Timberwolves – Page 50 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

P.J. Fleck 15-5 Last 20 Games, But…

Posted on November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 by David Shama

P.J. Fleck, now in his fourth season as the University of Minnesota head football coach, is an impressive 15-5 dating back to November 10, 2018. That’s his overall record in both Big Ten and nonconference games including two bowl wins, highlighted by an Outback Bowl gem last January against SEC blueblood Auburn. His Big Ten record during the period is 10-5.

Fleck’s 15-5 translates to a winning percentage of .750. In all games during his Gopher career that began with the 2017 season he is 24-17, a winning percentage of .585. Looking back almost 100 years in Minnesota coaching history, only the legendary Bernie Bierman with a .727 winning percentage has a better number than Fleck’s .585.

But in the “what have you done for me lately” world of high stakes college football, Fleck must build on his record. Despite the honeymoon of last season’s 11-2 record and No. 10 AP final ranking, critics have rushed in to criticize the 39-year-old coach this fall, with his team losing two of its first three games and at times playing with an Olé defense. Minnesota is giving up 36 points per game and opponents have scored 15 touchdowns.

The defensive unit is inexperienced and development was slowed by the cancellation of spring practice and late start to the season caused by the pandemic. However, there was better tackling and swarming to ball carriers in last Saturday’s 41-14 win at Illinois. Friday night at home against Iowa, Minnesota’s defense is likely to determine the game’s outcome.

The Hawkeyes, 1-2 with the two losses by a combined five points, deserve to be favored. This is a typical Iowa team, fundamentally sound and conservative in approach with success starting with its defense. The Hawkeyes have given up only seven touchdowns, the fewest among Big Ten teams who have played three games.

New starter Spencer Petras is settling in at quarterback and Iowa scored a season high 49 points last Saturday in a win over Michigan State. The victory gave head coach Kirk Ferentz his 163rd win at Iowa, fourth best for overall wins in Big Ten history.

If Minnesota can upset Iowa that will end a streak of five consecutive losses to the Hawkeyes—and also of importance, improve Fleck’s standing in rivalry games. He is 4-8 in trophy games against Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. Nebraska is included here even though neither the Husker nor Gopher athletic departments officially recognize the $5 Broken Bits of Chair Trophy—an Internet creation that started several years ago.

A Gopher win in the nationally televised Fox game will slow the frequent carping by Fleck critics and boost Minnesota’s record to 2-2 in Big Ten games. That development keeps in place aspirations of winning the Big Ten West Division where 3-0 Northwestern is already in a commanding position. The Gophers and Wisconsin tied for best record in the West last year with 7-2 records.

Worth Noting

Although the Minnesota defense played poorly in its 45-44 loss October 30 to Maryland, the emergence of new Terrapins starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa as a high impact passer and scrambler provides perspective to the performance. The Terps, 2-0, took down Penn State last Saturday. His combined 676 passing yards over the last two weeks against the Gophers and Penn State are the most by a Big Ten player this season.

Former Gophers Darrell Thompson and MarQueis Gray help preview the Minnesota-Iowa game at noon Friday via zoom courtesy of the Goal Line Club. More on the program at the GoalLineClub.org.

Arland Bruce IV, son of former Gopher wide receiver Arland Bruce III, is a composite three-star athlete recruit per 247Sports, and is verbally committed to be part of Iowa’s 2021 recruiting class. He plays for Ankeny High School in Ankeny, Iowa.

Word is the Vikings wanted 5,000 fans, seated in acceptably distanced sections, to attend home games this fall but with pandemic concerns trending in the wrong direction it doesn’t appear the state of Minnesota will allow that target number at any of the team’s four remaining dates at U.S. Bank Stadium. The policy of allowing a maximum of 250 spectators per home game seems all but certain to continue.

Twin Cities author Jim Bruton is finishing up a book on former Viking Scott Studwell to be marketed next fall. Named as one of the 50 greatest Vikings, Studwell’s connection to the organization is defined by 14 years of playing linebacker and 28 years in the scouting department.

Viking linebacker Eric Kendricks, who has led the team in tackles for five consecutive seasons, is third in the NFL with 84 total tackles. Linebacker teammate Eric Wilson is the only player in the league with at least three interceptions and more than one sack (he has 2.5).

Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s 627 receiving yards lead all NFL rookies in 2020. His receiving yardage total is already the fifth most for a rookie in Vikings history and is the most ever for a rookie through Minnesota’s first eight games.

In SI.com’s NFL power rankings out yesterday the Vikings are No. 17, with next Monday night’s opponent, the Chicago Bears, No. 18. The Kansas City Chiefs are No. 1, with the Green Bay Packers No. 5.

Erik van Rooyen, the South African golfer and former Golden Gopher, is playing in this week’s Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Van Rooyen’s opening tee time Thursday is 11:05 a.m. (Central). He tied for 23^rd this year in the U.S Open and has $941,958 in career winnings since turning pro in 2013. He won the local Tapemark Charity Pro-Am in 2016 but didn’t make the cut at this year’s 3M Open.

Anecdotal observation indicated for months that Minnesota golf courses were busier than usual, and Monday’s Axios Sports newsletter offered national numbers about the boom. In September there was a U.S. 25.5 percent increase in number of rounds played year-over-year—the fifth consecutive month to surpass 2019 totals. Also per Axios, “Equipment sales increased 42 percent year-over-year in the third quarter to just over $1 billion. It was the industry’s second-best quarter ever.”

Despite seven teams (half of the Big Ten) being ranked in the Associated Press men’s basketball preseason top 25, the unranked Gophers could turn out to be an NCAA Tournament entry. Coach Richard Pitino, after losing All-American center Daniel Oturu as an early entrant to the NBA Draft, has regrouped with six new players, including talented transfers with college experience (Both Gach, Brandon Johnson and Liam Robbins). Plus, All-Big Ten point guard Marcus Carr decided against entering the draft and is one of the best at his position in college basketball. The Gophers are expected to open their schedule at home November 25 against Green Bay.

Pitino’s dad, 68-year-old Rick Pitino, told the Sporting News Monday his new gig at Iona is a stepping stone job—to eventual retirement. Realtor.com reported last month Rick Pitino sold his $17 million south Florida home.

Jeff Munneke of the Timberwolves and J.P. Paul of the Vikings, both with expertise in fan relations, are the latest guests on “Behind the Game,” with co-hosts Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. Munneke and Paul discuss fan engagement in the pandemic era and how the experience of fans will be different when spectators return to venues. The program is available on the “Behind the Game” Channel on YouTube and on cable access throughout the state.

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Vikes’ Zimmer: Cook ‘Feeling Really Good’

Posted on October 14, 2020October 14, 2020 by David Shama

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, talking this morning, didn’t rule star running back Dalvin Cook out for Sunday’s home game against the Atlanta Falcons. “I talked to him today. He said he’s feeling really good,” Zimmer said. “We’ll just see how it goes.”

Another option could be for Cook, who sustained a groin injury last Sunday, to sit out the Falcons game, and gain additional rest with a bye date coming up October 25 for the Vikings.

Zimmer was asked if there is an update on another top playmaker, defensive end Danielle Hunter, who has been inactive through the first five games because of a neck injury. “No, not really. Still kind of mulling his options, I think.”

The Minnesota Vikings are about one-third through their 2020 season and with a 1-4 record, at the bottom of the NFC North standings. This is not a bad team, though, and indicative of that is the Vikings have been competitive most of the season including two losses by a total of two points.

The goal of making the playoffs is all but gone but the silver lining is improving and promising players. Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney are progressing and that’s a major step forward for a team having to rely on rookie cornerbacks. Fourth-year linebacker Eric Wilson, replacing the injured Anthony Barr, looks better in pass protection and had an interception in Sunday night’s game with the Seattle Seahawks. Rookie defensive tackle James Lynch played in his first game Sunday and showed the aggressiveness that helped him set a single season sack record of 13.5 at Baylor. Rookie defensive end D.J. Wonnum has also impressed.

Second-year running back Alexander Matison has been outstanding in relief of Cook and certainly could start in Sunday’s game. “Very conscientious kid. Works real hard,” Zimmer said. “I think he tries to learn from Dalvin as much as he can.”

The Vikings have an NFL all-rookie team candidate in wide receiver Justin Jefferson who is going to make impact plays this season and beyond. The much criticized offensive line has been effective run blocking and at times given quarterback Kirk Cousins adequate time to throw. That has helped the offense improve its time of possession including in the Seattle game.

Zimmer will make sure his team plays with effort in the last 11 games, regardless of the team record. He labels his players fighters and the fiery Zimmer wouldn’t have it any other way. Now that doesn’t make up for the decision to pass up on a closing minutes field goal against Seattle, but it does give assurance the Vikings will continue to be watchable as the season progresses.

Worth Noting

Look for an announcement today about a new nonprofit organization called Minnesota Sports & Events established by local leaders from the hospitality, sports and business communities. The goal is to bring more major sports and entertainment events to the Twin Cities.

Gopher men’s and women’s basketball season ticket holders were notified by email Tuesday there will be no season tickets for the 2020-2021 home schedule. Seat locations will carry over to the 2021-2022 season. The email referenced the possibility of a limited number of individual tickets being distributed on a game-by-game basis but provided no further details.

Former Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, now with the Carolina Panthers, ranks sixth in total passing yards in the NFL with 1,460.

Former Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs is off to an impressive start with the Buffalo Bills, his new team, and his stats rank among the best in the NFL through five games. With the Bills 4-1, general manager Brandon Beane has emerged as an early season favorite for NFL Executive of the Year including for his acquisition of Diggs from the Vikings during the last offseason.

Although Diggs had a reputation as a problem player in Minnesota, former Gopher and Green Bay Packer Jim Carter had an engaging experience with him. Last year Carter and other former ex-Packers were in Green Bay to celebrate the career of the late Bart Starr. “All the Viking players trotted past our group of broken down old players, except one,” Carter recalled in an email. “Number 14 (Diggs) stopped, fist bumped quite a few of us (I’m sure he didn’t have a clue who any of us were. …). He smiled and said a couple of friendly ‘thanks for being here’ and ‘congratulations.’ Class act!”

To save money, apparently there was talk of the Gopher men’s hockey team playing at Ridder Arena this season, the small facility that hosts the women’s team. But coach Bob Motzko said in an October 8 story on the Therinklive.com the Gophers will remain at 3M Arena at Mariucci to better celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the program.

Candidates will be lining up for the University of St. Thomas men’s hockey coaching opportunity. The Tommies will be Division I starting in 2021-2022 and joining the CCHA. Jeff Boeser will not coach beyond this school year. “This will be a plum D-1 job,” a source wrote via email.

He said candidates could include two former Golden Gophers assistants, Mike Guentzel and Scott Bell, who turned around Hamline’s program. Guentzel is presently a scout for the Arizona Coyotes, while Bell scouts for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Two sources said St. Thomas is looking at building a hockey arena.

If any Minnesota Timberwolves player in franchise history were 25 years old who would you choose as the best ever? The answer here is Jimmy Butler, a complete player who makes teammates better and excels during a game’s biggest moments when he wants the basketball. His departure from the Wolves blew up the Tom Thibodeau era after Butler led Minnesota to the playoffs in 2018, the team’s only postseason since 2004.

Butler, who deserves to be ranked with the NBA’s best players, may have not liked the efforts of teammates in Minnesota and later the Philadelphia 76ers, but playing for the Miami Heat he has found a home. In the NBA Finals he carried the Heat with triple double performances before losing to the Lakers.

Managers on a Mission, reported on in this space in the past, has changed its name and brand to better communicate its focus on developing Christ-centered leaders involved with sports. The St. Louis Park-based organization, led by former Gophers basketball manager Drew Boe, is now the Uncommon Sports Group. “Serving more than just student and equipment managers, the program aims to develop any collegiate or professional ‘future leader of the sports industry,’ ” according to a news release. More at Uncommonsg.org.

Good news: today is National Dessert Day.

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Donaldson Impact about Zip So Far

Posted on August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 by David Shama

The Twins took the field yesterday in Detroit without four everyday regulars and proceeded to lose their fifth straight game. Missing because of injuries were center fielder Byron Buxton, third baseman Josh Donaldson, catcher Mitch Garvin and left fielder Eddie Rosario.

No Twin has been a bigger disappointment and more absent from the field this summer than Donaldson who makes a team-leading $21 million in base salary, per Spotrac.com. Acquired in a splashy winter free agent signing, Donaldson went on the Injured List August 7 with a right calf strain after appearing in seven games during this COVID-19 shortened season that began in late July. His minimal stats include a .182 batting average with one home run and two runs batted in.

Minnesota gave Donaldson a four-year $92 million deal, the largest free agent contract in club history. Twins front office leaders Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took a calculated risk the 34-year-old could produce as in the past. Since 2013 Donaldson has been among baseball’s most productive home run hitters and also a standout in the field.

After an impressive start to the season, the Twins have lost 11 of their last 21 games. They were 3-6 on the road trip that ended against the Tigers on Sunday, and the club struggled to score runs. Minnesota is no longer leading the AL Central Division standings, and Donaldson, known as “Bringer of Rain,” has missed 25 games during the 60-game season.

Given the type of injury that sidelined Donaldson, it’s been a head scratcher as to why he has been sidelined so long. However, manager Rocco Baldelli said the former AL MVP could return sometime during the club’s eight-game home-stand that begins tonight against the White Sox.

It’s likely to take Donaldson awhile to find his stroke at the plate—perhaps in the closing weeks of the season in late August and on into September. That would mean ROI for the Twins: Return on Investment.

Worth Noting

Paul Molitor was a first-ballot Hall of Famer following his great playing career and in 2017, while leading the Twins, was named American League Manager of the Year, but the Minnesota native acknowledges watching baseball is a test of patience for many fans.

During the most recent segment of the Twin Cities cable TV program “Behind the Game” (also available on YouTube), the personable Molitor was asked about the length of MLB games which typically last over three hours and sometimes longer. His view is the impact on fans goes deeper than the duration of games. “It’s that the action is not there,” he told program hosts Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson.

Among the culprits in causing slow action is the increase in frequency of hitters striking out and also drawing more walks than in Molitor’s day when he played in the big leagues from 1978 to 1994, ending his playing career with his hometown Twins. “I just think the fact that there is a lack of flow to the games really makes people check their watch more than you would like to get them watching a baseball game,” Molitor said.

Molitor was known both as a player and manager for having a high baseball IQ. During his playing career the game of baseball was more varied with hitters striving to place the ball in play, while managers strategized about advancing runners with the hit and run, or bunts, and base stealing. Today’s players and managers are focused on power baseball with launch angles and home runs. “It’s not as entertaining for me to sit back and wait to see who outslugs who,” Molitor said.

This summer the 64-year-old Molitor has been biking, golfing and coaching his son in Edina youth baseball. He was a career .306 hitter and had a lofty total of more than 3,000 hits.

The Twins check in at No. 5 in S.I.com’s latest power rankings of MLB teams, trailing the Dodgers, low budget Rays and Athletics, and Yankees. Minnesota’s Central Division rivals rank like this: Indians, No. 8; White Sox, No. 9; Tigers, No. 24 and Royals No. 26.

The Twins have played 23 of their 35 games against the Tigers, Royals, No. 21 ranked Brewers and No. 30 Pirates. Minnesota has a 12-11 record versus those teams.

The MLB trade deadline is today and seemingly the Twins’ biggest need is a return of their own injured position players and pitchers.

There has been a lot of hype about Minnesota natives being selected in this fall’s NBA Draft and S.I. com had an interesting take in its mock draft late last month projecting first and second round picks (contracts guaranteed to first rounders only). Tyrell Terry, the guard from DeLaSalle who played one season at Stanford, is predicted as the only Minnesotan going in the first round, at No. 19 to the Nets.

S.I. projected the Timberwolves will use the No. 1 overall choice on Georgia guard Anthony Edwards, with Minnesota also picking Memphis forward-center Precious Achiuwa at No. 17 in the first round. The Wolves will take hometown favorite and point guard Tre Jones, who played at Apple Valley and two seasons for Duke, with their No. 33 choice early in the second round. Zeke Nnaji, the forward-center from Hopkins who played one season at Arizona, will go No. 34 to the 76ers, per S.I.

I strongly disagree but S.I. has Daniel Oturu, formerly of Cretin-Derham Hall and the Gophers not being drafted until the Wizards take him at No. 37. He averaged more than 20 points and 11 rebounds last season while showing he can play inside and out, but his collective draft predictions have been far ranging for months.

That was ex-Viking Herschel Walker, former Gophers football coach Lou Holtz and ex-Gopher defensive back Jack Brewer appearing as speakers at last week’s Republican convention.

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