Recruiting – Page 69 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Status Undecided on Wolves Leaders

Posted on April 6, 2016April 6, 2016 by David Shama

Glen Taylor will soon decide Sam Mitchell’s status as Timberwolves coach. The Wolves owner told Sports Headliners the final decision will be his, and Taylor said he also is undecided about the franchise’s long term commitment to general manager Milt Newton.

Both Mitchell and Newton unexpectedly found themselves with increased responsibilities after the death of Flip Saunders last October. Saunders was not only the team’s coach, but also the boss of player personnel including the NBA Draft and roster makeup.

Taylor relied heavily on Saunders for all things basketball in the organization. Without Saunders, he elevated Mitchell from assistant coach to interim head coach. Newton carried the title of general manager before Saunders died but his authority to run the basketball department increased last fall.

In the weeks ahead, Taylor will determine if Mitchell and Newton continue in their current roles. The Timberwolves’ season ends next week and Taylor said within a “couple of weeks” he will decide on Mitchell. “I think that’s probably the appropriate time that I would make a decision,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s process will include analyzing Timberwolves statistics from the 2015-2016 season and from talking to others—perhaps sources from both inside and outside the organization. Sometimes in professional sports the input of a franchise’s general manager about a coaching decision is the final word but Newton’s interim authority apparently places him in a different position.

“I don’t think it’s fair for me to push that on Milt (deciding on Mitchell) at this point,” Taylor said. “I think it’s Glen’s (mine). I am going to ask him (Newton) for his opinion and why.”

During an interview Taylor gave no indication whether Mitchell or Newton will be retained. The Timberwolves had a 16-66 record last season and with four games remaining this year are 26-52 including a highlight video overtime win over the Warriors last night in Oakland. The team has a promising young roster that includes four players 21 or younger. No starter is over 26.

That roster was assembled by Saunders, and Taylor has to decide who will guide the development of a team he believes can be a champion. “We just have to put all the rest of the elements into place and be a little patient and drive towards that,” he said.

Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to easily win this season’s NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Forward Andrew Wiggins won the award last season. Because of the franchise’s talented young roster, there could be an impressive list of potential coaches Taylor can talk to if he decides to let Mitchell go.

Taylor has been contacted by representatives of coaches who might be interested, but not directly by a potential coach. “No coach has called me up and said at this point, ‘I want the job,’ “ Taylor said.

The NBA Draft will be held June, 23, 2016. Taylor will allow Newton and his staff to determine who the Timberwolves choose in the first two rounds and what college free agents the club will pursue. “He’s got the same people internally that Flip would have had, so I just ask him to proceed,” Taylor said.

But Newton knows his status and authority with the Timberwolves are uncertain, and seems likely to be decided after the draft. “At some point I have to let him know if it’s going to continue or not continue,” Taylor said.

Worth Noting

Taylor said Wolves starting point guard Ricky Rubio will play for the Spanish Olympic team this summer. Taylor said he is pleased with the development of the fifth-year NBA player.

“I know that he has played with an ankle that hasn’t been 100 percent, but you wouldn’t necessarily notice that with…how hard he plays,” Taylor said. “So he does some really wonderful things. His assists, his steals, his defense. He’s one of the top guards in all of these areas in the league.”

Glen Taylor (Photo courtesy of Timberwolves)

Taylor’s 75th birthday is April 20. How does he feel about it? “About the same as 74,” he answered. “It goes too fast.”

The Gophers’ spring football practices end this week. After Saturday’s Spring Game at TCF Bank Stadium head coach Tracy Claeys might still be looking for personnel. He said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle last Sunday the offensive line lacks depth and he may recruit a junior college transfer. A few months ago the Gophers added offensive linemen Vincent Calhoun and Garrison Wright, both junior college transfers and potential starters next season.

Former Chanhassen High School all-state lineman Frank Ragnow will be a junior next season at Arkansas and Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema praises Ragnow’s skills. “In my career he is one of the more talented interior linemen I’ve ever been around,” Bielema told Sports Headliners. “He’ll play next year (for Arkansas in 2016), his third year. My guess is he’ll have a decision to make at the end of that (about entering the NFL Draft).

“He’s a very, very talented player that knows football very, very, well. He’s steadily put on good solid weight. He’s come in at a 280 pound guy…(now) 315 to 320 ballpark. Extremely intelligent. He’s a coach’s dream.”

Ragnow is the lone Minnesotan on Bielema’s roster but he’s looking for more. The former Wisconsin coach recruited Minnesota for many years and is particularly interested in finding big high school linemen from this state.

“We’re kind of looking for (more) Franks,” Bielema said. “We’re looking for guys that are in that 6-4 ballpark, that can run, are very agile, very moveable players that fit into our offense very well.”

Philip Nelson, the former Mankato West High School star who played for the Gophers, is trying to win the East Carolina starting quarterback job this spring. Nelson, who will be a senior next season, is in a two-man competition to become the Pirates’ starter after sitting out last season as a transfer.

East Carolina athletic director Jeff Compher told Sports Headliners Nelson has made a positive impression on and off the field including academically last semester. “I believe he had a 4.0 (GPA),” Compher said.

Major League Football has decided to hold off on the formal start of its initial season until next year. Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton is an executive with the league that believes there is a spring market for pro football.

The Twins (0-1) play their second game of the season tonight against the Orioles. Joe Mauer has hit safely in 11 straight games against the Orioles, batting .348 (16-for-46). Trevor Plouffe is hitting .315 (35-for-111) with 12 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored in 30 career games against the Orioles. Brian Dozier has hit safely in 15 of his last 17 games against Baltimore, batting .296 (21-for-71) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI and 14 runs scored.

The NHL will announce schedules Sunday for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wild has qualified for a fourth consecutive season.

Promoters of the new U.S. Bank Stadium hope to some day book the pro wrestling extravaganza known as WrestleMania, and with good reason. The WWE’s WrestleMania 32 drew an event record attendance of 101,763 on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Former Gophers basketball captain Al Nuness is doing consulting work for Jostens, and is also involved with supervising students at Hopkins High School.

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Here’s Help Forecasting NCAA Tourney

Posted on March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 by David Shama

Don’t overlook the University of Arkansas at Little Rock when filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket.

That’s the advice of former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher who has been studying tournament fields for 50 years. He predicts the Trojans, a No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region, will upset No. 5 seed Purdue in an opening round game this week. “They’re a real sleeper team,” Dutcher said about the 29-win Trojans.

Upsets are common during the first week of “March Madness” and there is a lot of parity in the field of 68 teams but only a handful are seen as potential Final Four entrants next month in Houston. Dutcher thinks the last four teams will be Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina and Oklahoma. Kansas is the No. 1 overall tournament seed and Dutcher’s choice to win the national championship.

All four of his predicted finalists are either No. 1 or No. 2 seeds in their regions. “I really went out a limb,” he said.

North Carolina may have the most talented team in the tournament but Dutcher said there might be some glory coming for J.P. Macura and his Xavier teammates. The former Lakeville North guard is Xavier’s fifth leading scorer at 9.6 points per game. The Musketeers are the No. 2 seed in the East behind Carolina and if you’re looking for a mid-major to make a deep tournament run it could be the Musketeers. “Xavier is pretty good,” he said.

A problem for Macura and teammates, though, is the East Region is loaded with strong teams including Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia. “I think the toughest route to the Final Four is out of the East,” Dutcher said.

California, the No. 4 seed in the South, has Dutcher’s attention. “Cal is playing really strong,” he said. “They have at least two No. 1 (NBA) draft choices.” Draftexpress.com predicts forward Jaylen Brown will be the third overall pick in the 2016 draft, with forward Ivan Rabb also a first rounder, and point guard Tyrone Wallace a second round choice.

Dutcher believes Iowa State has “got a chance” to be a surprise team in the Midwest but the Cyclones’ in-state rival Iowa isn’t likely to do much in the South. The Hawkeyes have lost five of their last six games and Dutcher said a problem is Iowa plays too many different defenses and doesn’t execute. “They don’t play great defense,” Dutcher said. “They just give up too many points.”

If pressed for a possible surprise team from the West Region, Dutcher goes with Texas A&M. The Aggies are a physical team and got a Final Four vote from college basketball authority Seth Davis on the CBS tournament selection show yesterday.

Worth Noting

The Gophers men’s basketball program has only qualified four times for the NCAA Tournament this century. Minnesota participated in 2013, 2010, 2009 and 2005, with a cumulative record of 1-4.

Coach Richard Pitino’s three-year Big Ten regular season record is 16-38. Minnesota was 2-16 this year, the most conference losses in school history.

The Gophers’ average attendance for the team’s 18 home games was 10,292. That’s the lowest since the 1970-1971 season, 8,395.

Ken Lien will announce the 2016 Mr. Basketball award winner at 5:15 p.m. on 1500 ESPN. The prediction here is the winner will be Amir Coffey from Hopkins High School.

The amazing Sid Hartman—who no longer drives a car but still writes multiple columns per week for the Star tribune and voices opinions six times weekly on WCCO Radio—has his 96th birthday tomorrow, March 15.

Does Jordan Schroeder sleep with a suitcase next to his bed? The 25-year-old forward and Lakeville, Minnesota native has been recalled from the Wild’s Iowa AHL team six times this season. The latest pack your bags notice came when Wild GM Chuck Fletcher announced Friday Schroeder was rejoining the team to fill a roster need. Schroeder, who has scored one goal in 16 games for the Wild, has been among the scoring leaders for Iowa where he has 34 points in 40 games.

P.J. Fleck, 35, is one of the most hyped young head football coaches in the country. Featured in Sports Illustrated last year, Fleck has impressed with his charisma while coaching at Western Michigan. He will be a headline speaker on March 31 at the annual Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park.

While the clinic is annually attended mostly by high school coaches, new this year is the Youth Coaches Clinic April 1 and 2. Sessions on blocking and developing young quarterbacks will be among the offerings for coaches from youth football organizations. There will also be an opportunity to hear Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema speak to all MFCA Clinic attendees April 1. More at mnfootballcoaches.com.

Ron Stolski, executive director of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, is also head coach at Brainerd where this fall he will be in his 55th season of prep coaching.

Lovie Smith went to a Super Bowl and won NFC North Division championships coaching the Bears so the surprise announcement last week that he is the new Illinois head coach adds another prominent name to the Big Ten. With his NFL roots and known brand in Chicago, Smith can change Illini recruiting for the better but Ryan Burns thinks Notre Dame will still get “the cream of the crop.” Burns is publisher of Scout’s GopherDigest.com.

The Illini have fallen on hard times since a Rose Bowl appearance in 2008. Establishing a winning program will be needed to change recruiting, and that figures to take awhile. Still, Burns predicts improvement in Illinois recruiting for 2017.

“This (2017) will probably be Illinois’ best class in the last five years or so, just because Lovie is a big name,” Burns said. “But I don’t think they’ll be competing with the Penn States, the Michigan States of the world. Even the Minnesotas. If they were able to get on par with what Minnesota has been doing, I think that would be a pretty good jump for them, but I don’t think it will be dramatic.”

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Stadium Construction May Finish Early

Posted on March 11, 2016March 17, 2016 by David Shama

A notes-focused column on U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings, Gophers, Twins and more.

Sports Headliners has learned construction of U.S. Bank Stadium might be completed early. Mortenson Construction has been scheduled to finish the new Minneapolis facility by late July but could complete the project in June.

About 1,200 workers are at the stadium each day and an early completion will be impressive if it happens. Although it won’t be a public event, a June gathering to recognize stadium workers is already scheduled.

Events the public can attend for a first look at the $1 billion-plus covered stadium are expected to be announced soon, but the first concert is booked. Tickets go on sale soon to see country singer Luke Bryan Friday, August 19.

A source said a second concert at the stadium that weekend will be announced. Acoustics in the 1,750,000 square foot facility will be exceptional for a large building.

Although the date hasn’t been publicized, it looks like the Vikings’ first game in the stadium will be a preseason game the weekend of August 26-28. After that weekend, a second home preseason game will be played. Dates and opponents haven’t been announced for the Vikings’ preseason schedule of home and away games.

Philadelphia-based Aramark will run food and beverage operations in the stadium for not only major events like concerts and Vikings games, but also small room gatherings in the year-round facility. As with Target Field, local restaurants will sell food partnering with Aramark.

The stadium’s Purple Club is the one location with direct access to outdoors. Patrons can walk outside to a deck with an elevated view looking east toward downtown green space and the historic Minneapolis Armory.

It wouldn’t be surprising if 2016 is Adrian Peterson’s last season with the Vikings. The All-Pro running back turns 31 later this month. His age and expensive contract could make him expendable if quarterback Teddy Bridgewater emerges as the offense’s igniter. Last April a source told Sports Headliners the Vikings and Cowboys had trade talks about sending Peterson back to his native Texas. He and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones are acquainted.

Ryan Burns, publisher of Scout’s GopherDigest.com, said Eden Prairie’s Carter Coughlin is the most likely Gopher freshman to make an impact next fall. The Gophers need help with pass rushing, and also on special teams. Burns predicted spot duty for Coughlin at defensive end where he could be used like pass rushing specialist Julian Huff in 2015.

“I could see a scenario where he and Julian Huff, on third down and long, try and get after the passer,” Burns said. “Carter also will bring speed and physical talent on special teams.”

Burns said Coughlin’s athleticism is impressive. “You just can’t teach what Carter has with his athletic ability,” Burns said. “That’s something Minnesota needs right away, to try and get after the passer because their pass rush the last couple years has just been abysmal. They know that.

“Carter is the one guy that is going to have his redshirt burned. If he is healthy, he is going to play a lot like Julian Huff did last year.”

Byung Ho Park, the 29-year-old South Korean Twins rookie, leads the team with two home runs and six RBI in 16 at bats during his first major league spring training. He is hitting .313. During the last two years in Japan he hit .303 and .343, with 52 and 53 home runs, and 124 and 146 RBI.

The Tigers reportedly gave ex-Twin Mike Pelfrey a two-year $16 million contract—and that’s a head scratcher. Pelfrey, 32, was 6-11 with a 4.26 ERA for the Twins last season. His career stats include a 61-81 record and 4.52 ERA.

Birthdays: Twins legend Kirby Puckett, who died in 2006, would be 56 next Monday. Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine turned 21 yesterday.

The Las Vegas-based Reviewjournal.com posted a story Monday quoting broadcaster Dick Vitale as saying controversial Louisville coach Rick Pitino isn’t going to fill the UNLV opening. There have been rumors Pitino will accept the Rebels’ coaching job, and a report even had his son Richard Pitino, the Gophers coach, joining him as an assistant. Vitale said Rick Pitino loves Louisville too much to leave the Cardinals.

The Wild had a rare loss to the Oilers last night, 2-1 at Xcel Energy. Minnesota is 2-1 this season in games with Edmonton, and is 21-4-1 in the last 26 games against the Oilers. The Wild plays at Montreal tomorrow night and has won there only twice in franchise history.

The Gophers Eric Schierhorn is a nominee for the Mike Richter Award honoring the top goaltender in college hockey. Schierhorn has started all 33 games this season and has a 18-15-0 record with a .905 save percentage, and a goals against average of 2.71. His total wins lead the Big Ten and he ranks first among NCAA freshmen. He is tied for first among freshmen with three shutouts.

Gophers coach Don Lucia told Sports Headliners Schierhorn reminds him a “little bit” of Adam Wilcox who was Minnesota’s top goalie the previous three seasons. Wilcox was among the best goalies in the Big Ten.

“Both very athletic,” Lucia said. “Adam stepped right in (as a freshman) and pretty much played every game. Eric has started every game his freshman year, which is not easy. Almost every game he has played, he has given us an opportunity to win games. We’re still working with him to quiet his game down at times, and not chase pucks.”

The Gophers play Wisconsin tonight and tomorrow evening at Mariucci Arena in their last games before the Big Ten Tournament next week.

The defending national champion Gopher women’s hockey team plays Princeton tomorrow starting at 4 p.m. in Ridder Arena. The NCAA Tournament quarterfinal game will determine whether Minnesota or the Tigers advance to next week’s Frozen Four in Durham, New Hampshire.

Minnesota’s five seniors—Hannah Brandt, Brook Garzone, Amanda Kessel, Amanda Leveille, and Milica McMillen—comprise the program’s most successful class ever. Their teams have an overall record of 145-9-6, a .925 winning percentage from 2012-13 to 2015-16. The Gophers have outscored opponents 770-179 during the four seasons.

Four of the five finalists for the 2016 Mr. Basketball Award have made college commitments: Brock Bertram, Buffalo; Johnny Beeninga, Minnesota State Moorhead; Amir Coffey, Minnesota; and Michael Hurt, Minnesota. Steffon Mitchell hasn’t made a college commitment. The award winner will be announced after this week’s state tournament.

Mr Basketball finalists 2016

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