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

State Making Basketball History Now

Posted on June 26, 2015August 22, 2015 by David Shama

The state of Minnesota made basketball history last night during the NBA Draft. Tyus Jones and Rashad Vaughn became the first pair of Minnesotans to be selected in the draft’s first round. The Timberwolves for the first time in franchise history had the NBA’s overall No. 1 pick and chose Karl-Anthony Towns.

A long list of native Minnesotans—from Cole Aldrich to Royce White—have been first round draft choices but never in the same year have two players from the state been selected as Jones and Vaughn were last night. Jones was expected to be selected before Vaughn but the shooting guard was the No. 17 pick of the Bucks. Jones landed with the Wolves after a trade with the Cavs who chose him at No. 24.

Towns, the 6-11, 250-pound center from Kentucky, was anticipated to be the team’s first draft choice. He can score inside and outside, and is an athletic defender. “He’s incredibly versatile,” ESPN draft analyst Jay Bilas said last night on the air.

The network reported last evening the Wolves are now the first NBA team to ever have three overall No. 1 draft choices on a roster. In a trade with the Cavs last year the Wolves acquired 2013 No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett and 2014 No. 1 selection Andrew Wiggins. In April Wiggins became the first Wolves player in franchise history to be NBA Rookie of the Year.

Minnesota prep basketball made history this spring with the announcement Apple Valley High School players Gary Trent Jr. and Tre Jones earned roster spots on the USA Basketball Men’s Under-16 team. It was the first time two Minnesotans have been selected for the Under-16 team at the same time. With Trent and Jones being from the same high school, the achievement was even more distinct.

Tre Jones, of course, is the brother of Tyus who saw four other point guards selected last night before his name was called. But the 19-year-old former Apple Valley and Duke star couldn’t have asked for more than to start his NBA career in Minneapolis.

It was a special night for Vaughn, too, who played at Cooper High School before finishing his prep career in Las Vegas. Only 18, Vaughn played as a freshman at UNLV before declaring for the draft. Vaughn is known as an excellent shooter with a big time stroke who could be a “steal” for the Bucks.

Worth Noting

The Gophers men’s basketball team will play Oklahoma State of the Big 12 in a nonconference game on Saturday, December 12 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The schools haven’t played against one another since 1986. Minnesota leads the all-time series 3-2.

The Twins have placed outfielder Byron Buxton on the 15-day disabled list with a left thumb sprain, an injury that occurred on Tuesday attempting to steal second base. To replace Buxton on the 25-man roster, the Twins have recalled infielder Danny Santana from Triple-A Rochester. Santana has hit .308 (20-for-65) with six doubles, three triples and five RBI in 15 games for the Red Wings since being optioned by the Twins on June 7.

The Wolves had a full page advertisement in today’s Star Tribune featuring No. 1 draft choice Karl-Anthony Towns and also picturing five players from the current roster. Noticeably absent was often injured center Nikola Pekovic.

The new Timberwolves and Lynx training center has interesting amenities including three plunge treatment pools and one therapy pool; three steam rooms and two saunas; five locker rooms and two film rooms; 9-foot doors and 8-foot showerheads; a players lounge and nutrition center. The Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square is a $25 million (private investment) facility that is both a training center and corporate headquarters for the teams. Located across the street from Target Center on First Avenue North, Mayo Clinic Square is a first of its kind facility in the NBA and WNBA. The Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center in the complex is available to all athletes.

Former Gopher basketball players Don Linehan, Larry Overskei and Paul Presthus visited John Kundla last week in advance of their ex-coach’s 99th birthday on July 3.

“I feel like a million but I’m only 99,” Kundla said with a smile at his living care facility in northeast Minneapolis. Presthus reported the quip in an e-mail where he also wrote: “John looked great, is self-sufficient and was sharp as could be.”

Kundla was the Gophers coach from 1959-1968, and Linehan, Overskei and Presthus played for him. “John is as humble as they come, a true gentleman, (and) one of the nicest men I ever met, and he always treated his players with respect,” Presthus said in the e-mail.

Before becoming Gophers coach, Kundla coached the Minneapolis Lakers to five world professional championships, the last in 1954. Presthus said there was storytelling about the Gophers and Lakers, and plenty of laughs during the visit. “We spent about an hour visiting with him before he had to leave to go to mass,” Presthus wrote.

The Wild want “to get bigger and more physical” with personnel moves at the NHL Entry Draft today and tomorrow, according to a hockey source who asked that his name not be used. Playing better “around the boards and the net, and not getting outmuscled” is needed for the Wild to continue its ascent among NHL competition and to play more effectively against clubs like the Blackhawks, Ducks and Kings.

Wing Thomas Vanek, 31, had a disappointing initial season for the Wild. The source said Minnesota might release or trade the former Gopher, speculating a return to the Wild could be 50-50.

The return next season of expensive 37-year-old goalie Niklas Backstrom seems unlikely. He reportedly earned $3.75 million last season and will be paid more under terms of his contract for next year. Of course the team’s goalie priority is re-signing 29-year-old Devan Dubnyk. The source said Dubnyk wants $5 to $6 million annually and Minnesota might now be willing to pay $4 million.

Vanek is one of 17 Gopher Hockey alums who played in the NHL last season. Here is the list: Mark Alt (Philadelphia), Keith Ballard (Minnesota), Stu Bickel (Minnesota), Nick Bjugstad (Florida), Alex Goligoski (Dallas), Erik Haula (Minnesota), Seth Helgeson (New Jersey), Erik Johnson (Colorado), Phil Kessel (Toronto), Nick Leddy (New York Islanders), Jordan Leopold (St. Louis/Columbus/Minnesota), Paul Martin (Pittsburgh), Kyle Okposo (New York Islanders), Nate Schmidt (Washington), Jordan Schroeder (Minnesota), Thomas Vanek (Minnesota) and Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg).

About 2,000 fans are expected to attend tonight’s Summer Bash and NHL Draft Viewing Party from 6 to 9 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center. In addition to watching the draft on TV from Florida, fans can visit the Wild locker room and press box. Wild players Keith Ballard, Ryan Carter, Charlie Coyle, Matt Dumba, Jordan Leopold and Jason Zucker are scheduled for photos and autographs.

Players and coaches representing 79 schools and 27 conferences are expected to participate in tomorrow’s annual MFCA Tackle Cancer All-Star Football Game in Husky Stadium at St. Cloud State. Players (2015 high school grads) and coaches were selected by members of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association.

Comments Welcome

Raves Roll in for Gophers Offensive Line

Posted on June 24, 2015June 24, 2015 by David Shama

When BTN.com writer Tom Dienhart ranked the Gophers offensive line the best in the Big Ten Conference’s West Division for the coming season it didn’t surprise Zac Epping. “Not at all,” Epping told Sports Headliners. “The group that they have there right now is an awesome group.”

“The Golden Gophers have a deep and talented collection of blockers that is better than even Wisconsin, which has been the measuring stick for offensive lines in the Big Ten for years,” Dienhart wrote earlier this month.

Epping and Tommy Olson are the two offensive line starters from last year’s group the Gophers must replace in 2015 but this looks like the best line coach Jerry Kill and staff have produced in almost five years in Minneapolis. Dienhart wrote that Minnesota has eight linemen who have a combined 88 starts.

Dienhart ranked Michigan State the No. 1 offensive line in the East Division but Epping believes Minnesota will have the best unit in the Big Ten next fall. “I think so,” Epping said. “There’s a lot of potential in that group. Coach (Eric) Klein does a great job in the offseason getting all the o-linemen healthy, stronger and ready for the season. If they stay healthy then that’s going to be a great group and the running backs are going to have a good year running behind them.”

Epping said the quality of Minnesota’s offensive lines has been evolving, and he not only mentioned Klein, the team’s strength and conditioning coach, but also offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Matt Limegrover. “Coach Limegrover has done a great job of getting the o-line ready for the game days and all that,” Epping said. “He’s definitely helped us improve that group.”

The Gophers ranked No. 28 nationally in rushing last season. Among Big Ten teams they were sixth with 2,801 rushing yards, the program’s best total since 3,277 yards in 2005.

Guard Josh Campion, 24, is receiving preseason publicity as a potential All Big Ten offensive lineman. A 6-5, 310-pound senior from Little Falls, he made All-Big Ten Honorable mention last season on teams selected by the media and coaches. He started 13 consecutive games at left tackle but is expected to play guard this year. Epping said Campion’s “great work ethic” and age have contributed to the native Minnesotan’s success and improvement each year.

Former Gophers wide receiver Isaac Fruechte, who is trying out for the Vikings, has lived with Campion. “Sometimes he’s kind of hard to read,” Fruechte told Sports Headliners. “He likes to sleep so we try not to bother him too much. He’s a little bit older than all of us but when he gets out there and wants to play he’ll get after it.”

Fruechte, too, is optimistic about the Gophers 2015 offensive line. “That’s a unit that they should be very confident with over there (on campus) because it’s got a lot of veteran guys, a lot of kids with some experience that really know how to play, and play against big time teams.”

Worth Noting

Collegefootballnews.com recently listed “the 15 best redshirt freshmen going into the season” and the Gophers Jeff Jones was ranked No. 5 in the country. “Academics shelved Jones last year, but he got (out) of the gate quickly this offseason, impressing the staff with his ability as a playmaker and his dedication to the game,” Collegefootballnews.com wrote. The website predicted Jones is most likely to see playing time at slot receiver, not running back.

A source said 6-foot-5-plus wide receiver Sean Engel, who will be a senior at Chaska High School this fall, has added 30 pounds, now weighs 203, is running a sub 4.5 40-yard dash and is receiving increased interest from the Gophers after excelling this month at a football camp on the Minnesota campus. Engel, the brother of former Gophers wide receiver Derrick Engel, has offers from several colleges including North Dakota State and Northern Iowa.

Former Gophers and Vikings defensive back Tyrone Carter held another of his football camps in Minnesota last weekend. He will also assist friend and former Viking Randy Moss at a camp in North Carolina.

Harrison Smith (Photo courtesy of Vikings)

Safety Harrison Smith, who will be in his fourth season with the Vikings this fall, wants to be named All-Pro for 2015. “Yeah, that’s my goal every year. Whether I make it or not, I don’t know. But there’s no reason not to shoot for the highest (goal).”

Although the Vikings have several weeks off until training camp starts in Mankato, players like Smith know they have to continue work outs and conditioning. Back home in Tennessee, Smith will run, lift weights and punch a boxing bag several days of the week.

“As long as you’re in good shape and you’re not going to pull anything in training camp (like a hamstring or groin muscle), that’s the goal,” said Smith who has been told on game days NFL players run close to nine miles including pre-game activity.

While at home, Smith also plans to play golf, a sport he acknowledges he could improve at. “In the 90s is my best day if I am playing by the rules. I just like to play in the scrambles because I don’t feel so bad about myself.”

The early guess is the MIAC football race for the title will involve Bethel, Saint John’s and St. Thomas.

The June 22 issue of Sports Illustrated predicts the Timberwolves will use the No. 1 overall selection in tomorrow night’s NBA Draft to choose ex-Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns. Four of S.I.’s top 14 projected picks are former Wildcats.

S.I. has guards and Minnesota natives Tyus Jones and Rashad Vaughn being No. 21 and 25 choices of the Mavericks and Grizzlies. The magazine said Jones isn’t “big or athletic” but the Mavericks would welcome his “high IQ as a playmaker.” S.I. described Vaughn as a “multifaceted scorer.”

Former Gophers and Twins pitcher Cole DeVries is out of professional baseball and working for Edina Realty.

Comments Welcome

Wolves Owner Interested in Tyus Jones

Posted on June 10, 2015June 10, 2015 by David Shama

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is interested in acquiring Tyus Jones at the June 25 NBA Draft. During a telephone interview with Sports Headliners Taylor also said his franchise talked to Fred Hoiberg this year and last about his interest in possibly leaving Iowa State and coaching in the NBA.

Jones, the 19-year-old point guard who led Apple Valley High School to a state championship last year and helped Duke win the NCAA title this spring, would be a public relations coup for the Wolves and add depth to the roster. He’s a target of autograph seekers and adoring kids when he’s back home in Minnesota.

The Wolves have the No. 1 pick in the draft and also two second round selections. Jones is a consensus choice to be taken somewhere in the mid to late portion of the first round—meaning the Wolves would have to acquire an additional first round draft pick to get him. Another possibility is during or after the draft making a trade with a club that has drafted Jones.

“I think he’s got great potential and he is a local kid,” Taylor said. “I think it would be interesting. We’re not overstocked at that position (point guard), especially if Zach moves to the two-position.”

Zach LaVine was a rookie last season and he can play point guard and shooting guard. If Jones came to the Wolves he could be the team’s primary backup to starting point guard Ricky Rubio.

Taylor, whose team likely will use its No. 1 first round selection on a center, expects that president-coach Flip Saunders and general manager Milt Newton will consider adding Jones to the roster. “I don’t know how we could get that done for sure,” Taylor said. “I think there are other teams that are interested. My guess is that Flip and Milt will make inquiries and see if somebody is interested in giving up that draft choice so that that could happen. It would be a nice thing for Minnesota to have that, to do that.”

Saunders, before becoming the Wolves president of basketball operations in 2013, watched Jones play in high school. Saunders was living in the Minneapolis area and while he wasn’t employed by an NBA organization he showed interest in Jones while seeing him play, and the two developed a relationship.

At 6-1, 190-pounds Jones doesn’t have imposing size. Concerns are raised that he could be exploited in defensive matchups against bigger players, or not be physically up to the NBA grind of a long season. His outside shooting range and accuracy is another area that prompts questions. But Jones, even as a rookie, could be a gifted playmaker with his unselfish style and extraordinary court vision. In high school and last season as a freshman at Duke he was a calm leader who often made the biggest plays when needed the most.

Not unexpectedly, draft evaluators are split on their views of Jones. A May 8 story by Bleacherreport.com was headlined: “Tyus Jones Will Be the Breakout Star of the 2015 NBA Draft.” Judd Olanoff praised Jones’ skill in executing the pick-and-roll, a staple of NBA offenses.

Olanoff noted the young point guard’s intangibles, too. “If NBA teams value commitment, dedication and toughness, I’m not sure what more they could ask for. Those teams should consider making a bet on Jones.”

Others aren’t as enthused about Jones. Jeff Goodman, the ESPN analyst, spoke about Jones during the May 14 NBA Draft Combine and he expressed doubt Jones could start for a playoff team but might be a “backup point guard for 10 to 12 years.”

Regarding Hoiberg, he left Iowa State last week to become head coach of the NBA Bulls. The hire didn’t surprise Taylor whose franchise had contacted Hoiberg this spring, although no formal job offer was made, the Wolves owner said. Hoiberg, who had played for both the Wolves and Bulls, indicated his interest to Taylor awhile ago about going to Chicago where the talent is in place for a title contender. “He just said that was kind of like a dream come true for him,” Taylor said about Hoiberg’s anticipation of coaching the Bulls.

What about the Wolves coaching job in 2014 that Saunders ultimately accepted and continues to hold? Again, Taylor said there was no formal offer to Hoiberg but there was conversation about the NBA. “What he told us at that particular time was that he was going to stay at Iowa State,” Taylor said. “They offered him a bigger contract, but that at sometime that he might be interested in coaching in the NBA.”

Worth Noting

Taylor expects to attend information gathering meetings with top draft prospects Jahlil Okafor, D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. Taylor will listen to a trade offer for the No. 1 selection, but said “I don’t see it happening.”

Taylor represented the Wolves at the Draft Lottery last month where for the first time in club history his franchise won the No. 1 selection. It was an emotional moment when the announcement came that the Wolves will draft first. There appeared to be a tear or two in Taylor’s eyes.

“Oh, I don’t know. I might have (tears),” Taylor said. “I’ve been known to be a little emotional.”

The Website Draftexpress.com predicts Jones will be selected by the Mavericks with the No. 21 pick in the first round of the NBA Draft. Jones is one of 13 prospects who were college freshmen last winter that Draftexpress projects will be among the 30 first round draft choices. College fans wish the NBA would adopt a rule that says players must either declare for the draft out of high school or not be eligible until they have been in college for two or three years.

Hondo Hughes, the well-known local magician who performs next Sunday afternoon at the Richfield American Legion, sent Hoiberg congratulations on his hire as Bulls coach. “The Amazing Hondo” first performed in front of Hoiberg when he played for the Timberwolves. After Hoiberg was hired as head coach at Iowa State he invited the Minnesota magic man to entertain the Cyclones. “He makes you feel like a friend,” Hondo wrote in an e-mail to Sports Headliners. “He’s more substance than style.”

Look for an announcement this summer—or by early fall—about the naming rights for the new Vikings stadium. As written here and elsewhere, it seems likely U.S. Bank will have its name on the stadium.

Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph has a new sleeve tattoo on his left arm that includes a shamrock because of Notre Dame, his Fighting Irish alma mater.

Former Gophers football player Mark Sheffert, who is Chairman and CEO of Manchester Companies, Inc. and a Bolder Options director, has been named as the non-profit organization’s Board Chair. Sheffert is a nationally recognized leader, author and advisor on corporate governance. As Board Chair, Sheffert will guide Bolder Options’ leadership and board as they work together on youth mentoring development goals.

Former Gophers All-American defensive end Bob Stein and ex-Saint John’s All-American wide receiver Blake Elliott are among players on the 2016 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Their names were included in an announcement by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. Among ex-head coaches on the ballot are Ross Fortier, Minnesota Moorhead; Jim Malosky, UMD; and Billy Jack Murphy, Memphis. Murphy was an assistant coach for the Gophers from 1954-1957 before becoming Memphis head coach.

Players Keith Ballard, Ryan Carter, Charlie Coyle, Matt Dumba, Jordan Leopold and Jason Zucker will participate in The Wells Fargo Minnesota Wild Road Tour starting June 23. The promotional trip will visit 17 communities and culminate in the June 26 Summer Bash and NHL Draft Viewing party from 6 to 9 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center.

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