RICHARD PITINO – Page 29 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

ESPN’s Mark May: Gophers to Go 9-3

Posted on September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 by David Shama

Longtime ESPN football analyst Mark May told Sports Headliners last night he believes the Gophers will finish the season with a 9-3 regular season record. May made the prediction at TCF Bank Stadium prior to kickoff but he indicated win or lose he is buying into the program, saying a “win tonight catapults them into the national title picture.”

The Gophers lost 23-16 to No. 2 ranked TCU, a team that was 12-1 a year ago and a favorite to win the national championship. Nobody will have Minnesota in national title discussions anytime soon but May expects the Gophers to be better than last year’s 8-4 team and to contend for the West Division championship in the Big Ten Conference.

May praised Minnesota’s fifth-year coach Jerry Kill who inherited a bottom-feeder program in 2011. “I think you’ve got the right guy, for the right job,” he said about Kill who has made a career out of rebuilding programs.

There’s no reason for Gophers fans to be too discouraged about last night’s loss, despite the usual irrational comments from some disappointed fans who had unrealistic expectations. TCU is one of college football’s best teams and was favored by about 16 points. The Gophers, not even ranked in the top 25 nationally in polls, came within seven points of winning. Near the game’s conclusion Minnesota was within one long touchdown of tying the game and going ahead with an extra point.

Minnesota’s defense, predicted to be among the best in the Big Ten, exceeded expectations. TCU averaged 46.5 points per game last season and returns 10 of 11 starters including Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Trevone Boykin. But the Horned Frogs could produce only two touchdowns and three field goals last night. One of the touchdowns came after Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner fumbled, setting up an easy Horned Frogs touchdown starting at the Gophers’ 15 yard line.

Playmakers on defense were numerous including true freshman outside linebacker Julian Huff who made an impact rushing Boykin. Another Gopher in his debut game, redshirt sophomore middle linebacker Cody Poock, had seven tackles. Redshirt senior cornerback Briean-Boddy Calhoun made nine tackles (seven solo).

As expected, the Gophers’ offense looked like a project and the challenge of producing points was made more difficult playing without two of the best offensive linemen, redshirt senior tackle-guard Josh Campion and redshirt junior tackle Ben Lauer. The blocking was inconsistent, a word that described the work of the entire offense.

The Gophers are in search of playmakers and are without two of their stars from 2014, running back David Cobb and tight end Maxx Williams who have moved on to the NFL. Last night senior wide receiver KJ Maye caught four passes for 73 yards including a 22-yard catch in the fourth quarter that made the score 23-17. Redshirt freshman running back Rodney Smith showed changes of speed and elusiveness in the open field like Cobb did last season. Smith, replacing senior Rodrick Williams whose first half fumble in the TCU was another game-changing miscue, ran for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Redshirt junior quarterback Mitch Leidner was impressive at times including on that late fourth quarter drive putting his team within seven points of going ahead. He completed 19 of 25 passes for 197 yards. He had some poor throws but despite challenging moments he demonstrated leadership and a strong will.

On both sides of the ball last night, and on special teams, the Gophers showed grit. That will be a key ingredient if they’re to make good on May’s prediction of a 9-3 season.

Worth Noting

Scout ranks the Gophers No. 35 in the national recruiting listings for 2016. Under Kill Minnesota has never finished that high in the rankings. Ryan Burns, publisher for Scout’s GopherDigest.com, told Sports Headliners the close game last night is “something they (Gophers recruiters) can point to” in building further momentum.

Burns said nine players the Gophers are recruiting will be on campus for the Michigan game at TCF Bank Stadium on October 31, Halloween night.

TCF Bank Stadium football capacity is 52,525 but a record crowd of 54,147 attended the game including fans who paid $40 for standing-room only tickets.

The M Club Room in the stadium where University of Minnesota letter winners and their friends and families socialize for Gophers games can accommodate about 200 people. On the walls are the names of about 7,000 individuals who have lettered in athletics at Minnesota.

The fourth season of selling beer and wine at the stadium for Gophers football games began last night. The commission revenues the previous three years were: $185,023, $325,567, and $557,597 last season. Athletic department spokesman Chris Werle said alcohol is provided as a service to fans and issued this statement via e-mail:

“Our philosophy is to provide the best in-game experience to our many fans and given that we reside in a market with multiple professional sports teams that serve beer at their events, our fans prefer that we do as well.”

Sports Illustrated describes the Vikings as “the sleeper’s sleeper” in its NFL preview issue that came out this week. The magazine predicts the Vikings, 7-9 last season, will finish at 10-6 and in second place in the NFC North but will just miss the playoffs. Writer Chris Burke praises the defense but frets about the offensive line.

S.I. forecasts the Packers winning the division at 12-4, followed by the Vikings, Lions (8-10) and Bears (3-13). The Ravens will defeat the Seahawks in Super Bowl 50.

College basketball coaches are cautious about the number of quality opponents they schedule for nonconference games. Gophers fans want to see nonconference games between Minnesota coach Richard Pitino and his father, Louisville coach Rick Pitino. It probably doesn’t enhance the likelihood of a multi-game series between the two now that Louisville has made a three-year commitment to play Indiana in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Gophers prep basketball recruits Eric Curry and Amir Coffey attended last night’s Minnesota-TCU football game on official visits to campus. Curry, a power forward from Little Rock, is a Rivals.com three-star recruit while Coffey, the shooting guard from Hopkins High School, is a four-star.

During the last school year 989 MIAC student-athletes were academic all-conference, achieving at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average. More than 6,000 athletes—over 70 percent of them coming from the state of Minnesota—are expected to participate in MIAC sports again in 2015-2016.

The first game of the season involving an MIAC football team was played last night when Bethel won a nonconference matchup at Wisconsin-Stout, 35-20 as the Royals rallied with three fourth quarter touchdowns. Saint John’s, the preseason favorite to win the MIAC title as voted in a coaches poll, opens at home on Saturday against Buena Vista in another nonconference game.

Morning show host Dave Lee congratulated Sid Hartman earlier this week on his 60th anniversary of being on WCCO Radio. Hartman, who has been writing for Minneapolis newspapers even longer, turned 95 last March.

Wild regular season single game tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. on September 19, exclusively at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office. Beginning at noon that day, they will also be available at Ticketmaster locations and Wild.com. Tickets for preseason games are on sale now.

The four newest members of the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame will be honored in a ceremony Saturday. They are former jockey Tad Leggett; Minneapolis Star Tribune sports reporter Rachel Blount; state veterinarian Dr. Richard Bowman; and retired thoroughbred Wally’s Choice who ranks third all-time in earnings at Canterbury. “Wally the Beer Man” (Wally McNeil) and his wife Joyce McNeil and Canterbury Park board chair Curtis Sampson have been longtime owners of Wally’s Choice.

Comments Welcome

U Not Switching Prize QB to Defense

Posted on August 7, 2015August 7, 2015 by David Shama

The Gophers have their first official practice today and in the weeks ahead it will be interesting to watch the quarterbacks. All of Dinkytown knows redshirt junior Mitch Leidner is the starter but what will the pecking order be behind him? Will fans see prize freshman Demry Croft this season?

Jerry Kill made it clear earlier this week Croft will remain a quarterback. “He’s a guy that played receiver but we’re not doing that,” the Minnesota head coach said.

The 6-5 Croft was a wide receiver at Boylan High School in Rockford, Illinois before switching to quarterback. Kill, who said after signing Croft to a National Letter of Intent last winter that the young QB was a “steal,” is high on the 18-year-old’s athleticism and poise. Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys has even asked about Croft’s availability for defense.

“I know coach Claeys would like to have him over on defense, so any time he does that, that means he’s a pretty good athlete,” Kill said. “I informed coach Claeys that will not happen.”

Kill told Sports Headliners that Claeys thought the 198-pound Croft could add weight and with his athleticism become a defensive end. Kill has made defense the priority at Minnesota but he’s keeping Croft at his present position. Scout.com ranked Croft No. 1 among Illinois senior prep quarterbacks.

Last spring offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover raved about Croft. “We feel like the sky’s the limit for him,” Limegrover said.

Kill will think about redshirting Croft—just like many programs do with true freshmen quarterbacks. Redshirt sophomore Chris Streveler was last season’s No. 2 quarterback and also during spring practices. He is a gifted runner who Kill said is one of the five fastest players on the team. During offseason informal workouts, Kill told Streveler to not only work on passing but also catching the ball.

“We may practice him a little bit there to see what he does, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to play him at wide receiver,” Kill said. “I just want to make that clear.”

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jacques Perra impressed Limegrover in spring practices. He’s a superior passer to Streveler, and the former walk-on from Roseville High School could some day be the No. 2 quarterback behind Leidner. Limegrover likes the consistency of Perra who during his senior season at Roseville threw for over 3,100 yards and had 35 touchdowns.

Leidner is the No. 1 quarterback and the Gophers are hopeful the former Lakeville South standout will impress with his passing this fall. He attended the famous Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana this summer and it was a growth experience for him. “He was a different kid when he came back from Manning’s camp,” Kill said. “He was down there with some of the best (college quarterbacks).”

How Leidner looks in practices and early games starting with September 3 against No. 2 ranked TCU will be a big part of the storyline about the quarterbacks. Just like the QB depth chart behind him.

Worth Noting

There will be a couple of high profile names that likely will circulate fast online as Gophers fans think about who the University of Minnesota should consider for the next athletic director. Two names could be Tony Dungy, the former Gophers quarterback and Super Bowl winning coach, and Pete Najarian, the ex-Gophers linebacker and financial investing authority. (Read a lot more about the AD topic here on Monday).

Mick Tingelhoff, the former Vikings All-Pro center who made 240 consecutive career starts for the Vikings, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio tomorrow. Former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton, also a member of the Hall of Fame, will be his presenter. Live TV coverage of the ceremonies for the inductees, including Tingelhoff, starts at 6 p.m. Minneapolis time on the NFL Network.

The Vikings preseason Hall of Fame game on Sunday in Canton against the Steelers begins at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time. The game will be televised on NBC and KARE 11.

Richard Pitino’s basketball team leaves Monday for exhibition games in Spain. The Gophers will play against Spanish club teams and Pitino admitted he doesn’t know a lot about the competition. His coaching approach won’t be as intense as during the season, and part of the mission in Spain is to bond as a team. Planned activities on the trip include visiting the famous Barcelona soccer stadium and seeing a flamenco show in Madrid.

Pitino was asked about the recent announcement that Wisconsin’s legendary coach Bo Ryan will retire after next season. This spring the Badgers made it to the Final Four before losing to Duke in the national championship game. Ryan has coached the Badgers to a fourth place finish or better in the Big Ten during each of his 14 seasons in Madison. “What he accomplished was miraculous,” Pitino said.

Then the Minnesota coach laughed in telling a story. Prior to the 2015 Final Four, Pitino texted Ryan that he hoped for a Badgers NCAA championship—and that the coach would retire.

The Vikings have exclusive five-year rights to pursue a Major League Soccer team in the new downtown multipurpose stadium once it opens in 2016. However, Dr. Bill McGuire and his ownership group have emerged as the MLS favorite if Minneapolis-St. Paul is granted an expansion team. McGuire is trying to win approval from MLS by building an outdoor soccer stadium in the Twin Cities, but that doesn’t mean Vikings owners (the Wilfs) won’t consider promoting soccer exhibitions involving international teams in the new covered stadium.

With or without the Wilf family, the new U.S. Bank Stadium may host soccer, according to Lester Bagley. The Vikings executive vice president for stadium development told Sports Headliners the building’s management company, SMG, is interested in booking soccer matches.

Bagley said that while the Vikings are disappointed the MLS aligned with an outdoor stadium plan, they understand. “They want to play outdoors on grass, and God bless them. We’re supportive of MLS coming here and we’re supportive of what Dr. McGuire is trying to accomplish.”

Bagley said MLS soccer in U.S. Bank Stadium would have an “indoor-outdoor” feel because of the building’s 60 percent clear roof, and the five glass pivoting doors that will be 95 feet at their peaks and can be open weather allowing. Part of the Wilf’s plan for MLS soccer was a stadium curtaining system allowing seating setups for 20,000, 30,000 and 40,000 fans. The stadium will have a Vikings game day capacity of 66,000.

Gophers assistant head baseball coach Rob Fornasiere said the program will open its new 5,000 square feet indoor hitting and pitching facility later this year at Siebert Field. Gifts totaling $1 million from former Gopher and now Twins reliever Glen Perkins and ex-Gopher Dick McCullough (1964 national championship team) made the hitting and pitching facility possible. Perkins also contributed $125,000 toward construction of Siebert Field, Minnesota’s on-campus baseball home that opened in 2013.

Gophers baseball alums from 1956-1964 celebrated championships and other memories on Wednesday, playing golf at Dwan Golf Club in Bloomington, and with a party at one of the former player’s home. From 1956-1964 Minnesota won five Big Ten championships and had only one overall losing record. In 1956, 1960 and 1964 the Gophers won NCAA national championships.

Comments Welcome

Lots of Questions about U Basketball

Posted on August 5, 2015August 5, 2015 by David Shama

The Gophers basketball team leaves for Spain next week, with the practices and games expected to improve the players and increase chances for a successful Big Ten season in 2016. When the Gophers return to campus later in the month they may have more answers, but there will still be intriguing questions about the future.

NCAA rules allow a college basketball program to schedule a foreign trip every four years. Because of the trip to Spain this summer, Minnesota has 10 extra practices and a few exhibition games to help prepare for next season. Here is a list of questions Gophers fans could be asking.

Q. What direction is the program trending?

Minnesota was a disappointing 6-12 in Big Ten Conference regular season games last season. Preseason expectations had them at 8-8 or better but the Gophers struggled in close games, losing eight league games by six points or less. Minnesota was 18-15 overall and not only missed an invite to the NCAA Tournament but also didn’t return to the NIT where the Gophers won the championship in 2014.

With key returnees a year ago including guards Andre Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu—and building off the NIT championship—the Gophers looked like a solid bet for the NCAA Tournament. Instead, they struggled through the conference season, producing a record that was better than only three other league teams.

Starters Hollins, Mathieu and forward-center Mo Walker, three of the team’s better players, have used up their college eligibilities. The returning personnel has plenty to prove, just like the team’s newcomers. That’s why the Gophers are a popular pick to finish again near the bottom of the Big Ten next season.

Head coach Richard Pitino acknowledged at his news conference yesterday that the expectations for next season by fans are low. “We try to get better everyday,” he said.

Q. Who steps up for the Gophers?

Everyone needs to but hopes start with sophomore guard Nate Mason and senior guard-forward Carlos Morris. Pitino wrote on his blog that Mason has all-conference potential. He’s also written that Morris, a very athletic but inconsistent player, will have much to do with determining the team’s success.

The 16-man roster consists of two seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and six freshmen. “We’re so young,” Pitino said.

Forward Joey King, a returning starter, is the team’s other senior and poster boy for max effort. Pitino has to hope his mostly unproven roster of players emulates King, and that they all try to take away his title as Minnesota’s best overachiever.

The Gophers will need help from newcomers including four-star freshman guard Kevin Dorsey from Waldorf, Maryland. Minnesota’s incoming recruits were rated No. 11 in the Big Ten by 247sports.com, and Rivals.com had four teams from the league in its top 30 national recruiting rankings but not the Gophers. Pitino’s incoming class has an opportunity to prove it’s better than expected.

Q. Will the roster stabilize after recent turnover?

During the last 12 months three players with remaining eligibility have left the program—Zach Lofton, Josh Martin and Daquein McNeil. Lofton and Martin transferred to other schools while McNeil has legal issues. A fourth player, incoming freshman Jarvis Johnson, was determined unfit to play because of a heart condition. All four players were once seen as either starters or key contributors. This spring the Gophers also lost assistant coach Dan McHale who became head coach at Eastern Kentucky.

Pitino and his staff have brought in two important transfers from other college programs, center Reggie Lynch and forward Davonte Fitzgerald. They will be eligible for the 2016-2017 season when the Gophers, with more experience and probably proven talent, could have their best team in four seasons under Pitino. With only two seniors on the roster now, the 2016-2017 team will be a veteran group.

Q. Will the Gophers receive commitments from top in-state high school talent like Amir Coffey and Gary Trent Jr.?

Coffey, who will be a senior guard-forward this fall at Hopkins High School, and Trent, a junior guard at Apple Valley High School, are nationally-recruited players. In recent years the Gophers have flopped in efforts to convince the state’s best prep players to stay home and play in Dinkytown.

Minnesota has homegrown talent that can compete with the better high school players in the country. Not every year will offer a prep group like 2014 with Tyus Jones, Rashad Vaughn and Reid Travis, but there are exceptional high school players in this state each season.

The Gophers have a 2016 commitment from Rochester John Marshall forward Michael Hurt. That’s a step forward in closing the recruiting borders but the Gophers will have to do a lot more lockdown in coming years with players like Coffey and Trent and their successors. Minnesota’s potential to contend for Big Ten championships depends on it.

Q. Can Pitino answer the critics?

Pitino impressed with his coaching in his first season at Minnesota. His 2013-2014 team was 8-10 in the Big Ten and surprisingly won the NIT championship. The league record was the same as coach Tubby Smith’s last Minnesota team, a group with more talent than Pitino worked with.

The disappointment of last season has been documented but the last several months have triggered controversy, too. During the offseason Pitino’s name was rumored with job openings at St. John’s and Alabama. He was too slow in countering speculation and declaring his commitment to Minnesota, according to critics.

Does the 32-year-old Pitino want to coach here long-term? An East Coast guy, he had no connection to the state before leaving his head coaching job at Florida International in 2013. Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague has been all in on Pitino—giving him an opportunity in big time college coaching, and, according to recent media reports, he is boosting the coach’s pay by a reported $400,000 to $1.6 million.

Media and fans ask what Pitino did to earn the $400,000? If you read his contract, though, it calls for annual increases, even though the $400,000 amount is much more than the University is obligated to provide. Advocates for the pay boost argue it’s the cost of doing business in the “arms race” to retain coaches (see Alabama rumors).

Pitino’s popularity, as with any coach, will be tied to winning games but he could become more engaged with the public and media. If he wants a role model, there’s a guy named Jerry Kill who offices within several hundred feet of the basketball office.

Q. When will the Gophers upgrade the nonconference home schedule?

For years now—long before Pitino arrived—Williams Arena has been the state’s largest “bakery” in November and December when the Gophers serve up a schedule of “cupcake” opponents. Yes, it’s understood all Big Ten teams do a lot of this “bakery” stuff to win enough games to make the NCAA Tournament. But the Gophers nonconference scheduling annually ranks with the most unappealing in the Big Ten and is a deterrent to buying season tickets.

In a competitive sports market, the Gophers need to upgrade the pre-Big Ten home schedule with a couple of big-time opponents that are in addition to those provided by the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. This December the Gophers play Oklahoma State in Sioux Falls in a neutral court nonconference game. Minnesota fans are being encouraged to make “the short drive” to Sioux Falls to see the game against the Big 12’s Cowboys. Sorry, that doesn’t count as an upgrade, critics respond.

Q. How much decline in fan interest could be ahead?

For years the Gophers program was among the most popular and lucrative in college basketball. Decades ago Minnesota led the nation in average attendance per game. But interest and attendance is trending downward. The Gophers sold out only one game last season at Williams Arena (14,625 capacity) after selling out four the previous year. The program has an aging season ticket base and younger basketball fans are drawn to the Timberwolves.

The Gophers and Timberwolves once had a sort of stand-off in competition for basketball fans in this market. But the Gophers haven’t had a winning season in the Big Ten for 10 years and while the Wolves’ losing ways have sometimes been even more abysmal, fan excitement surrounds the pro franchise that has a roster loaded with former first round draft choices. It’s a marketing mismatch for Gophers basketball right now when the Wolves can advertise players like last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, hometown hero Tyus Jones and Karl-Anthony Towns, the No. 1 overall pick in last June’s NBA Draft.

It’s easy to see why Wolves fans are anticipating a bright future during the winters ahead. The Gophers’ future is less clear.

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