guard Rashad Vaughn and DeLaSalle forward Reid Travis who are other members of the state’s super class of 2014. Pulley said it’s difficult for a young coach at a new school to recruit against coaching legends like Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.

Pulley doesn’t know if the Gophers will land any of the Big Three but Vaughn might be the most likely to play at Minnesota. “He has always wanted to embark on his own trail,” Pulley said. “Since the U is down on talent, he could trail blaze.”

Former Gopher Rodney Williams, trying to interest NBA teams, was scheduled to workout for scouts today at Target Center. Pulley has observed the high potential, low performance four-year career of Williams at Minnesota.

“I think he was way under his potential, and I am not placing blame anywhere,” Pulley said. “He has the athleticism of the LeBron Jameses, Kobe Bryants and Michael Jordans. He can be a very fantastic player.”

Pulley expects his Pro City League at the High Performance Academy in Eagan to begin its schedule in late June. Jones, Travis and Gophers players are among those expected to participate. As in the past, the public is welcome.

Joel Maturi has spoken to new Texas Tech basketball coach Tubby Smith. “He feels good about another opportunity,” the former Gopher athletic director told Sports Headliners.

How does Smith feel about his six seasons at Minnesota and being let go in March? “He has nothing but good things to say about Minnesota,” Maturi said.

Although Smith was a national championship coach at Kentucky, he struggled at Minnesota winning just one NCAA Tournament game and had a losing record in the Big Ten. Maturi, who hired Smith, declined to talk about why he believes the coach wasn’t more successful here. “I have my own feelings but I don’t want them in print,” Maturi said.

Smith will have a more difficult time winning at Tech than he did at Minnesota. The Red Raiders were 11-20 overall, 3-15 in the Big 12 Conference last season, and counting Bobby Knight employed five head coaches since 2007.

Smith has been a head coach at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota and now Texas Tech. In a mid-May story by the Amarillo Globe-News he was asked how the Tech job compares to the others. “It’s tough. This is probably the toughest,” he said.

Smith has yet to complete his staff and recruiting seems to be off to a slow start. Former Gopher assistant Joe Esposito, who has connections in Texas, is on the Tech staff.

Comments Welcome

U RB Target Likes Iowa State

Posted on May 22, 2013May 22, 2013 by David Shama

Washburn High School four-star running back Jeff Jones is still verbally committed to the Gophers but there is no guarantee yet he will play for Minnesota, and Iowa State is a school of interest, too, according to Millers’ coach Giovan Jenkins.

“I would consider it a soft verbal,” Jenkins said about the Gophers. “He (Jones) went to coach Kill and told him he committed too early.”

The Washburn junior first verbally committed to Minnesota coach Jerry Kill last year but since then realized he wants more time to decide on the college he will enroll at next year. Jenkins told Sports Headliners on Saturday that Jeff’s father is “getting out of jail” and wants to be part of the recruiting process, so that is also a factor.

Jenkins believes Iowa State is a “soft” No. 2 behind the Gophers on the list of possible choices. “He likes the staff and proximity (of Ames) to Minneapolis,” Jenkins said.

In addition to Minnesota and Iowa State, Jones has offers from Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan State, Syracuse and Wisconsin. Although Wisconsin has a great tradition of running backs, Jenkins believes Jones is likely to choose Minnesota if he decides on a Big Ten school.

Rivals.com labels Jones a four-star prospect and ranks him No. 17 among running backs in the class of 2014. Jenkins said Jones is a “once-in-a lifetime talent.”

The 6-foot, 190 pound prep is the first four-star running back to commit to Kill since he started coaching at Minnesota in 2011.

Jenkins described Jones as “big, strong, (with) excellent vision, great burst, very explosive — kind of a one-stop shop.” But the coach said Jones has to determine how close he will come to fulfilling his potential. If the desire and hard work are present, Jenkins projects Jones as a 220 pound runner in college. “If he works hard, he could be the best at that level, too,” Jenkins said.

Jones has been a starter for Washburn since ninth grade and a major contributor to the Millers’ success. In today’s world of transfers, Jones has been a target of other high schools. “He gets approached every year,” Jenkins said.

Jones lives in the Washburn district and likes playing for the Millers. He heard from former Miller David Gilreath that he regretted leaving Washburn for Robbinsdale Armstrong, according to Jenkins. Gilreath is now in the NFL with the Steelers after a college career at Wisconsin.

“Everything he’s got (Jones), he’s got from Washburn,” Jenkins said. “He is a loyal kid.”

Worth Noting

Washburn coach Giovan Jenkins has two other players he expects will have college offers following summer camps, running back Raymonte Maynard and defensive end Clayton Burton. Maynard could end up at a MAC or WAC school, according to his coach, while he identifies Burton as a “BCS kid.”

Bruce Feldman, writing yesterday for Cbssports.com, put Gophers defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman No. 2 on his annual college football “Freaks” list that recognizes players for their extraordinary athleticism. Feldman wrote that Hageman can do a “360 dunk” and is the Big Ten’s most athletic defensive lineman. “Not only does he have the 36-inch vert, but he also has bench-pressed 465 pounds and clocked an electronically timed 10-yard sprint in 1.57 seconds. For comparison sake, no DT at this year’s NFL Combine jumped higher than 33 inches, and Terron Armstead, the offensive tackle who ran the blazing 4.71 40 at the combine, did a 1.64 in his 10.”

Former Vikings coach Bud Grant turned 86 on Monday. Rick Reilly, writing for Espn.com yesterday, ranked Grant No. 11 on his list of the 20 greatest NFL coaches ever.

The basketball Gophers are looking at Rivals.com four-star center Dominic Woodson who no longer is committed to Baylor for next season. Incoming Gophers freshman guard Daquan McNeil played with Woodson in 2011 at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vermont.

Quinton Hooker will be presented with the Mr. Basketball trophy on May 29 at an invitation only reception in Brooklyn Park. Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien will make the presentation. Hooker, a shooting guard, scored 2,147 career points and will attend North Dakota. He is the 39^th recipient of the award recognizing the best boys senior player in the state.

Last night’s NBA Draft Lottery telecast prompted memories from years ago when league commissioner David Stern mistakenly referred to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the “Minnesota North Stars” on national TV.

The Gophers baseball team plays its opening game in the Big Ten Tournament today against Illinois at Target Field, a facility Minnesota used for one game last year and the entire 2011 season. How much of an advantage is that for the Gophers?

“None,” assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere told Sports Headliners. “The tournament is wide open. The league has improved so much the last five years. Teams one through six are so evenly matched.”

The Gophers, the No. 4 seed, have lost six of their last eight games. “We haven’t hit or caught the ball very well (lately),” Fornasiere said. “We’re second in the league in ERA but have struggled on offense all season. We’re second to the bottom in hitting (average) and home runs.”

Fornasiere predicted the Gophers “will play hard” and be in close games during the double elimination tournament. The Gophers’ pitchers in their first two games will be Tom Windle and DJ Snelten. Fornasiere expects Windle will be taken in the first or second round of next month’s MLB amateur draft while Snelten will be among the first nine players selected.

Next year’s Big Ten tournament will be in Omaha before returning to Target Field in 2015.

A respected baseball source who has been involved with and followed major league baseball e-mailed Sports Headliners after reading Monday’s column about the length of MLB games. He asked that his name not be used but wrote the following:

“MLB should demand that umpires enforce the rule of pitchers having to deliver the next pitch within 12 seconds of getting the ball back from the catcher with no runners on base, as it states in the rules. The umpires never enforce this. For example, (Jose) Valverde, the Tigers’ closer, takes about 30 seconds between every pitch, even with nobody on base.

“It’s a joke how umpires break up conferences on the mound: They walk slowly out to the mound, tell them their time is up and then jog back to the plate to make it seem like they are hustling and that will speed up the game — which it doesn’t.

“They also need to cut down on players stepping out of the box after every pitch. Remember (Chuck) Knoblauch stepping out after every pitch and readjusting his batting gloves?”

Expect an announcement soon by the city and Timberwolves regarding a $100 million renovation of Target Center.

Former Wayzata High School tennis player Karl Gregor is the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. He is an assistant at Tufts.

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