Preps – Page 75 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Target Center to Host Hall of Fame

Posted on August 20, 2017August 20, 2017 by David Shama

A group led by former Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi is establishing the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame and will announce the first class of inductees in the coming months.

Maturi told Sports Headliners he’s been involved with the project for four-plus years and there will soon be a Hall of Fame display in the renovated Target Center that re-opens in October. “The inaugural (Hall of Fame) event will be some time this fall, or early winter in conjunction with a Wolves game,” he said.

The Hall of Fame will honor the accomplishments of not just former great high school players in Minnesota, but other contributors to prep basketball including coaches, media and referees. The inaugural class of inductees is expected to total a dozen or so individuals. “The first class is the hardest because there are so many deserving people,” Maturi said.

Maturi, who chairs a board of volunteers for the project, played high school basketball at Chisholm High School for the legendary Bob McDonald. That experience is part of what provides Maturi motivation for the Hall of Fame.

The Minnesota shrine will be one of the few, if not the first in the country, to honor men and women with varied accomplishments and contributions to the state’s rich basketball history. Halls of Fame in other states for prep basketball honor only coaches.

Maturi was the Gophers athletics director from 2002-2012. The University of Minnesota will soon officially rename the school’s Sports Pavilion in his honor. As of September 2, the formal name for the facility will be the Joel Maturi University Sports Pavilion and the building’s exterior will bear the name “Maturi Pavilion.”

Maturi was more than surprised when school officials approached him about renaming the facility that hosts more intercollegiate events than any other at the U. “That would be an understatement,” he said. “Surprised is too soft a word. Stunned, shocked and overwhelmed. I was humbled and honored. I am really appreciative that the U is recognizing a decade of transition.”

Maturi was the Athletic Department’s first-ever director for both the men’s and women’s programs—bringing together what had been two separate and sometimes adversarial departments. During the Maturi era football returned to campus with the building of TCF Bank Stadium, teams won five national championships, academics improved, and the department became more unified.

The U will honor Maturi prior to the Gophers’ volleyball match against Tennessee on September 2. The ceremony will be part of what has been a memorable year for the 72-year-old, who had prostate surgery in April and is now cancer free.

Worth Noting

Myron Medcalf, the former Star Tribune sportswriter now on the college basketball beat for Espn.com, has the Gophers at No. 15 in his most recent “Way-too-Early” top 25 rankings posted Thursday. Michigan State, who he ranks No. 4, is the only Big Ten Conference team ahead of the Gophers. He writes the Spartans are the conference favorite for a title, but cautions not to overlook Minnesota.

Medcalf moved Duke to No. 1 in his latest rankings, noting the Blue Devils have so much talent that Minnesota native Gary Trent Jr., projected as one of the top freshmen in the country, may come off the bench rather than start.

The Twins beat the Diamondbacks 12-5 today, winning their 11th game in the last 14 and remaining a contender for the playoffs. In their three-game series sweep the Twins out scored Arizona 27-8.

The Twins had a nine run first inning in today’s game at Target Field, the most runs they have scored in one inning since 2014. Eddie Rosario received the loudest applause with his second career grand slam, but Max Kepler had a key role in the big inning too. Kepler, who has struggled against left-handed pitching, got a hit off Arizona lefty starter T.J. McFarland to increase Minnesota’s lead from 2-0 to 4-0.

Joe Mauer, who didn’t play today, is hitting .500 in his last nine games with nine RBI. He has raised his average to .290 for the season.

The Vikings added former Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner to their roster today. After practice this afternoon Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said his organization liked Leidner’s past workouts but that the Lakeville South alum has struggled with passing accuracy.

Leidner wasn’t drafted by an NFL team after the 2016 season with the Gophers. He attended the Ravens rookie minicamp but didn’t sign with the team.

Zimmer also said he liked the performance of rookie center Pat Elflein in Friday night’s preseason loss to the Seahawks, but he hasn’t decided who will be his starter in 2017.

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association will relocate its men’s and women’s office staffs from Edina to Bloomington next week, moving into new space near Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.

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Basketball Ticket Sales Increase at U

Posted on August 13, 2017August 13, 2017 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota Athletic Department has sold almost 500 more public season tickets for men’s basketball than in early August of 2016. Totals in several public season tickets categories as of August 3 of this year showed increases over 2016, according to figures provided by the department to Sports Headliners.

The Gophers reported 251 new public season accounts and 594 new tickets. Those totals on August 3, 2016 were 63 new accounts and 102 tickets.

The public season tickets total provided was 6,848, compared to 6,141 last year. (No student season tickets figures are published here because the sales campaign doesn’t start until September.)

Although the athletic department is still selling season tickets for the home 2017-2018 schedule, the renewal deadline for past ticket holders was May 31. The department reported 97.8 percent of tickets were renewed, compared with 82.7 percent a year ago.

The “box office” trend isn’t surprising given the unexpected success of last season’s 11-7 Big Ten team and national media optimism about the 2017-2018 Gophers who Sportingnews.com ranked No. 10 in the country. The public season ticket totals will increase between now and the team’s first games in November, and student sales seem likely to surpass those for 2016-2017.

That’s good news for an athletic department which has seen a decline in public season tickets since 2000. There has also been a drop off in individual game tickets sold. In recent seasons sellout crowds have been the exception at historic 14,625 seat Williams Arena.

Minnesota ranked 11th in average attendance last season in the 14-member Big Ten Conference. The Gophers averaged 10,308 fans per game and ranked No. 37 in the nation. By comparison, Wisconsin led the Big Ten with a per game average of 17,286 and ranked sixth nationally.

For years the Gophers basketball product has often been disappointing fans including the 2-16 Big Ten record in 2015-2016. Last season’s 11-7 record was just the third time since 2000 that Minnesota has finished with a winning record in league games.

Coach Richard Pitino, who will begin his fifth season at Minnesota in the fall, has the program trending upward now with all but one of his key players returning for next season. He also has promising newcomers on the 2017-2018 roster led by flashy New York City point guard Isaiah Washington. There appears to be more good news coming with what might be a national top 10 recruiting class in 2018.

A run next winter at a Big Ten title and a couple of wins in the NCAA Tournament could really make ticket numbers jump in the next 12 months. That would be a welcome addition for a season ticket base whose core features aging customers who have been supporting the program for a long time.

Worth Noting

One player who likely won’t be in Pitino’s 2018 class is Tre Jones. The Apple Valley High School senior point guard will announce his college choice later today and basketball recruiting authorities will be stunned if he doesn’t select Duke. (Every predictor on 247Sports, for example, says Duke).

The Blue Devils have been on his short list and the successful experience of older brother Tyus Jones at Duke seems like an important factor. Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski might be the best basketball coach on any level in the world and has produced a long list of pros.

The Saint John’s-St. Thomas football game at Target Field on September 23 is one of the college games for the 2017 season featured in the current issue of Sports Illustrated. S.I. said: “This one promises to be a thrill for those seeking the purity of ye-olde game: no national scholarships, no national-TV cameras, no football-player only dorms, no leaving early for the draft. It’s just two teams filled with mostly local kids pounding away for bragging rights.”

That was former Timberwolves broadcaster Kevin Harlan and ex-Vikings quarterback Rich Gannon working Thursday night’s Packers-Eagles game from Green Bay on the Packers TV Network. Harlan said the network, including stations in Alaska and Hawaii, is the “third largest” in the NFL.

During Friday night’s Twins-Tigers telecast, analyst Torii Hunter asked broadcast partner Dick Bremer if he will be wearing his Speedo swimsuit Monday. The Twins will have an off day then and Bremer plans to be at his lake place. Bremer’s Monday plans prompted Hunter’s question, and a quick no from the veteran broadcaster.

Hunter’s son, Torii Jr., was drafted in the 23rd round last year by the Angels and is playing center field for the Orem Owlz in the Pioneer League where he is hitting .317 with one home run and 11 RBI in 32 games. The 22-year-old was better known for football at Notre Dame where he was a wide receiver.

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Mauer Future Looks Unsure Past 2018

Posted on July 30, 2017July 30, 2017 by David Shama

A Sunday notes column leading off with the Twins:

Joe Mauer’s $184 million, eight-year contract with the Twins ends after next season. What happens then?

“I think Joe has a big say in that in terms of what his interest is in playing beyond the 2018 season,” Twins president Dave St. Peter said. “I don’t think Joe is there yet (on a decision)—at least I haven’t seen that back from him yet.

“But we’ll sit down at the appropriate time. I would guess it would be at the end of the 2018 season. Joe will assess where he’s at, where his family is at. A dialogue with Joe and/or his representatives will take place at the appropriate time.”

Mauer will be 35 when next season ends. The Minnesota native and sports legend has fought through a lot of physical challenges including at least one concussion. How much more stress does he want to put on his body? The guess here is that Mauer, a dedicated family man with a wife and two young children, will end his career and retire as a Twin—the only pro baseball organization he’s ever played for.

Mauer is among the team’s leading hitters for average (.280) and has been clutch this season driving in runners in scoring position. But his production as a hitter is considerably less than earlier in his career when hitting over .300 was routine and his name was among the first to be considered for an American League batting title.

St. Peter referred to Mauer as a “huge asset” for the organization, including because of his high character. The Twins’ boss also praised Mauer’s timely hitting this season and for putting himself “in contention for a Gold Glove at first base.”

The Twins don’t work on contracts with players during the season so there’s no reason to expect discussion of a new deal with Mauer to receive attention until after the 2018 season. If Mauer were willing to accept a lesser role (part-time starter, for example) and drastic reduction in salary, it seems likely the Twins would invite him to compete for a roster spot in 2019.

The MLB trading deadline is tomorrow. Regarding a trade, St. Peter told Sports Headliners on Friday, “I expect on some level the Twins will participate.”

This morning the Twins announced they have acquired two minor league prospects from the Yankees, left-handed pitcher Dietrich Enns and right-handed pitcher Zack Littell, in exchange for veteran left-handed pitcher Jamie García and cash considerations.

Enns, 26, was 1-1 with a 2.29 ERA in seven starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. Enns is on the Twins’ 40-man roster and will report to Triple-A Rochester.

Littell, 21, was 14-1 with a 1.87 ERA in 20 appearances (18 starts) between Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton this season. Littell will report to Double-A Chattanooga.

Garcia, 31, made one start for the Twins since being acquired from Atlanta July 24, earning a win a couple of days ago against the Athletics after pitching 6.2 innings. The trade of the established starter to the Yankees will be seen by many Twins fans as an indication the front office is unsure about staying in the race for the postseason and is taking a build-for-the-future approach. Minnesota has lost seven of its last 10 games, has a 50-52 record and is seven games out of first place in the AL Central Division.

Among reasons the Twins are playing under .500 baseball and fading in pursuit of winning at least half their games this season is their record against MLB’s better teams. The Twins were swept last week in a three-game interleague series against the National League West Division leading Dodgers. The Twins are 0-6 against the AL West leading Astros, 2-5 versus the AL East second place Red Sox and 5-8 against the first place Indians—Minnesota’s rival in the AL Central.

That’s a combined 7-22 against three of the better teams in baseball. In their losses to the Red Sox and Astros, the Twins were out-scored 47-13 and 22-7. Overall, the Twins have shown a lot of improvement after last season’s 59-102 record.

Eden Prairie’s football team starts practice August 14 and coach Mike Grant told Sports Headliners Gophers recruit Benny Sapp III is the best cornerback in the state. Sapp, a Florida transfer and son of former Viking defensive back Benny Sapp, has never played in a varsity game because of injuries but Grant has seen enough of the Eagles senior to rave about him.

“Most importantly, he’s just a great kid,” Grant said. “If he couldn’t play a lick, we would like to have him.”

Grant will also use Sapp, who has verbally committed to the Gophers, at receiver and as a return man. “He has tremendous speed and great hands,” Grant said.

Grant wants to get Sapp as “many touches” in games as possible. That was the mission two years ago with explosive running back and return man J.D. Spielman, a breakaway threat now on scholarship at Nebraska. “He (Sapp) is probably as fast as Spielman, or faster,” Grant said.

Another Eagle with Gopher ties is junior quarterback Cole Kramer, the grandson of former U football player and athletic director Tom Moe. Grant refers to Kramer as a “top five quarterback” in the state. A starter last season, Kramer has added weight and muscle.

“He could go on a college team right now and throw with them (other quarterbacks),” Grant said. “His arm is that strong.”

Grant, who has been coaching at Eden Prairie since 1992, isn’t willing to call Kramer his best ever quarterback because he hasn’t won a state title. That might change this fall, though, because Grant likes the talent and work ethic of his team, despite having only five returnees on offense and three on defense.

Grant’s father, legendary former Vikings coach Bud Grant, has been hosting annual garage sales. Mike said three years ago was supposed to be the final one but they keep coming including last spring’s which ended a day before Bud’s 90th birthday. Mike predicted “still going strong at 91” could be the theme of next year’s sale.

The lines were long this year, partially because Grant was selling a bobblehead depicting him wearing a Vikings cap and jacket, holding a duck, and accompanied by his hunting dog Boom. Mike is suggesting a double-bobblehead for next year with Grant and his longtime friend Sid Hartman. Grant could be dressed in a red check hunting shirt, with Hartman in a suit and holding a microphone. “That would be perfect,” Mike said.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer talking about where he expects to play 38-year-old Terence Newman: “Terence is a corner. That is where he is going to play, and if we need him at nickel or safety or some other spot then we will do that, but he’s a corner.”

Zimmer on free-agent acquisition Riley Reiff who is expected to start at left tackle on offense: “…I really like his demeanor. He’s going to try and hurt you, if he can hurt you. I think that’s going to bode well for us as we move forward.”

John Kundla, who died earlier this month at age 101, received a lot of praise for coaching the Minneapolis Lakers to five pro championships, but he didn’t receive enough credit for providing playing opportunities for African-Americans at the University of Minnesota. When Kundla coached the Gophers in the mid-1960s he started three African-Americans, Archie Clark, Lou Hudson and Don Yates. That was a first at Minnesota and unusual in major college basketball where prejudice was part of sports and American society.

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