Recruiting – Page 89 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Tim Brewster Recruits U Target

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

Although former Gophers head coach Tim Brewster is recruiting Jeff Jones, the four-star Washburn High School running back remains committed to Minnesota, according to Giovan Jenkins.

Jenkins said Brewster, now an assistant coach at Florida State, started recruiting Jones early this summer. Jenkins, who starts his fifth season as Washburn head coach later this month, told Sports Headliners he doesn’t think Florida State will be where Jones attends college.

“He is still staying with his commitment to Minnesota as we speak,” Jenkins said. “He just wants to go through his senior year with an open mind (about other schools). Coach (Jerry) Kill has done a great job in developing a relationship with him. I think Minnesota is a good fit for him.”

Jenkins, who thinks chances are good Jones will ultimately choose the Gophers, said Iowa State is probably No. 2 on the list of possible college destinations.

Jones has been a starter for the Millers since ninth grade. He is the only Rivals.com four-star commit the Gophers have so far in their class of 2014.

Jenkins has another outstanding running back in Raymonte Maynard who has a scholarship offer from North Dakota. Other mid-major programs are interested too.

The Millers have won 12 consecutive City titles. “I expect to win our 13^th straight,” Jenkins said. Washburn, 8-3 overall last season, begins practice on August 12 and has its first game against St. Paul Highland Park August 30.

Worth Noting

Apple Valley’s Tyus Jones, along with Jahlil Okafor from Chicago, and Justise Winslow from Houston, are three of the best senior prep basketball players in the country and they will visit Baylor in Waco, Texas over Labor Day weekend. It’s been known for some time that Jones and Okafor will likely play at the same college but because Winslow is from Texas there is a possibility all three will be at Baylor for the 2014-15 season. Jones has a strong relationship with Baylor director of player development Jared Nuness who is a distant cousin.

The TPC Twin Cities, site of this weekend’s 3M Championship, has “27 bodies of water,” according to the golf course’s website. Asked about a make or break hole, Nick Price said: “Seventeen is probably a pivotal hole, especially when they put the pin in the back left-hand portion of the green, and you have any kind of wind.

“Those last two holes with the water; they’ll get your attention. The eighteenth hole is always very tempting. It’s like a carrot in front of the donkey. You know if you can get it over the water you have a good chance of making birdie.”

Price, who in the 1990s won more PGA Tour tournaments than anyone in the world, is among the name players competing at the Champions Tour event in Blaine. He’s a fan of the TCP Twin Cities. “This is a really, really good golf course. It’s almost a perfect venue for us, the seniors, because it’s the right length. The guys love the golf course. That’s why you always get such a good field.”

The 3M is only Price’s third tournament since having tennis elbow surgery to remove scar tissue. This will be the first tournament where he’s been able to practice in advance, hitting 150 balls per day.

Price said seniors enjoy the notoriety of the Champions Tour. “When you get to 45, 46, your tenure on the regular tour is done. You’ve past your sell-by date.”

New Vikings backup quarterback Matt Cassel played first and third base in high school in California, and was drafted by baseball’s Oakland A’s. His mother, Barbara, is a set director in Hollywood.

Ryan Santoso, the Gophers freshman punter and kicker who is on scholarship, had 46 touchbacks in 48 kickoffs at Pace High School in Pace, Florida. Walk-on freshman kicker Justin Juenemann made 80 percent of his career field goal attempts of between 40 and 50 yards at Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg, Kansas.

Gophers hockey coach Don Lucia plans to run in the Twin Cities Marathon on October 6 to benefit Defending the Blue Line, the nonprofit organization dedicated to financially helping children of military members participate in hockey.

Despite being in last place in the AL Central Division and losing four games in a row, the Twins are drawing near capacity crowds at Target Field. In yesterday’s 7-2 loss to the Royals, the Twins drew 35,448, their fifth crowd of over 35,000 in the last seven home games.

Twins batters struck out 30 times in the three-game series with the Royals. They have struck out 65 times in the last six games.

Scott Diamond, yesterday’s losing pitcher, is now 5-10 for the season and has lost four straight. After the game he and center fielder Aaron Hicks were optioned to Triple-A Rochester and outfielder Oswaldo Arcia was recalled from the Red Wings.

Justin Morneau hit his ninth home run of the season yesterday and No. 213 of his Twins career moving him within seven of Tony Oliva and No. 3 on the all-time Minnesota list.

The new Sanford Pentagon facility in Sioux Falls will host the preseason Timberwolves-Bucks game on October 10, and also a regular season college game between the Badgers and the St. John’s Red Storm on November 8.

The new Minnesota Poker Hall of Fame will be located at Canterbury Park. No inductees have been announced but the first honorees will be recognized on October 4 at the Shakopee gaming facility.

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Lurtsema Predicts 11-5 Record for Vikes

Posted on July 31, 2013July 31, 2013 by David Shama

Former Viking Bob Lurtsema, who remains close to the team, predicts Minnesota will finish 11-5 this season after a 10-6 record in 2012. Even rosier is Lurtsema’s opinion that before the Metrodome is demolished next winter, the last football event there could be the NFC Championship Game hosted by the Vikings who might need to win more than 11 regular season games to play in Minneapolis.

“That’s very realistic (hosting the title game),” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “You gotta realize when they were 6-6 last year they (the players) came together. That’s only the second time in Minnesota Viking history that they won the last four games.”

The Vikings won those regular season games before losing to the Packers in the playoffs, and giving Lurtsema confidence about continued improvement by Minnesota is the attitude of the players. “A lot of times you can preach and preach and nobody listens. But they’re listening now and they came together, and they believe in themselves. …They have that self-motivation.”

Two years ago Lurstema predicted the Vikings would win “five or six” games. They won three. Last July he told Sports Headliners 10-6 was going to be the record and the team’s first playoff appearance in three years was possible.

Now, Lurtsema said, the Vikings could not only finish with an 11-5 or better record but have at least a share of the NFC North title. “Yup. I know I bleed purple…but I am a realist.”

Lurtsema almost gushes about the team’s offense, “There’s not a negative.” He said fans are down on quarterback Christian Ponder but criticism was too harsh last season because “he didn’t have any receivers to throw to.” That situation changes now with a healthy Jerome Simpson and the acquisition of Greg Jennings, both talented veteran wide receivers.

Lurtsema likes the total package of the offense including tight end Kyle Rudolph, running back Adrian Peterson and an offensive line that impressed last season, but on defense he thinks the Vikings are more suspect. He frets about how effective both the defensive line and secondary will be.

Worth Noting

Lurtsema believes it’s time for starting cornerback Chris Cook, now 26 and heading into his fourth NFL season, to reward the Vikings for their patience with him. Two years ago Cook missed much of the season because of domestic violence charges. Although he was later acquitted, the incident was a setback to his career.

“Chris Cook has got to be awful, awful good,” Lurtsema said. “They (the organization) stuck with him. The players didn’t like that a couple years ago, when they paid his salary and (he) took up a roster spot. Players weren’t real happy about that at all. …I think all the coaches saw how good he really is.”

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier joins Steve Forbes, Rudy Giuliani, Larry King and other speakers on August 27 at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the “Success 2013 Minneapolis” motivational event, according to full page ads appearing in the Star Tribune. Frazier’s talk is titled “How to Lead Your Team to Victory.”

As a group the Gophers linebackers roster is inexperienced with only two seniors, one junior and 10 freshmen and sophomores but coach Jerry Kill is “optimistic” about the potential. “Athletically we’re gifted there,” Kill told the media yesterday.

Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” on Sunday that junior college transfer linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who will have three seasons of eligibility with the Gophers, turned down offers from Texas and Kansas State after deciding not to attend Tennessee following a coaching change there last fall.

Kill said yesterday that highly publicized freshman quarterback Chris Streveler will work at wide receiver and QB when practices begin later this week. “Chris is a pretty intelligent guy,” Kill said about learning both positions.

Sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson thinks wide receivers Isaac Fruechte and Derrick Engle could be two of his best targets in the deep passing game. The Gophers’ first practice will be on Friday in preparation for their opening game against UNLV August 29 at TCF Bank Stadium.

Marcus Fuller, the Pioneer Press Gophers basketball writer, said on 1500 ESPN Monday he believes Rashad Vaughn is the most likely to attend Minnesota of the 2014 prep big three of Tyus Jones, Travis Reid and Vaughn. My opinion: there is no better than a 25 percent chance the Gophers will have one of the three commit to Minnesota.

As of now there is no Upper Midwest plan to televise the Gophers game at New Mexico State in Las Cruces on September 7. The game is scheduled to be televised in parts of the Southwest including Comcast in New Mexico and Fox Sports Net Houston.

In its updated rankings of prospects, MLB.com has Twins minor leaguers Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano ranked No. 1 and 3 among all players in major league systems. But Twins fans may want to hold back the enthusiasm for awhile because becoming successful in the big leagues takes time. Before the season Oswaldo Arcia was rated the organization’s fifth best prospect while Aaron Hicks was No. 6. Arcia, after two trials with the Twins, is back at Triple-A Rochester while Hicks is hitting .194 for Minnesota despite being the regular center fielder.

Nice to see Minneapolis receive attention in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Logo unveiled yesterday depicting the downtown skyline. Hennepin County made the public financing possible to build Target Field.

The economic impact of the All-Star Game was $191.5 million in New York this year and $60 million in Kansas City in 2012, according to Rhett Bollinger’s 2014 logo story yesterday on Mlb.com.

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Jones Undecided on U Official Visit

Posted on July 26, 2013July 26, 2013 by David Shama

Tyus Jones isn’t sure about making an official recruiting visit to the University of Minnesota, according to his mother Debbie Jones.

The family has made unofficial visits to Minnesota in the past to become acquainted with the Gophers’ basketball program. “We have talked about it (the official visit) but not decided,” Debbie told Sports Headliners on Wednesday.

The Gophers are on the Apple Valley High School point guard’s current list of possible college destinations along with Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State. There had been seven schools but Debbie said, “Ohio State is no longer recruiting Tyus.”

The National Collegiate Athletic Association allows a recruit to make five official visits to schools. An official visit is paid for by the school while an unofficial is at the family’s expense.

The first official visit by Tyus will be to Baylor in late August. Baylor director of player development Jared Nuness is a distant cousin of Tyus who is the Rivals.com No. 2 prospect in the country for the class of 2014.

Official visits by Tyus are planned for August, September and October with dates and schools beyond Baylor to be determined. High school seniors can sign National Letters of Intent with colleges in November, or they can wait until the following spring for a second period of signing dates. Asked by Sports Headliners on Sunday if Tyus will sign in November, his mom said: “I think so.”

Worth Noting

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners the 2014 All-Star Game logo will be revealed next Tuesday at Target Field. Among those present for the unveiling will be officials from Major League Baseball.

The Twins will host the first ever All-Star Game at Target Field on July 15, 2014. The franchise hosted All-Star Games in 1965 at Met Stadium and 1985 in the Metrodome.

During the 2012 and 2013 baseball seasons Target Field has been the site of Kenny Chesney concerts drawing crowds of more than 42,000. No decision has been made on a concert for next year including type of music or date. “We’re likely to host one major show (in 2014),” St. Peter said. “It’s likely to be post-All-Star Game.”

St. Peter also said the Twins are “hopeful” about hosting the NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2015 but that will be the final decision of the Wild and National Hockey League. Both the Wild and Twins have long been interested in bringing the Classic to Minnesota where the local NHL team would play against an opponent to be announced, perhaps the Blackhawks.

St. Peter is co-coach of an Eden Prairie travelling baseball team for 15 year olds that includes twin sons Ben and Eric. Asked about their prospects of playing college baseball, St. Peter said they inherited their dad’s slowness of foot.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said he and his wife enjoyed a one-week vacation in Carmel, California. The Vikings reported to training camp at Minnesota State Mankato yesterday with the first practice today.

Frazier on whether it’s fair for observers to tie so much of the expectations about the Vikings to starting quarterback Christian Ponder: “It’s a team game and we need a lot of guys to step up. We definitely need Christian just to continue to improve, but we need the rest of our offense, our defense, our special teams, to improve as well.

“And if we all improve across the board we’ll be a better football team and we’ll have a chance of reaching our goals as a team. It’s not fair to say we’ll only go as far as Christian will take us. We have a lot of people that have to play well also.”

Frazier said the team will practice today and tomorrow, take Sunday off and then be in pads for the first time on Monday and for the duration of training camp in Mankato.

Chris Burke, writing last Tuesday for S.I.com, ranked new Viking Matt Cassel as the fifth best backup quarterback in the NFL. Burke said Cassel was “awful” last season for the Chiefs but played on a bad team. He noted Cassel was outstanding in 2010 for the Chiefs and 2008 for the Patriots. “A lot of time has passed since then but Cassel has more NFL on-field experience than just about anyone on this list,” Burke wrote.

Kyle Orton of the Cowboys is Burke’s No. 1 followed by Matt Moore (Dolphins), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Titans) and Matt Hasselbeck (Colts).

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill meets with the media next Tuesday with the opening practice for his team on Thursday. Four practices including the August 10 scrimmage (start time 4:40 p.m.) at TCF Bank Stadium are open to the public. More details at Gophersports.com. The Gophers open their season at home on August 29 against UNLV.

Will Rakeem Buckles transfer to the Gophers after finishing summer school at Florida International where new Minnesota basketball boss Richard Pitino coached last season? The 6-7 forward sat out last season after transferring from Louisville and could play this fall at Minnesota as a graduate student if the NCAA approves.

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