Timberwolves – Page 77 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Recruiting Trying to Win West Division

Posted on February 1, 2017February 1, 2017 by David Shama

National Signing Day is today and the Gophers won’t top the football recruiting rankings in the Big Ten West, but in the future they might be on their way to consistently being equal to or ahead of programs like Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa.

New Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck has impressed those who track college football recruiting. The 36-year-old Fleck has a nonstop passion for his job and a head full of ideas including communications with recruits through social media. The January 30 issue of Sports Illustrated even devoted space to Fleck in its article about how “the recruiting game has gone digital, mobile and high concept, and any coach who wants to compete needs a hot designer on his roster.”

Creativity is a frequently used word associated with college football recruiting. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh grabs a headline singing a rap song; Ohio State’s Urban Meyer gets into a bidding war with Texas over a graphic designer; and Nick Saban dazzles Alabama recruits with his massive home that is just a golf cart ride away from a lake.

Whether Fleck can ultimately recruit and coach at an elite level will have everything to do with the Gophers’ football future. He inherits a program and team that has been resurrected but hasn’t reached championship status. Minnesota has won two consecutive bowl games and totaled eight wins or more in three of the last four seasons. Yet the Gophers haven’t been Big Ten champs since 1967, have never won a Big Ten West Division title and hold no wins over Wisconsin since 2003.

Recruiting authority Ryan Burns has been impressed with Fleck since he was hired in early January. National recruiting websites have jumped the Gophers way ahead of where their 2017 class was ranked before Fleck arrived in Minneapolis. Fleck has out-recruited Power Five rivals for players, convincing some to commit to him without visiting the University of Minnesota campus.

Burns, publisher of the GopherIllustrated.com website, thinks Fleck’s recruiting will ultimately lead the Gophers to playing “meaningful games” in November. The GopherIllustrated website includes national team rankings from Scout which as of this morning assigns the seven Big Ten West Division programs the following rankings: Nebraska No. 18; Minnesota No. 33; Illinois No. 34, Iowa No. 41; Northwestern No. 48; Wisconsin No. 53; and Purdue No 77.

“It’s interesting to see them (the Gophers) going after kids with P-Five offers—compared to going against (programs like) Troy and Louisiana-Lafayette,” Burns told Sports Headliners. “He’s (Fleck) trying to make his stamp, and for only being here for three weeks, obviously he’s raised his class. They’re in the 30’s now (in the rankings). They’re firmly above Iowa and Wisconsin. I think that they can sustain that (in future years).

“I think that Nebraska (strong California recruiting base) is probably going to be at the top of the recruiting ranks in the Big Ten West most years but I think there is no reason that they (the Gophers) can’t come in second or third. Especially continue to beat Iowa and Wisconsin because P.J. is very charismatic once he gets in a living room. He knows how to sell. He knows how to get the job done.”

Other recruiting websites don’t have the Gophers ranked as high as Scout. Rivals, for example, has Minnesota No. 53 and trailing No. 38 Iowa and No. 45 Wisconsin. But what’s not debatable is the Gophers have shot up the recruiting charts in the short time Fleck has been head coach, including moving from No. 77 to No. 49 in Rivals’ rankings.

As signed National Letters of Intent reach the Gophers’ football office today, fans of the program can feel optimism about a class expected to include more than 25 scholarship student-athletes. When Burns looks at the incoming talent that Minnesota will officially announce later today, he offers stories that substantiate his optimism about Fleck’s recruiting.

Burns has been following and writing about Gophers recruiting for years and until now he couldn’t recall Minnesota getting a player that Notre Dame was making a run for. That’s what happened last month when Fleck received a verbal commitment from Portland, Oregon cornerback Demetrius Douglas who Burns said Oregon also wanted.

Burns also said the Gophers took a player away from the Hawkeyes in Kansas native and wide receiver Harry Van Dyne. His older brother is going to Iowa as a walk-on and Burns said the Hawkeyes coveted Harry.

Burns mentioned additional high quality players who turned down offers from other major schools including four-star safety Ken Handy-Holly from Alabama, and cornerback Adam Beck from Texas who said no thanks to schools like Colorado and flipped his original commitment to Texas Tech.

Quarterback Tanner Morgan has already enrolled at the U and Burns has high praise for the Kentucky native who reportedly turned down an offer from national power Louisville. “I think Tanner Morgan has the best quarterback tape you’ve seen from a Gopher quarterback signee in at least four or five years,” Burns said.

Burns wouldn’t be that surprised if the Kentucky native starts for Minnesota next fall. “I think if he can get down the offense, he could absolutely play from day one.”

Worth Noting

It’s interesting that in today’s high-tech world, athletes send their signed National Letters of Intent via fax to their colleges of choice. Holding up a signed fax does provide a news photo opportunity.

The Gophers have sold 253 new season tickets since Fleck was hired, according to an email from an athletic department spokesman. who noted no “aggressive ticket push” has been made so far to sell tickets.

The Big Ten Network will have National Signing Day programming from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

A person who should know says it’s likely Apple Valley junior point guard Tre Jones will sign with Duke next fall, following his brother Tyus’ path to playing for legendary Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Richard Pitino’s Gophers have lost five consecutive games and play at Illinois Saturday afternoon. Minnesota is 1-3 at home and 2-3 on the road in Big Ten games. Earlier this season Pitino said: “In this league you better win at home. It’s extremely important.”

Four of the Gophers’ six defeats have been by seven points or fewer including overtime losses to Michigan State by one and Wisconsin by two. On the road Minnesota does have a nine point overtime win against Purdue and four point victory versus Northwestern.

Pitino had a difficult stretch with close losses two years ago when his Gophers lost eight conference games by six points or less. There were NCAA Tournament hopes before the season for that team but Minnesota finished with a 6-12 Big Ten record and didn’t play in the postseason other than the conference tournament.

The Timberwolves, who have won eight of their last 11 games, play the NBA champion Cavs tonight in Cleveland. Web rumors are Knicks basketball boss Phil Jackson is interested in acquiring Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio and Cavs power forward Kevin Love, the former Wolves star who played a key role in last year’s game seven playoff win over the Warriors. The passing skills of Rubio and Love on the Knicks would be great for Jackson’s famous triangle offense.

A record 381 MIAC student-athletes have earned Academic All-Conference recognition for their classroom work last fall. They had a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale. Student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with at least one year (two semesters) at their institution to be eligible for the recognition. The MIAC saw its record total of honorees rise for the fifth straight year, exceeding by 24 the record of 357 set in 2015.

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Najarian Put Fleck in Top List for U

Posted on January 8, 2017January 10, 2017 by David Shama

Former Gophers football player Pete Najarian, who last year pursued the athletic director job at the University of Minnesota, has been following 36-year-old coach P.J. Fleck for three years. Najarian told Sports Headliners yesterday that Fleck was one of three coaches he was interested in hiring if he became the AD and the Gophers head coaching job was open.

As an ESPN game commentator, Najarian studied Fleck’s work at Western Michigan, and he was more than impressed. “I liked his energy. I liked how intense he was. I could tell that he paid attention to detail. His teams were disciplined and that was very, very apparent.”

Najarian noticed that despite the coach being in his first head coaching job, Bronco teams were well prepared and adjusted to injuries. Fleck and his staff also topped their Mid-American Conference rivals in annual recruiting rankings. “He checked about every box that you could want to check,” Najarian said.

Fleck was announced as Gophers coach on Friday while coming off of a 13-1 season at Western Michigan where his Broncos only loss was in the Cotton Bowl to Wisconsin. Fleck spoke with passion and vision at his news conference, demonstrating a leadership style that attracted national media attention at Western Michigan.

Najarian, the former Minneapolis Central star who went on to play linebacker for the Gophers, said he was self-motivated as a player but that Fleck’s ability to connect with and motivate players might “just put us (the Gophers) to the next level.” Fleck is outgoing and passionate, and he is already pitching the whole community—not just his players—to “row the boat” together. He is trying to create a buzz about Gophers football that some day may remind older fans of legendary coach Lou Holtz who in the 1980s asked for the help of “every man, woman and child” in the state. Najarian played for Holtz and said players would “sprint through a wall” for the man who could command a locker room and also charm a room full of Fortune 500 executives.

Of course it will require more than words for Fleck to eventually make the Gophers Big Ten champions for the first time since 1967. Zach Johnson is a well-known Gophers and Big Ten recruiting authority who thinks Minnesota just made a huge upgrade going from Tracy Claeys to Fleck.” We went from having the worst Big Ten West (Division) head football coach to having the best Big Ten West head football coach, as far as recruiting.”

In Rivals.com’s national recruiting rankings last Friday Western Michigan was No. 51 while Minnesota was No. 77. That all changed this weekend when six high school players switched overnight from Western Michigan commitments to Minnesota. On Saturday Minnesota was at No. 50 (tied with North Carolina State) in the Rivals rankings and Western Michigan dropped to No. 79. National Signing Day for players in 2017 is February 1.

“They (the six players) have never set foot on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and they completely flipped their college plan and their life plan to commit to Minnesota,” said Johnson who is publisher of GopherIllustrated.com. “They will move to Minnesota sight unseen and begin classes at the U on January 17.”

Johnson said Fleck will “work tirelessly at recruiting” and pursue talent within a six or seven hour drive of Minneapolis, with particular emphasis on the Chicago area. He regards Fleck as a good game and practice coach, but it is also Fleck’s personality, style and determination that Johnson predicts will be so evident in the months and years ahead. “It’s off the field that this is really a home run hire for (athletic director) Mark Coyle. It’s the energy that he is going to bring to this program,” Johnson said.

Johnson believes better days are ahead at the box office, too. Last year there was a lot of fan apathy and attendance was the lowest since moving into 50,805 seat TCF Bank Stadium in 2009. “It’s embarrassing that they can only get 30,000, 35,000, maybe 40,000 to a college football game,” Johnson said. “I think you’ll see that change. If he (Fleck) wins, and he is successful, I can’t imagine they won’t sell that place out.”

Worth Noting

Holtz had an escape clause in his Minnesota contract to pursue the Notre Dame job if it opened. That opportunity gave Holtz an easy exit after the 1985 season when he headed for Notre Dame. But Coyle told Sports Headliners there is no escape clause for another school in Fleck’s contract.

Coyle said Fleck has long wanted to coach in the Big Ten, and that Minnesota is a “good fit” for the coach and his family. “I expect him to be here a long time,” Coyle said.

Coyle speaks to the CORES lunch group on Thursday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. The deadline for reservations is Monday and a large turnout is expected. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotseth@comcast.net.

Matt Simon, who was the tight ends and special teams coach at St. Thomas in 2011, coached the wide receivers for Fleck at Western Michigan this past season. Simon is a native of Edina.

Fleck’s agent Bryan Harlan is based in Chicago and he also represents Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.

The Gophers Blake Cashman, who was the Holiday Bowl defensive MVP, was named an honorable mention linebacker on the Associated Press 2016 All-Bowl team. A sophomore last season, Cashman led the team in sacks with 7.5. The former Eden Prairie player was third on the team in tackles for loss at 43. He was selected Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after a dominant performance in late November against Northwestern.

Chad Hartman said on WCCO Radio last week his 96-year-old father Sid Hartman is making a “remarkable recovery” from his broken hip. He added that Sid is walking almost as well now as before his accident.

Tyus Jones told Sports Headliners his confidence isn’t damaged by lack of playing time with the Timberwolves. The 2015 first round draft choice didn’t play in the team’s most recent game, a Saturday night loss to the Jazz in Minneapolis. It was the sixth consecutive night the former Apple Valley prep All-American point guard didn’t get on the court, according to ESPN.com. He has played in 21 of the Wolves 35 games, averaging 10.4 minutes, 3.1 points and 2.1 assists, per ESPN.

When asked recently if his spirits were down, Jones said, “No, not at all—just because I went through that last year. I know what that’s like. Last year I think that definitely hurt my confidence, that being the first time. I feel like I am a lot improved (now), so that’s also helped my confidence.”

Jones is a deep reserve on the roster, just like last season when he even was sent down to the NBA Development League for a brief time. He played better toward the end of the 2015-2016 NBA season and had a career high 12 assists in the final game. He finished the season appearing in 37 of 82 games, averaging 15.5 minutes, 4.2 points and 2.9 assists.

Jones mentioned his improvement includes ballhandling, shooting and assessing what needs to be done on the floor. His minutes are minimal, though, playing behind veteran point guard Ricky Rubio and 2016 rookie No. 1 draft choice Kris Dunn. At 6-1, 195-pounds, the 21-year-old Jones is small for an NBA player. Concerns about his defense have been part of the scouting report since he decided to leave Duke after his freshman season when the Blue Devils won the national championship.

Jabari Parker, who recruited Jones to Duke and is now a leading scorer on the NBA Bucks, told Sports Headliners his friend can have a long pro career. “Yup, because he’s got two things you can’t teach. He’s got heart and he’s got skill—he’s got a feel for the game.”

That feel has often been seen in Jones’ career at the biggest moments for his teams, particularly at Apple Valley and Duke. Jones, who was the Final Four MVP with Duke, is confident his composure will be there for the Wolves, too, if he given an opportunity.

“I think that’s just something that I’ve always had,” he said. “Something I’ve always prided myself on. (The) point guard has got to be a great leader on the court. To be composed, that definitely helps. …You see a strong face on the point guard, everyone else is going to follow.”

Tyus said his brother Tre Jones, the highly recruited junior point guard at Apple Valley, will wait until his senior year to choose a college. “He hasn’t narrowed it down to any specific list yet,” Tyus said.

The Twins hired new baseball executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine away from the Indians and Rangers organizations last fall. Levine said recently on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle the Twins won’t hesitate to show interest in players with their former organizations and their farm systems. The club, though, is highly unlikely to pursue personnel from the front offices of the Indians and Rangers.

He also said evaluating South Korean slugger Byungho Park in his second season will be more meaningful than his struggling rookie season of 2016. The first baseman-DH hit just .191 in 215 at bats, striking out 80 times while totaling 12 home runs and 24 RBI. Allowances, Levine said, have to be made for the adjustments Park faced playing in major league baseball for the first time and coming to a new country with its language and cultural differences.

Philosophies vary among major league teams on retaining two or three catchers on rosters but Levine said the Twins plan to carry two in 2017.

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Izzo, Dutcher Positive on U in Big Ten

Posted on December 30, 2016December 30, 2016 by David Shama

Michigan State coaching legend Tom Izzo and former Minnesota Big Ten championship coach Jim Dutcher are impressed with the Gophers.

Izzo, an eight-time national coach of the year, talked to Sports Headliners about the Gophers after his Spartans defeated Minnesota 75-74 in overtime on Tuesday night in Williams Arena. “They’re a good team,” Izzo said. “They’ve got (big) bodies and they’ve got good guard play. (They) don’t always shoot it great, (but teams have) gotta have some weakness—we got about five.

“We just happened to find a way to win. They were the better team most of tonight. I think Rich (Pitino) has done a hell of a job with them now. I think he’s got them headed in the right direction. They’ve won a lot of games. They didn’t play all (nonconference) cupcakes either. This was a tough physical game and I am sure they will learn from it, just like we will.”

The Gophers are 12-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten under fourth-year coach Richard Pitino who was 2-16 in league games last season. The Gophers added new players during the offseason and key returnees have also helped improve a team that lost its first 13 conference games during 2015-2016. “I just think they’ve got a good blend of talent,” said Dutcher, who coached the Gophers to the 1982 Big Ten title.

Dutcher likes the quality of Minnesota’s eight-man rotation and sees not only a more talented team than last season but one with better size. There’s something else of importance he mentioned, too. “I think they’re a better defensive team than they were,” he said.

Dutcher predicts the Gophers will have a 9-9 conference record and could make the NCAA Tournament. In Minnesota’s favor in being able to earn a tournament invite for the first time since 2013 is that the Big Ten doesn’t look all that imposing. “Top to bottom it’s not a great league,” Dutcher said about the Big Ten, a conference without a top 10 ranked team.

The Gophers will finish seventh in the Big Ten after Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State, Dutcher predicted. Behind the Gophers will be Michigan, Maryland, Northwestern, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Rutgers and Penn State.

Minnesota missed a big opportunity by not winning Tuesday after the Gophers couldn’t hold a 39-26 halftime lead. The Spartans came into the game without their best player in freshman guard-forward Miles Bridges. Michigan State, which has won one national title and made seven Final Four appearances in 21 previous seasons under Izzo, arrived in Minneapolis with an uncharacteristic 8-5 record, although the schedule included nonconference games with national toughies Duke, Kentucky, Arizona.

Now the Gophers must play four of their next five league games on the road, starting with Sunday at nationally-ranked Purdue, 12-2 and 1-0. The Gophers certainly can’t start the conference schedule 0-6 and still have solid NCAA Tournament ambitions. Dutcher doesn’t think they will, with early opportunities for wins probably coming at Northwestern January 5 and at Penn State January 14. Minnesota’s next home game, January 8 with Ohio State, is already a circle it date too. “My view is there are a lot of wins to be had in this league,” Dutcher said.

The Gophers were out worked and gave up too many scores near the basket in the second half of the MSU game but Dutcher said it wasn’t like Pitino’s team “laid an egg” in the game. Dutcher isn’t discouraged by the loss. “It’s not so much about what Minnesota did wrong, as what Michigan State did right,” he said.

Last season the Gophers had issues on and off the court. Pitino said after the nonconference schedule ended that his team had made progress but acknowledged more progress awaits. “Our guys have worked really, really hard to climb out of the gutter off the court, on the court, all those things to get everybody’s respect back. …We trusted that we’d be better. We’re better but we still got a long way to go.”

Izzo Storytelling on Flip Saunders

Flip Saunders (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves)

Izzo confirmed what other friends of the late Flip Saunders have said about Saunders coming close to accepting the Gophers job in the spring of 2013. The former Gophers guard in the 1970s was between coaching opportunities in the NBA back then and Saunders ultimately decided he didn’t want to work for athletics director Norwood Teague, according to a top source.

“Flip loved the Gophers,” Izzo told Sports Headliners. “His passion for Minnesota in general was off the charts, and the University was just even more off the charts.”

Izzo and Saunders forged a friendship over the years including when Saunders coached the NBA Pistons in Detroit. At Saunders’ funeral in 2015 Izzo read from the Bible during the service for his friend who died at age 60 from cancer.

“I miss him,” Izzo said about the former Timberwolves executive and coach. “I miss the late night calls. He always had some good plays for me.

“I can honestly say I loved the guy. I still feel for Debbie (Saunders’ wife) and I stay in touch with Ryan (his son and Timberwolves assistant). I am proud of what he is doing.

“But to have had Flip in the league (the Big Ten) would have been an honor. It really would have been.”

Izzo recalled working to recruit Apple Valley High School point guard Tyus Jones for a couple of years. Izzo laughed about how Saunders evolved from helping the Spartans, to becoming more interested in the prep All-American choosing Minnesota as Saunders started to seriously consider the Gophers job. “Are you helping me, or are you helping yourself?” he asked his buddy.

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