Recruiting – Page 36 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Leaves Spot for Power Forward

Posted on April 7, 2021April 7, 2021 by David Shama

New University of Minnesota basketball coach Ben Johnson has commitments from three transfers so far but interestingly none play the power forward position occupied last season by Brandon Johnson. It’s possible that spot could be filled next season by a state native, with Minnesotans Chet Holmgren, Race Thompson, Nate Reuvers and Dawson Garcia attracting speculation.

College basketball is a fluid landscape like never before with players and coaches frequently changing addresses. It’s evident Holmgren and his father David Holmgren didn’t want to make a commitment last fall during the signing period for high school players. They decided to see who is coming and going this spring, but soon the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the class of 2021 will have to choose either a college or an opportunity in the NBA’s development league following Chet’s superlative career at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. (It’s interesting that ongoing internet articles have Chet choosing Gonzaga but offer no definitive sources.)

Ben Johnson is trying to make Chet a Gopher, a task perhaps made easier with his dad being a U alum. Chet is a gifted two-way player who Johnson could offer to build his offense and defense around. At 7-feet, but only about 200 pounds, Holmgren needs physical support from a big center. If center Liam Robbins remains with the Gophers he could be a bargaining chip for Johnson in the recruitment of Holmgren, but Robbins entered the transfer portal as of yesterday.

Coach Johnson could help his team by convincing Robbins to stay, although the Iowa native’s future might be tied to his uncle Ed Conroy, an assistant last season under Richard Pitino but probably moving on to another job. Robbins, a 7-foot, 235-pound transfer last year from Drake, is one of the Big Ten’s better centers after three seasons of college experience. Robbins could lessen the stress and pounding on Holmgren from opponents by using his size and strength, while helping with rebounding, shot blocking and scoring. A versatile scorer, Robbins can move outside the lane on occasion and allow others to post up.

Robbins can be a selling point for any power forward of prominence who might be considering the Gophers. Thompson, who played at Armstrong before becoming an Indiana Hoosier, was one of the Big Ten’s most improved players last winter as a redshirt junior but is now in the transfer portal. He was eighth in the conference in blocked shots at 1.3 per game, and averaged 9.1 points and 6.2 rebounds. It’s believed he is interested in the Gophers.

While Thompson improved, Reuvers regressed during his senior season at Wisconsin (the NCAA is granting an extra year of eligibility to college seniors in 2021-2022 because of the pandemic). The Lakeville North alum led Wisconsin in scoring as a junior and made third team All-Big Ten on the Badgers’ conference title team. His 6-foot-11 size and shot blocking, combined with Robbins, would give the Gophers a dynamo pair on defense. A business major, Reuvers could position his name with Fortune 500 companies in Minneapolis-St. Paul if he is invited to come home.

Garcia, a five-star recruit at Prior Lake, almost chose the Gophers before committing to Marquette in the fall of 2019. While Garcia hasn’t entered the transfer portal, there are rumors he might leave Milwaukee. The 6-foot-11 former McDonald’s All-American made the Big East All-Freshman team last season. He started all 26 games for Marquette, averaging 6.7 rebounds and 13.2 points.

Brandon Johnson, a senior transfer from Western Michigan last season, was Minnesota’s starting power in 2020-2021 and it’s not clear whether he will return. He averaged 8.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. As a reserve next season, his experience and leadership would be a major asset.

Worth Noting

Anticipate an announcement soon that Rochester, Minnesota native and Duke forward Matthew Hurt will be declaring for the NBA Draft and not returning for his junior season with the Blue Devils.

Sources expect former DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson, now an assistant at Colorado State, to be named one of Johnson’s assistant coaches.

The NCAA champion Baylor roster includes power forward Dain Dainja from Park Center who didn’t play in 2021 while redshirting as a freshman.

Gonzaga freshman point guard Jalen Suggs, from Minnehaha Academy, will be the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, going to the Detroit Pistons, per the mock draft from NBC Sports California. The Minnesota Timberwolves, with the No. 1 selection, will take Oklahoma State freshman guard-forward Cade Cunningham. Word of advice to the Wolves: if available, draft Suggs.

Monday’s column regarding suggestions to make MLB games move faster drew a lot of comment from readers including this from a former baseball executive: “I was in the game for a long time but simply can’t tune in for more than a few innings now because of all the pitching changes and stops in action. Even a well-known former player told me that the game had become too slow for him.”

Hopkins girls basketball legend Paige Bueckers won 2021 national Player of the Year Awards from various sources after her freshman season at Connecticut. Old-timers may compare her with “Pistol” Pete Maravich but that’s at least a little off base. Maravich, while a playmaker for the ages, was a gunner who often thought shoot first, pass second. Not sure I have ever seen the unselfish Bueckers take a bad shot.

Next Sunday, April 11, will be the 60th anniversary of the first game ever played by the Minnesota Twins. On that date the Twins, who had moved from Washington D.C. where the club was known as the Washington Senators, defeated the New York Yankees, 6-0, in Yankee Stadium.

The Twins placed outfielder Brent Rooker on the 10-day Injured List today with a cervical strain. Rooker, who was recalled from the alternate training site last Saturday, played in three games, hitting .091 with one RBI. To replace Rooker the Twins have selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Brandon Waddell from the Taxi Squad. He pitched in nine games for the Twins in spring training, going 1-1 with a 4.82 ERA.

Brusdar Graterol, the former Twins pitcher who went to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Kenta Maeda trade, is starting the season on the 10-day Injured List.

Twins 35-year-old third baseman Josh Donaldson, also on the 10-day Injured List, said before the season he expects to have ongoing “conversation” with manager Rocco Baldelli regarding playing time in 2021. Donaldson has a history of injuries including missing most of last season with the Twins.

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on the NFL adding a 17th regular season game that will have his team going west to play the Los Angeles Chargers: “It’s just something else they tell us to do and we do it like good soldiers.”

P.J. Fleck said the Gophers have developed a program to address racism and he wants to be “the most empathetic head coach in America.” Fleck has used speakers such as Tony Dungy and Dr. Harry Edwards to talk about race with his team. Edwards, the famous sociologist and race expert, once took Fleck and his San Francisco 49ers teammates to a California prison.

Minnesota Wild rookie Kirill Kaprizov leads NHL first-season players in goals and points. He’s a major contributor to a Minnesota offense that is probably the best since the days of superstar Marian Gaborik.

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U on Spot with 2 basketball Hires

Posted on March 29, 2021March 29, 2021 by David Shama

When Lindsay Whalen was hired as the University of Minnesota women’s basketball coach three years ago the cheers were heard from Cannon Falls to Thief River Falls. The home state hero had a halo above her head after a storied playing career with the Golden Gophers, WNBA Minnesota Lynx and US Olympic team.

Whalen, always the coach on the floor from her point guard position, led the Gophers to their only NCAA Final Four appearance early this century. Then she became one of the WNBA’s best playmakers while helping the Lynx to four league titles. Throw in two Olympic gold medals and you have a dream playing career.

Gopher fans figured Whalen would dazzle as the U coach after being hired by athletic director Mark Coyle.

Time out.

Being a head coach requires a much different skill-set than playing. Whalen and the public have seen evidence of that in her three seasons leading the Gophers.

Whalen’s Big Ten record is 21-33, with 9-9 (her first season) the best she has done. Marlene Stollings, Whalen’s predecessor, went 27-25 in her first three Big Ten seasons. Pam Borton, Whalen’s coach at the U, started out 33-15 the first three years.

Prior to Borton, Brenda Oldfield (now Frese) coached Minnesota for one season, going 11-5 and tying for second place in the conference standings. That was one year after Cheryl Littlejohn ended her four-year train-wreck with a 1-15 season. Frese, who left the Gophers for Maryland, remains the gold standard for women’s basketball coaches at Minnesota.

Gifted coaches do things early on that are observable and command attention. It might be an extraordinary influx of talent within a year or two. Head coaches need to know what type of talent they need, where they can get it and possess the salesmanship to close the deal. They also must hire a staff that recruits at a high level.

Even without over the top talent, a skilled coach/teacher can immediately impact his or her team and the results with the schemes and plays they use, adjustments made during games, the development of players and effort put forth. As an example, look at video from the Loyola of Chicago-Illinois men’s tourney game played earlier this month. Coach Porter Moser’s team destroyed Illinois’ offense with defensive schemes and “hair on fire” effort to knock the No. 1 seed Illini out of the tournament. The Ramblers put on a clinic offensively, too, with an unselfish style featuring ball movement, precision screens and cuts, and high percentage shots. Twice in the last four years the low profile Ramblers have earned their way into the Sweet 16 of the “Big Dance.”

By hiring Whalen, Coyle took a chance on a first-time coach who will need to achieve much better results in the next three years. Her contract, extended by a year in February of 2020, ends in 2024. Whether it’s the 38-year-old Whalen or someone else, the program has the potential to not only be a Big Ten winner but to become the first money making women’s sport at Minnesota.

Coyle has gone risky again, hiring Ben Johnson as the new men’s coach to replace the failed Richard Pitino who in eight seasons had one Big Ten winning record. Johnson, 40, has many years of assistant coaching experience including five spent under Pitino. Now he finds out how different the role of a head coach is and all the components that go with it.

Having that assignment in the Big Ten, one of America’s premier basketball leagues, is no Sunday stroll in Dinkytown. Pitino, hired at age 30, had one season of head coaching experience before controversial U AD Norwood Teague brought him to Minneapolis. The Gophers paid Pitino about $15 million over eight seasons for what one critic described as “on- the-job training.”

Gophers football fans remember the rocky path of Tim Brewster. Although he was known as one of college football’s top recruiters as an assistant, he had no head coaching experience. Brew won six Big Ten games before being fired about halfway through his fourth season at Minnesota.

Juwan Howard at Michigan has made a terrific entry into college basketball head coaching, despite no previous experience. He came from the NBA Miami Heat where both as a player and assistant coach he had superb mentors in front office boss Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra. Just as important, Howard put together a gifted staff of assistants that excels in both recruiting and X’s and O’s.

Johnson has made two coaching stops as an assistant in the Big Ten and one in the Big East. He worked for Pitino and also Tim Miles at Nebraska who tried for seven seasons to make the Cornhuskers an NCAA Tournament fixture (“danced” one time). Johnson’s most recent stop was Xavier where during three seasons at the Big East school the team record was 51-37, with no championships or NCAA Tournament appearances. He has been credited with both coaching and recruiting contributions there.

Johnson is known for his character and likeability. He has many friends and relationships in his hometown of Minneapolis where he played two seasons as a Gopher guard for head coach Dan Monson. He will “swim or sink” on the results of in-state recruiting where there is annually an abundance of Division I talent. Look for him to bring back home one or two assistant coaches who are state natives to help form the Minnesota connection with prep coaches and players.

Two weeks ago I wrote the following about the Gopher head coaching job:

“After the failed performance of Pitino and two predecessors, it is vital that the Gophers get the best hire for the first time this century. The program has the potential to annually produce teams landing in the top half of the Big Ten. Not to just have an occasional winning season here and there, but sustained success like the neighboring Wisconsin Badgers.

“There are never guarantees of future successes with a coach. That’s why Coyle should not pursue a person with limited, or no head coaching experience. The more successful a coach’s background at his previous stop, the more likely success can be expected at a place like Minnesota. No guarantees, but at least the margin for error has been reduced.”

A day after I wrote the above two paragraphs, Coyle announced he would cast a “wide net” in his national search. He also said expectations are for the Gophers to win championships. A week later he announced Johnson as his new head coach.

Whew! That’s moving fast. What about experienced coaches like San Diego State’s Brian Dutcher? A U alum and native of the state, Dutcher served up more than a nod of interest in the Gopher job last year when his new contract with the Aztecs included a minimal buyout if he were to leave for Minnesota.

A basketball lifer, Dutcher has more than 30 years of top experience as an assistant and head coach. He helped Michigan assemble the legendary Fab Five group in the 1990s, and at San Diego State convinced Kawhi Leonard to play for the Aztecs.

In four seasons as head coach at San Diego State, the Aztecs have won two Mountain West Conference regular season titles and two tournament championships. The last two seasons his record is 53 wins, 7 losses.

There was no buyout on Johnson’s contract and he reportedly will be the lowest paid head coach in the Big Ten. If money drove Coyle’s decision, why did it? Yes, the athletic department is tens of millions in debt because of the pandemic’s impact on finances. However, the total loss for this fiscal year doesn’t look as intimidating as once forecast. The U will be borrowing money to cover debts throughout its state system including the Twin Cities campus. A part of that borrowed money will go to the Gopher athletic department to pays its bills and meet future obligations including coaching hires.

If Coyle had pursued a more expensive coach, he could have said he was making a generational hire that was going to fix Gophers basketball long term. Someone who because of their accomplishments was likely to build not just a winning team or two, but set the course for sustained success. Part of Coyle’s position for spending more money on a coach could reference the TV revenues from Big Ten football and basketball that came through despite the pandemic. That wasn’t a given last summer when athletic department debt at $70 million seemed possible (perhaps $40 to $50 million now). Adding to a brighter picture is that the University system, like other major colleges throughout the country, is receiving millions from the federal government for pandemic budget relief.

In a reaction to debt last fall, Coyle convinced the Board of Regents (by a 7-5 vote) to eliminate three men’s sports. Did he move too quickly? The annual savings will be less than $2 million per year. If fan apathy at Williams Arena hadn’t been so prevalent for many seasons, the athletic department would have been generating that sum or more annually.

And that leads back to Whalen and Johnson, and whether they can produce a lot more wins and dollars at the box office than we’ve grown accustomed to for many years. No guarantees, not even close.

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U Needs Minnesota Hoops Connection

Posted on March 8, 2021March 8, 2021 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota is expected to buy out the contract of men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino soon. Pitino had eight seasons to prove he was worthy of his position, but the results are among the worst in program history including only one winning year in Big Ten Conference games.

Pitino was hired at 30 years old, with one season of previous head coaching experience at Florida International University. He reportedly was a sixth, seventh or eighth choice of then athletic director Norwood Teague. The U administration later carelessly threw money at Pitino, convinced that was necessary to retain him. He should have been dismissed three years ago.

In this millennium the state of Minnesota’s “biological twin” to the east, Wisconsin, has seen its Badgers program going to Final Fours and winning Big Ten championships including last year. In contrast to Minnesota, the Badgers have been led by coaches with ties to Wisconsin starting with Dick Bennett, then Bo Ryan and now Wisconsin born Greg Gard.

For decades the Badgers have built their roster with Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota players. This year’s Badgers have seven Minnesotans on the roster, while the Gophers finish their season with two. Pitino fired more blanks than bulls-eyes in recruiting this state, missing frequently on top talent and all but ignoring promising walk-ons.

Athletic director Mark Coyle will identify and then hire the next coach with the expected approval of U president Joan Gabel and the Board of Regents. His candidate pool should include several coaches with Minnesota ties. This is an opportune time to choose a coach familiar with and appreciative of the U, and the state’s people, culture, quality of life and Fortune 500 business community.

A coach with state ties can bring unique passion and commitment to the Gopher job. He will want Minnesotans to be proud of their Gophers. With a commitment and attitude like that, it’s much less likely the coach will see this as a stepping stone job and want to move on.

This is a huge hiring decision for Coyle. Gopher basketball has to end the cycle of failed coaching eras and establish a long run of success like Wisconsin has done. A winning program translates to more than a better experience for the players and fans. Men’s basketball is the second largest income-producing sport among 22 programs in the self-supporting athletic department, and increased revenues are needed more than ever. With the state almost bursting with quality high school basketball talent, the U program has more potential than in the past and is positioned for success with the right leadership.

It is standard operating procedure for athletic directors to maintain lists of potential replacement coaches, seldom knowing for sure when change will come. Coyle may have been thinking for a long time about who might take over for Pitino (I am told he was almost dismissed last March).

Interestingly, San Diego State coach and Minnesota native Brian Dutcher signed a contract extension last September that included a favorable provision about the Gopher job. Dutcher’s buyout with the Aztecs is nearly $7 million unless he accepts the Minnesota job. Then the buyout is $1 million.

Dutcher was open last year in talking about his interest in coming home after growing up in Bloomington as the son of former U head basketball coach Jim Dutcher. He made it known the state and the U, his alma mater, are special to him. His dad and sisters live in the metro area.

Brian, a former national coach of the year, checks the boxes for what Coyle should be looking for in a coach including experience and proven success. Finishing up his fourth year as Aztecs head coach, he has won Mountain West Conference titles and brought national attention to his program including last season when SDSU won 26 consecutive games and was ranked No. 4 in the country.

Dutcher has more than 30 years of college coaching experience including a long run as an assistant known for his recruiting. His ability to sell helped Michigan assemble the Fab Five of the 1990s and as head coach at San Diego State he has established recruiting roots in California. His sincerity, common sense and reputation would resonate well with Minnesota high school recruits and coaches.

At 61 Dutcher will coach at least several more years. Even if he has great success at Minnesota, he isn’t leaving for another job. Instead, he might hand his job off to a top assistant on the staff. That assistant could be Ryan Saunders.

Saunders, 34, can be another legacy coach for the Gophers. He played for Minnesota as did his father, Flip Saunders, who also was an assistant coach for Jim Dutcher. Minnesota-born Ryan was recently fired as Minnesota Timberwolves head coach but if he chooses there is a lot of coaching opportunity ahead. His NBA experience would be valuable in both recruiting and coaching for the Gophers. He could also be interested in learning the college game from a mentor like Brian Dutcher.

It’s too bad but I don’t see a return path to Minneapolis for Eric Musselman. If he leaves Arkansas before April 30, he or his next school owe $5 million for a buyout. Coyle isn’t paying $5 million, or leaving his basketball program in limbo until May.

Musselman is a terrific coach with a zealous desire to win. He made Nevada a national name in basketball and is turning around the Arkansas program. The U, with a history of failed actions in football, basketball and hockey dismissals and hires, should have pursued Musselman three years ago when he was at Nevada.

Eric was a pre-teenager living in Bloomington when he watched his dad, Bill Musselman, make the Gophers a Big Ten power and box office hit in Minneapolis during the 1970s. What a homecoming it could have been with the Gophers winning games and Eric reviving the raucous pre-game warm-up show that Bill had his players entertain with.

Former Gopher J.B. Bickerstaff is deserving of a phone call from Coyle. Yes, he is finishing up the first year of a four-year deal as head coach of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavs but making the assumption he wouldn’t be interested in the Gopher job is wrong. Coyle won’t know without asking.

Bickerstaff, 41, was once head coach of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, and he spent four seasons in Minneapolis as an assistant with the Timberwolves. His extensive NBA resume would bring sophisticated X’s and O’s to the U program, and grab the attention of high school recruits.

Maybe Bickerstaff wants a change and wants to get away from the NBA travel grind and return to his alma mater. His presence as Minnesota head coach might prompt offering an assistant’s position to Jared Nuness, a valued staff member of the highly ranked Baylor program. Nuness, son of former Gophers basketball captain Al Nuness, grew up in Eden Prairie and could become another legacy hire for the U.

Niko Medved, 47, would probably crawl through glass to come back home. He could be a poster boy for candidates with Minnesota ties. Minneapolis-born, Medved’s story might be worthy of a made-for-TV movie if he were hired by the Gophers and went on to win championships. He was a student manager for the Gophers in the early 1990s and from 1997-1999 associate head coach at Macalester. He then worked his way along the coaching trail with assistant jobs including one season with the U. As head coach at Furman, Drake and now Colorado State, he has achieved program turnarounds.

This season Colorado State is 17-5 overall and 14-4 in the Mountain West Conference. Contributing to the Rams’ success is assistant coach Dave Thorson, the Minnesota prep coaching legend from DeLaSalle. With the Gophers, Thorson would create instant credibility and rapport with state high school coaches.

The Rams finished in third place in the Mountain West, behind Dutcher’s 14-3 Aztecs and coach Craig Smith’s 15-4 Utah State team. Smith is a native of Stephen, Minnesota and it is believed Coyle had interest in him 12 months ago. Smith’s employment with the Aggies dates back to the 2018-19 season and it is more than impressive.

He has produced two Mountain West Tournament title teams, a share of one regular season championship and been to the NCAA Tournament twice. His overall record at State is 72-22 and 42-13 in conference games. The Aggies will be headed to the Big Dance no matter what happens to them in the conference tournament that begins Wednesday.

Like Medved, Smith started his career with obscure jobs and early on first gained attention on the NAIA level. His first two head coaching jobs were at Mayville State in North Dakota and at the University of South Dakota—more evidence of Upper Midwest roots.

Coyle’s friends will tell you he is a strategic thinker and bright guy. Let’s see who glitters gold for him.

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