Preps – Page 132 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on March 30, 2012March 30, 2012 by David Shama

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners Ricky Rubio’s torn ACL was “pretty serious” and he anticipates the team’s starting point guard will be playing in six to eight months following last week’s surgery. Taylor was impressed with Rubio’s first season in the NBA, and not just for the Spanish guard’s playmaking including 8.2 assists per game.

“He’s so positive,”Taylor said. “He doesn’t talk about his own personal goals. He’s into helping others and seeing the team do well.”

Without Rubio, the Wolves likely won’t qualify for the playoffs despite the headline making season of Kevin Love. In Love’s fourth season he has frequently drawn praise as the NBA’s best power forward.

“He’s developed much faster and further than I think the real basketball people anticipated, and even those who saw all the potential,”Taylor said.

Former Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg called him to ask about how several years ago Saunders used 6-11 forward Kevin Garnett as a ball handler and facilitator of the offense. Hoiberg featured 6-8 forward Royce White in a similar way this past season.

Jabari Parker, a junior guard-forward from Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, has been named Mr. Basketball in Illinois. Parker is pals with Apple Valley sophomore point guard Tyus Jones. The two are among the most recruited young players in the country and there’s speculation Parker and Jones will attend college together.

Siyani Chambers from Hopkins High School was named Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball. He will attend Harvard. The four finalists and their college choices: Joey King, Eastview High, Drake; Sanjay Lumpkin, Benilde-St.Margaret’s, Northwestern; Johnny Woodard, Duluth East, undecided; Isaiah Zierden, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Creighton.

Jay Pivec, National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame coach and head coach at Dakota County Technical College, will speak on the topic of “Play More Zone, Win More Games” on Sunday at the National Association of Basketball Coaches annual convention in New Orleans. He will be the only NJCAA coach speaking.

Twins starter Francisco Liriano ranks second in strikeouts (26) among all major league pitchers in spring training.

The CBS Evening News reported on Tuesday one of the remaining sixty 1909 Honus Wagner baseball cards is being auctioned this spring and could command a price of $1.5 million.

MIAC coaches’ polls predict St. Thomas will win the conference baseball and softball league championships.

Coach John Anderson’s Gophers baseball team opens the Big Ten schedule today against Michigan, with additional games on Saturday and Sunday against the Wolverines. All games are at the Metrodome.

Tweet from Gophers offensive lineman and Minnesota native Jimmy Gjere: “If you attend the U of M don’t wear other schools clothes like that W word across the border or the O state place.”

Augsburg running back Tyler Maxwell, who tore his ACL late last season, is expected back for the first game in 2012, according to an MIAC source. As a freshman he rushed for 121.3 yards per conference game, best in the MIAC.

According to a Minnesota Swarm news release, the local pro team runs the largest youth box lacrosse league in America with nearly 900 participants. Quoting a 2011 Sporting Goods Manufacturer Association participation report, lacrosse is America’s fastest growing sport. Minnesota has 83 boys high school lacrosse teams and 71 girls.

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Worth Noting

Posted on March 21, 2012March 21, 2012 by David Shama

Former Twins outfielder Delmon Young, now with Detroit, is second among major league hitters in spring training batting averages at .485.

The 40-man roster the Twins opened spring training with included seven players acquired through trades and nine via free agent signings. Nineteen players, including Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, were acquired through the first-year player draft while three were claimed via waivers and two in the Rule-5 draft.

Former Minnesota Wild executive Billy Robertson is working for the Twins as a consultant on outdoor hockey.

Antoine Walker, whose NBA playing career included time with the Timberwolves, blew $110 million in basketball earnings and is now broke, according to a feature story in the March 19 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill holds a noon news conference today, and then opens spring football practice with sessions at the Gibson-Nagurski Complex on Thursday and Friday. Those practices start at 3:15 p.m. and like all spring sessions are open to the public.

All four participating teams in the NCAA West Region hockey field will host a free-to-the-public one-hour open practice at Xcel Energy Center on Friday. The times are 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Western Michigan; 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. –North Dakota; 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. –Boston University; 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. –Minnesota.

At 12:30 p.m. on Saturday No. 1 seed North Dakota (25-12-3) plays No. 4 seed Western Michigan (21-13-6). At 4 p.m. No. 2 seed Minnesota (26-13-1) will meet No. 3 seed Boston University (23-14-1). All games are at Xcel Energy Center including Sunday’s 4:30 p.m. title game.

Coach Ken Novak’s Hopkins teams have won three consecutive Class 4A championships but the streak might end this year. The Royals play an opening Class 4A game starting at 10 a.m. today against Woodbury. Novak told Sports Headliners “we’re a good team” but personnel losses during the season give the coach pause. “We’re not quite what we have been,” Novak said. “Do we have a shot to win it? We still have a shot.”

Novak’s dad, Ken Sr., turns 83 this week and is still an assistant coach for the Hopkins dynasty. Ken Jr. has won six state titles.

Five finalists were announced yesterday for the Mr. Basketball Award: Siyani Chambers, Hopkins; Joey King, Eastview; Sanjay Lumpkin, Benilde-St. Margaret’s; Johnny Woodard, Duluth East; Isaiah Zierden, Benilde-St. Margaret’s. The winner will be announced after this week’s boys state tournament.

LynxBasketball.com has a section devoted to the upcoming WNBA Draft. Included are mock drafts and scouting reports on the top 15 college seniors along with updated statistics on more than 60 draft eligible seniors. The Lynx have six draft choices in the April 16 draft. Minnesota has two picks in the first round (third and 12th overall), three in the second (18, 19 and 20) and one in the third (31).

The North and South head coaches for the June 30 Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game at TCF Bank Stadium will be Jeff Schlieff of Spring Lake Park (North team) and Bill Ihrke from Plainview-Elgin-Millville (South team). They have a combined 37 years of head coaching experience and records of 261 wins and 123 losses.

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Worth Noting

Posted on March 12, 2012March 12, 2012 by David Shama

Deolis Guerra was the youngest player acquired by the Twins in the 2008 trade sending Cy Young pitcher Johan Santana to the Mets for four prospects including Guerra and outfielder Carlos Gomez. Now Guerra, a 22-year-old, 6-5, 245-pound right-handed pitcher is the last remaining Twins property from that unproductive trade.

Guerra gave up four hits and five runs in one inning in his spring training relief debut last Monday. He followed that appearance with a better outing on Friday, pitching one inning and giving up no hits. Twins minor league executive Jim Rantz told Sports Headliners he believes Guerra will make the big league club some day, but will start this season in Triple-A Rochester.

Guerra had a 5.59 ERA in 37 games pitching for Double-A New Britain last season. What impressed, though, was after moving from a starting role to relief pitching he had a 1.29 ERA in August.

Rantz likes Guerra’s potential as a middle and late inning relief pitcher, commenting that the Venezuelan native paces himself better in relief than starting. “He’s more consistent out of the (bull)pen,” Rantz said.

Rantz also said Twins minor league players — those who aren’t at the big league camp — reported to spring training last week. Included are much talked about prospects Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario. Rantz said Sano, a 6-foot-3 slugging third baseman, reported to camp weighing 243 pounds and had “no fat.” Rosario is being converted from the outfield to second base. Both players will play for Class-A Beloit this season.

Although he’s 36 years old, the Twins will again expect starting right-hander Carl Pavano to throw a lot of innings. The last two seasons he’s pitched 221 and 222 innings. The past two years he ranks fifth in the major leagues for most complete games, 10.

University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler told WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle audience yesterday he will wait to consult with the soon to be hired new athletic director before deciding on a contract extension for Gophers coach Tubby Smith.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill spoke to the C.O.R.E.S. group last week, addressing several subjects including social media. Not surprisingly, the 50-year-old Gophers coach isn’t a fan. “We have forgotten how to communicate face-to-face,” he said.

Without thinking about the consequences, information is posted on Facebook that could cost a person a college scholarship or a job, Kill said. “People put things on Facebook you can’t believe.”

The Gophers open spring practice on March 22 after a winter of conditioning and weight training. Players who don’t adhere to the coach’s rules can find themselves wearing the infamous brown t-shirts. On one side the message is: “I let my teammates down.” The other side: “Minnesota Loafers.”

Kill said the Gophers are a work in progress including behavior, noting he still has “kids that don’t know right or wrong.” The right attitude on the field is also a goal. “We don’t have hard working, fight back people yet,” he said.

The Gophers’ second-year coach is seeking community support. While speaking to groups he’s likely to bring up names like Nike’s Phil Knight whose financial help boosted Oregon athletics.

Kill and his staff are involved with the March 29-31 Minnesota Football Coaches Clinic led by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association. Association executive director Ron Stolski said registrations are on a record pace but still being accepted. The clinic’s primary site will be the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park and more information is available at mnfootballclinic.com.

On Friday night March 30 former Gopher and now University of Houston head coach Tony Levine will be the headline speaker. Kill will also talk that evening. St. Thomas head coach Glenn Caruso will receive the Tom Mahoney Man of the Year Award from the MFCA. Caruso coached the Tommies to a 13-0 record last year before losing a playoff game that would have sent his team to the Division III national championship game.

The Gophers held their Pro Day for NFL scouts last week and it’s popular opinion no Gopher senior will be drafted next month. Free agent signees could include defensive lineman Anthony Jacobs, tight end Eric Lair and wide receiver Da’Jon McKnight.

The Vikings will miss guard Steve Hutchinson’s leadership just as they did in 2009 when center Matt Birk went to Baltimore. The Vikings released Hutchinson, an 11-year veteran, on Saturday.

Ricky Rubio’s mother was in town, visiting from Spain, when the Timberwolves point guard tore the ACL in his left knee on Friday night.

Dick Jonckowski, the popular emcee and Gophers basketball-baseball public address announcer, spoke at the MainStreet Lodge last week where former Minneapolis Lakers and Gophers coach John Kundla is a resident.

Justin Kloos from Lakeville South High School is the recipient of the 28^th Annual Mr. Hockey Award, given to the outstanding senior boys prep player in the state, according to an announcement made yesterday by the Minnesota Minutemen. Michael Bitzer of Moorhead High is the The Frank Brimsek Award winner as the top senior goaltender. Ken Pauly (Benilde-St. Margaret’s School) and Bruce Plante (Hermantown High School) received The John Mariucci Award given to the Class AA and Class A high school coaches of the year. Bart Larson (Edina East/West High Schools) received The Cliff Thompson Award as “Old Timer Coach” of the year.

Minnesota North Stars Night will be Thursday, March 29 when the Wild play Florida at Xcel Energy Center. Over 30 North Stars alums are scheduled to participate in activities throughout the evening. The next night the Wild will host an “Evening with the Stars” event at 317 Rice Park. Fans will interact with alumni expected to include Neal Broten, Jack Carlson, Brad Maxwell, J.P. Parise, Tom Reid and Gordie Roberts. More information on the North Stars promotions is available at wild.com/northstars.

Newsman Bruce Hagevik’s last day with WCCO Radio is Wednesday. He’s been with the station for nearly 40 years.

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