Recruiting – Page 100 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Indiana Offers Scholarship to Tyus Jones

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

Indiana is the latest school to offer a college scholarship to Apple Valley High School sophomore Tyus Jones, according to his mother Debbie Jones.

She said the offer came about two weeks ago. Previous offers include Arizona, Baylor, Marquette, Minnesota, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State.

Tyus is regarded by prep experts as the best point guard in the country for the class of 2014 but he might never make the cover of Sports Illustrated like his pal Jabari Parker. The Chicago forward is on last week’s cover, being promoted as the best high school player since LeBron James.

The article featured Parker’s faith as a Mormon. “He’s a great kid,” Debbie said.

In the magazine story Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel said Parker is a role model for kids in that city. “His character and seriousness of purpose are exceptional,” Emanuel said in S.I.

Jones and Parker have talked about attending college together but there are no commitments by either yet. Parker is a junior, one class ahead of Jones. Since it’s probable Parker will only play one season in college before entering the NBA, Jones might not be influenced much by Parker’s college choice.

Debbie said Tyus has been ill with a virus and unable to play basketball in recent weeks. He will attend the USA 17 and under team tryouts in Colorado Springs in mid-June. The USA team will compete in the world tournament in Lithuania from June 29 – July 8.

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Worth Noting

Posted on May 16, 2012May 16, 2012 by David Shama

Saunders coached the Wolves to the 2004 Western Conference Finals. He also coached the Pistons to three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. He had an NBA worst 2-15 record when the Wizards fired him last January. “One thing the NBA will do is bring you humility,” he said.

There are no Gophers recruits or Minnesota natives among Rivals.com’s top 150 high school basketball seniors. Listed from Wisconsin and Iowa are No. 13 Sam Dekker, Sheboygan, Wisconsin (college choice: Wisconsin); No. 34 Marcus Paige, Marion, Iowa (North Carolina); No. 45 J.P. Tokoto, Menomonee, Wisconsin (North Carolina); No. 50 Adam Woodbury, Sioux City, Iowa (Iowa); No. 100 Mike Gesell, Sioux City, Iowa (Iowa); No. 118 Phillip Nolan, Milwaukee (Connecticut); and No. 135 Kale Abrahmson, West De Moines, Iowa (Northwestern).

The Gophers are ranked No. 25 in ESPN.com’s preseason top 25 for college basketball teams. Andy Katz predicts the Gophers can be a contender for a “top-four finish in the Big Ten.”

The Gophers play at Florida State on November 27 in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Big Ten looks like a basketball (not football) league in 2012-13. Katz has Indiana No. 1 in the country with No. 5 Michigan, No. 8 Ohio State and No. 9 Michigan State also in his top 10. Meanwhile Sports Illustrated’s online post-spring practice national top 10 lists only two Big Ten football teams, Wisconsin at No. 6 and Michigan State, No. 10.

Third baseman Danny Valencia, demoted by the Twins to Class AAA Rochester last week, is hitting .125 in 16 at bats for the Red Wings.

The Twins play only their fifth game of the season against a Central Division team when they meet the Tigers in Detroit tonight. The Twins, who lost a two-game series to the Indians on Monday and Tuesday, are playing back-to-back series against Central Division teams for the first time this season. Minnesota plays about 50 percent of its remaining 2012 games against division teams.

Vikings All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson talking about wanting to be the best: “It’s just the way I’m wired. I’ve been this way since I was young, since I started playing this game at age seven. I always wanted to be the best at whatever I did, whether it was sprints, lifting, whatever.”

The Tapemark Charity Pro-Am, known as the longest running charity golf event in the Upper Midwest, announced a new Women’s Pro-Am and Women’s Professional Championship earlier this year. The women’s golf will be June 5 and 10, while the annual men’s Pro-Am will take place June 8-10. www.tapemarkgolf.org

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Worth Noting

Posted on May 2, 2012May 2, 2012 by David Shama

In recent espn.com power rankings for MLB, the NBA, NFL and NHL, the Twins are No. 30, the Wolves No. 22, the Vikings No. 31 and the Wild No. 25 in their respective listings. The NFL has 32 teams, the others 30 each.

The Vikings roster lists 11 rookies and nine other players who could be in their first NFL seasons if they make the 2012 team. The roster has 19 players beginning their second NFL seasons, six starting the third year and eight in the fourth. There are also six fifth year players, four sixth year, four seventh year, two eighth year, three ninth year and one player each heading into 10, 12, 14 and 16 years of NFL experience.

Vikings players are participating in their offseason conditioning program today, and on Friday the team opens its Rookie Minicamp.

The Gophers MarQueis Gray, a senior, may earn Big Ten post-season recognition this fall but he’s one of nine returning starting quarterbacks in the conference so he will have a lot of experienced competition.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien, who is also the Mr. Basketball chair, emailed that Lakeview Christian Academy junior guard Anders Broman has received scholarship offers from several schools including Holy Cross and Ohio.

Royce White is preparing for the NBA draft in Ames, Iowa and still attending classes at Iowa State, according to his grandfather Frank White. The younger White is lifting weights, doing yoga and receiving instruction from Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg, the former Timberwolves guard and executive.

Frank coordinates the Twins Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program that is part of Major League Baseball’s international RBI organization. White said Target Field will host the RBI’s World Series on Sunday, August 5 with boys’ championships being decided in ages 13-15 and 16-18. The latter championship will be televised on the MLB Network.

The ninth annual Harmon Killebrew Classic, a two-day event June 27-28, will benefit the Twins Community Fund and Miracle League of Minnesota. Former Killebrew teammates Rod Carew, Tony Oliva and Frank Quilici are involved. A dinner and auction will be held inside Target Field beginning at 6 p.m. on June 27. A celebrity golf tournament at the Legends Golf Club in Prior Lake will take place June 28. The public can find more information at www.harmonkillebrewfoundation.org.

Bill “Moose” Skowron, who played on the great Yankees teams of the Mickey Mantle era, died last week at age 81. He was a former resident of Austin, Minnesota.

The Timberwolves Luke Ridnour is one of six finalists for the NBA Sportsmanship Award. A vote by NBA players will determine which player they believe displays the best on-court sportsmanship.

Canterbury Park, whose live racing season opens on May 18, will be busy Saturday with Kentucky Derby wagering. Races from Churchill Downs begin at 9:30 a.m. Minneapolis time and lead up to the Derby at 5:24 p.m.

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