Recruiting – Page 88 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Tyus Jones Open to Early College Exit

Posted on October 23, 2013October 23, 2013 by David Shama

Debbie Jones, mother of Apple Valley senior point guard Tyus Jones, told Sports Headliners her son is open to playing only one year of college basketball. “If the opportunity presents itself, then absolutely,” Debbie said.

Leaving for the NBA after one season has been discussed with coaches recruiting Jones. The possibility of playing only as a freshman hasn’t deterred the biggest names in college coaching from pursuing Jones who is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 5 player in the nation for the prep class of 2014.

The final schools Jones is considering signing a Letter of Intent with are Baylor, Duke, Kansas and Minnesota. NCAA rules allow high school seniors to sign from November 13-20. There is a second signing period next spring from April 16-May 21.

Jones plans to sign with a school in November. An announcement regarding his college choice will come during the first or second week next month, according to his mom.

How the announcement will be done hasn’t been determined but Debbie said, “We’ll probably do something at the school (Apple Valley).” She indicated her son’s announcement is likely to happen at the same time as Jahlil Okafor’s. A well publicized pact between Jones and Okafor to attend college together is likely to remain in place. Okafor is a center from Chicago’s Whitney High School and is rated by Rivals.com as the No. 1 player nationally in the 2014 class.

Debbie said it’s “doubtful” her son and Okafor will choose separate schools, and acknowledged the Chicago superstar doesn’t have the Gophers on his final list of possible colleges. “If they go together to school that unfortunately would eliminate the Gophers,” Debbie said.

Okafor’s list of schools is reportedly Baylor, Duke and Kansas. He and Tyus visited Kansas together last weekend and over Labor Day weekend were at Baylor. Okafor is expected to join his friend at Duke this weekend.

Jones and his mom leave tomorrow for Duke, the last official visit the two will make in narrowing down the list of schools. On Saturday they will watch the Blue Devils in an exhibition game against Bowie State.

Tyus has been one of the most coveted athletes in Minnesota prep history. Debbie said the family is appreciative of all the attention but it will be a relief to end the selection process.

She also said there haven’t been any offers from schools that are in violation of NCAA rules. “I think people kind of know who we are. They know they’re dealing with people who don’t operate that way.”

Worth Noting

Debbie Jones’ youngest son, eighth grader Tre Jones, starts tryouts with the Apple Valley High School varsity on November 11. She said Tre will know after the first week of practice whether he made the team — as older brother Tyus did as an eighth grader.

The Timberwolves play the Sixers tonight who have a preseason roster that includes former Gophers Royce White and Rodney Williams. White leads the Sixers in personal fouls per game, 4.25. In five games he is averaging five points. Williams has played in one game for 19 minutes and didn’t score but had one block, rebound and assist.

Look for the Vikings to honor Cris Carter at their home game on November 7 against the Redskins. The former wide receiver was enshrined earlier this year in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Despite the combined dismal 1-10 record of the Vikings and Giants, their Monday night game was the most watched NFL telecast on ESPN in three weeks, according to a story yesterday on Sportsmediawatch.com.

Fans are welcome at the Gopher Gridiron Luncheon program starting at 11:30 a.m. on Friday at Jax Café in northeast Minneapolis. The program includes a Gophers coach and two players with Mike Grimm as emcee. More information is available at GoalLineClub.com. Membership in the Goal Line Club is not required to attend the luncheon which previews Minnesota’s game at home on Saturday against Nebraska.

A hockey source requesting anonymity told Sports Headliners that Wild owner Craig Leipold’s “patience” with coach Mike Yeo may not last more than a few more weeks. “They should be (playing) better than they are,” the source said earlier this week before the Wild defeated Nashville 2-0 last night.

The Wild is 4-3-3 in the first few weeks of the season. Not only is the win total disappointing but the team isn’t reaching its potential in creating “scoring chances,” the source said. The Wild had one goal last night until scoring on an empty net with 24 seconds remaining.

This is Yeo’s first NHL employment as a head coach and third season with the Wild. The team made the playoffs last season after a five year absence but the source suggested the Wild isn’t playing at last year’s level when the final record was a mediocre 26-19-2.

With a ho-hum start, the Wild has been behind the Vikings, Gophers football and even the Timberwolves (season hasn’t started) in generating local sports interest.

Sam Warning, the Gophers 21-year-old junior wing, is tied for the nation’s scoring lead in points with Kevin Roy from Northeastern. Warning has nine points in four games after scoring 23 last season in 29 games. He is the first Missouri native to ever play for the Gophers.

The Gophers men’s and women’s hockey teams are ranked No. 1 in the country in the USCHO.com polls.

Daydreaming about the Twins? What if the front office used some Target Field revenues to acquire Tigers stopper Max Scherzer who is expected to sign with another MLB team during the offseason. Scherzer in a Twins uniform gives the club a No. 1 starting pitcher and signing with Minnesota weakens Central Division rival Detroit. Thoughts of a starting staff in a few years of Scherzer as the No. 1 guy, Alex Meyer No. 2 and Kyle Gibson No. 3 is intriguing.

Yesterday’s announcement that Paul Molitor will join the coaching staff with responsibilities that include in-game strategy leaves Twins followers wondering just how “hot” Ron Gardenhire’s manager seat is.

Local business leaders Dave Mona and Susan Adams Loyd are volunteer co-chairs for the National Senior Games to be held at various Twin Cities venues during July of 2015. The National Senior Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world for adults 50 and over, and 12,000 athletes and 30,000 guests are expected to attend the 2015 gathering. Loyd competes in track and field events for seniors, while Mona’s sports interests include co-hosting WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle.”

Comments Welcome

Sooners Interested in U RB Target Jones

Posted on October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 by David Shama

Oklahoma is the latest school to show interest in Washburn High School running back Jeff Jones. Washburn coach Giovan Jenkins told Sports Headliners the Sooners contacted him last week about Jones, the Rivals.com four-star running back who remains verbally committed to the Gophers.

“The Gophers will always be No. 1 until someone else shows something different that he can’t get at home,” Jenkins said. “He is a hometown kid who loves the thought of being a superstar in his home state. He loves the idea of being the next guy having the whole state on his side.”

The senior running back, who Rivals.com reports is the only four-star player to commit so far to the Gophers for the class of 2014, scored seven touchdowns last week to increase his season total to 24. “He’s having a phenomenal senior year,” Jenkins said. “He‘s on track for over 40 touchdowns.”

Jenkins believes Jones’ statistics, that include a career best 28 touchdowns as a sophomore, may have been what first prompted interest by national power Oklahoma, a program whose former great running backs include Adrian Peterson. “He probably reminds them of No. 28,” Jenkins said.

Jones spoke with Oklahoma assistant coach Cale Gundy on Monday night. Jenkins said the Sooners want to review Jones’ academic records before making an offer. Jenkins said his star running back is “on track to graduate.”

Worth Noting

The other Minnesota prep named Jones who is being highly recruited is Apple Valley point guard Tyus Jones. It’s speculated Jones will make Duke his college choice but maybe not. Jones is likely to keep his pact to attend the same school with Jahlil Okafor, the Chicago Whitney High School center. But does Okafor want to accept a scholarship to Duke where forward and former Chicago prep rival Jabari Parker is already a freshman?

Speculation is Okafor likes the Kansas coaches and perhaps leans toward a November commitment to the Jayhawks. But does Jones want to play in the Big 12 Conference where the Jayhawks’ rivals will include Baylor? The Bears’ coaching staff includes Jared Nuness who is a friend and relative of Jones.

Okafor and Jones might have their reasons for cancelling out Duke and Kansas. Could Baylor be the compromise choice?

Rivals.com rates Okafor the No. 1 national recruit in the class of 2014. Jones is No. 5.

Last Sunday games involving the Twins (Fox Sports North) and Vikings (WCCO TV) were televised in the local marketplace with dramatic differences in viewership. The Twins, ending a 66-96 season, had a 0.8 rating while the Vikings number was 33.

Byron Buxton, named this week by the Twins as the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year, backs up the hype about his extraordinary speed. He led all of minor league baseball in triples this year with 18 and was 12^th in stolen bases at 55. Buxton, who played in 125 total games with Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers, was also selected by Baseball America as its Minor League Player of the Year.

Sports Headliners’ Big Ten football power rankings: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Northwestern, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Penn State, Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue.

NHL authority Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners he’s taking a wait-and-see approach with the Wild who open the regular season tomorrow night at Xcel Energy Center against the Kings. Whether the Wild improve over last season’s 26-19-3 record depends on how young players “produce,” Nanne said. He mentioned 21-year-old forwards Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter, and defenseman Jonas Brodin, 20, referring to Coyle and Brodin as potential stars.

Nanne, a University of Minnesota alum, is involved with the new fundraising campaign to raise $190 million for Gophers facilities. He said a campaign announcement could come in three weeks.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino said yesterday he has 13 players practicing and is looking to add one or two walk-ons. He also said the NCAA hasn’t informed the Gophers yet whether Drake transfer Joey King will be eligible this season or have to sit out a year.

Pitino on former Gophers coach Tubby Smith: “He is one of the better teachers of fundamentals in the game.”

Local high school basketball authority Chris Monter describes Seattle prep Josh Martin as a “physical player” who can score inside. “He’s not a great athlete but a good athlete,” Monter said about the power forward who verbally committed to the Gophers this week.

ESPN.com dropped Martin, who makes only about half his free throws, from a four-star to two-star player. “His AAU team did not have a good summer,” Monter said.

News conference overload: The Gophers men’s hockey team will have a news conference this afternoon to preview the coming season. That will be the last of six local news conferences that started late Monday morning with the Timberwolves and included the Twins, Vikings, and Gophers football and basketball.

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Iowa Recruiter Put Down Gophers

Posted on September 27, 2013September 27, 2013 by David Shama

Gophers, Vikings and other notes leading up to the first official fall football weekend:

When Rodrick Williams was in high school his college football choices came down to Minnesota and Iowa. He told an Iowa recruiter he was interested in the Gophers.

“What he told me was, ‘I thought you liked to win.’ He laughed at me,” Williams said earlier this month. “So then it got in my head I am going to go to Minnesota and we’re going to beat Iowa. Let him know we’re the ones winning.”

Two years ago Williams was being recruited out of Lewisville, Texas. Back then the Gophers were experiencing what would turn out to be their second consecutive 3-9 season. Iowa, though, had records of 11-2 in 2009, 8-5 in 2010 and 7-6 in 2011.

Iowa was 4-8 last season while Minnesota finished 6-7 including the Gophers’ first bowl game appearance since 2009. This year Iowa is 3-1 and Minnesota 4-0 in nonconference games.

Williams, a sophomore running back, didn’t play last season when the Hawkeyes defeated the Gophers 31-13 in Iowa City. But Williams is expected to play tomorrow when Iowa comes to Minneapolis. He is the second leading Minnesota rusher with 277 yards.

Williams and the other Gophers are excited about tomorrow. The two teams are playing in their 2013 Big Ten Conference opening game. The winner of the annual border rivalry gets to keep Floyd of Rosedale, the bronze pig and trophy that dates back to 1935.

“I’ve been thinking about the Iowa game since this summer,” Williams said. “Try to get the pig back.”

Both programs want to move past recent mediocre seasons, making this perhaps the most important Minnesota-Iowa game in years. The winner makes a statement about not being suspect No. 1 to finish last in the Legends Division that also includes Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Northwestern — all teams considered superior in personnel to Minnesota and Iowa.

The winner of tomorrow’s game, of course, will dream bigger than just avoiding a last place finish in the division. In September there are ambitions about winning a lot of conference games and earning a trip to a big-time bowl.

And then there’s the emotion of the Iowa-Minnesota rivalry. Minnesota students annually chant, “We hate Iowa!” In recent days Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner said he’s heard those three words on campus. “It’s all in good fun,” Leidner said.

Leidner, the Gophers’ redshirt freshman starting quarterback, will play in his first Iowa-Minnesota game. The importance of it, the atmosphere on campus, the sellout crowd and Floyd of Rosedale have him looking forward to kickoff. “It’s going to be awesome,” Leidner said. “Can’t wait.”

Leidner also said he has a close relationship with his teammates and has fun with them. “I wrestle Isaac Hayes quite a bit. There was one night that I pinned him five times in a row.”

Senior safety Brock Vereen said the Gophers don’t want their emotions to overtake their decision making against Iowa. “Sometimes it’s good to have emotion. Sometimes it’s not,” Vereen said. “Too much of it is a bad thing.”

Gophers coach Jerry Kill doesn’t seem too concerned about his team being distracted and not able to execute assignments tomorrow. “We’ve had enough distractions and things around here for a lifetime for the last two years,” Kill said. “…When we have control of them (the players) I feel very good about it. When we don’t have them and they’re not here, you worry about them if you’re playing Iowa or anybody.

“You don’t sleep when you’re in charge of 115 players. It doesn’t matter who you play, or what you do, you’re uncomfortable.”

Minnesota defeated Western Illinois two weeks ago, a team with a similar offense to Iowa’s. “Even though the personnel is very different, just to have the same looks and stuff…it will give us a lot more confidence going forward,” Vereen said. “But at the same time you can’t really compare the personnel.”

If you judge the personnel of Iowa and Minnesota by comparing players named to preseason awards candidates lists, the Hawkeyes are superior. Iowa linebacker James Morris and Minnesota tackle Ra’Shede Hageman are both being considered for the Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy, annually awarded to the nation’s best defensive player. The Gophers’ Williams is a candidate for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award given to the player who best exhibits the on and off the field characteristics of Campbell.

But Iowa’s Mark Weisman is on the Doak Walker list for best running back, Mike Meyer is a candidate for the Groza Award recognizing the top placekicker, C.J. Fiedorowicz could win the Mackey Award for best tight end, and not only is Morris up for the Butkus Award given to the best linebacker but so, too, are linebacker teammates Anthony Hitchens and Christian Kirksey. That’s six Hawkeyes to two Gophers.

Unlike many observers, former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton doesn’t agree the team’s offensive line is playing subpar. He told Sports Headliners that defenses are crowding the line of scrimmage, making it more difficult for Adrian Peterson to rush for big yards. “You should be able to stretch the field,” Dalton said.

The line has been criticized for not only run blocking but also allowing too much pressure from pass rushers on quarterback Christian Ponder. But Dalton said the pressure is often caused by Ponder who needs to more quickly find a receiver, or throw the ball away. Instead, Ponder frequently holds the ball too long in the pocket.

The potential is present to “stretch the field.” Dalton likes the receiver group of tight end Kyle Rudolph, 2012 carryover wide receiver Jerome Simpson and offseason wide receiver acquisitions Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson.

The 0-3 Vikings play the 0-3 Steelers in London on Sunday. Because of a rib injury, Ponder isn’t expected to play and will be replaced by Matt Cassel who started eight of 16 games for the Chiefs last year. He threw 12 interceptions and six touchdown passes.

The Steelers are led by former Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh’s head coach since 2007. He is a boss who Matt Spaeth admires.

“I love him,” Spaeth told Sports Headliners this week. “I don’t think it gets much better. He’s very real, speaks the truth. He always knows the right thing to say whether it’s good, bad or indifferent. I’ve got a ton of respect for the guy.”

Spaeth, the former Gophers tight end from St. Michael, Minnesota, is on injured reserve. He has an injured right foot and has been unable to play in any games in what is supposed to be his seventh NFL season.

Spaeth doesn’t know when he will return to game action and although he has been rehabbing after surgery, he isn’t even running yet. “Trust me. It’s a very difficult time for me,” Spaeth said. “All the injuries I’ve had, I’ve never had an injury like this. It’s tough to watch (my teammates). I could be helping these guys. I want to be out there showing what I am capable of.”

Spaeth said the Steelers have been making too many turnovers. “Ball security has to be job No. 1,” he said.

A few years ago former Gophers basketball coach Tubby Smith said, “I don’t do the tweet.” But now Smith, soon starting his first season as Texas Tech head coach, has a Twitter account, @coachTubbySmith. He has sent eight tweets and has 13,776 followers but is following no one on Twitter.

The Timberwolves will have their media day in Minneapolis on Monday, then four days of training camp at Minnesota State, Mankato. The Tuesday through Friday practices are closed to the public.

The latest D3football.com poll has Bethel ranked No. 5, St. Thomas No. 6 and Saint John’s No. 21. Bethel plays at Carleton in a MIAC game on Saturday while St. Thomas has a bye.

Saint John’s takes on Concordia in its first conference home game under new head coach Gary Fasching.

Twins rookie catcher Josmil Pinto homered last night in the 6-5 loss to the Indians. It was his fourth home run in 80 at bats for Minnesota.

Rookie Michael Tonkin pitched in relief last evening and hasn’t allowed an earned run in 10.1 innings.

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