Timberwolves – Page 90 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

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.

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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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Source Says Jahlil Okafor Prefers Lakers

Posted on June 3, 2015June 3, 2015 by David Shama

It appears Jahlil Okafor wants to play for the Lakers, not the Timberwolves, but he won’t cause problems if Minnesota drafts him, a basketball source told Sports Headliners.

“Based on what I am hearing, Okafor would rather not be drafted by Minnesota,” the person said. “He would prefer to go to L.A. I don’t know if that is because of more glamour—the glamour franchise, the history or whatever. But that seems to be what people that are close to him are saying.”

The source, who asked that his name not be used, has college basketball connections and has been around Okafor in the past. He doesn’t know if Okafor or his agent, former Gophers basketball player Bill Duffy, have communicated the desire to play with the Lakers but it seems likely they have.

The Timberwolves have the No. 1 pick in the first round of the June 25 NBA Draft while the Lakers have the No. 2 selection. Duke’s Okafor and Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns, who are expected to be the first two players chosen in the draft, have no control over which NBA teams choose them but they aren’t without options. However, the alternatives—including choosing to play in Europe, or publicly and privately raising hell about being on a certain NBA team—aren’t that attractive.

Okafor isn’t expected to choose either of those options if the Wolves select him. The source said the 19-year-old is a “great kid” and the Wolves won’t have to worry about his attitude.

So Okafor won’t mope if he lands in Minneapolis and not Los Angeles?

“Oh, no, he’s not that kind of player,” the source said. “Not that kind of person. He just wants players around him that want to play, that know how to play, that will pass the ball.”

As a freshman this spring the 6-11, 270-pound center helped lead Duke to the national championship. His large hands and powerful body make him a special talent in the low post. He is also a willing passer who could complement any NBA offense. Okafor’s defense and foul shooting are sometimes criticized but he has the work ethic and athleticism to improve in those areas.

Towns, 6-11, 250, can’t match Okafor’s offensive abilities but he’s the superior defender. He is a force blocking shots, and his athleticism also allows him to effectively defend pick and rolls—a staple of NBA offenses.

Who will the Timberwolves choose? How will they decide? And in a close debate might Okafor’s speculated preference in not playing for Minnesota impact who Wolves president and coach Flip Saunders ultimately decides to select?

Former professional coach Bill Fitch was asked his opinion. “You draft on your weakness,” said Bill Fitch, the ex-Gophers and NBA coach. “Best player available at your weakness.”

It’s unanimous inside and outside the Wolves’ organization the roster is much in need of defensive improvement. That certainly could tip the organization’s preference toward Towns.

Fitch was coaching the Rockets in 1984 when they had the first overall pick. A guy named Michael Jordan from North Carolina was available but the Rockets chose Hakeem Olajuwon. Carolina coach Dean Smith, a longtime friend of Fitch, told him it must be uncomfortable to pass on the best guy in the draft, his phenom Jordan.

“I said, well, I think I am getting the best player in the draft for my club,” Fitch recalled in an interview with Sports Headliners. “In other words we needed that hometown guy. We needed a guy that could block shots and rebound. He (Smith) was very high on Jordan.”

Fitch defends the Olajuwon selection to this day. Olajuwon had played at the University of Houston and the athletic center was so popular the Rockets knew he would be instant box office. The club needed Olajuwon’s defense and other skills including his dazzling scoring moves.

He eventually led the Rockets to two NBA titles and Fitch suspects there would have been more had Ralph Sampson stayed healthy. Sampson, the former 7-4 center from Virginia, was Houston’s No. 1 selection in 1983 and formed the famous “Twin Towers” with Olajuwon.

Fitch said if he was running the Wolves he would value talking to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski about Okafor. “In other words, he’s not going to lie to you. There’s nobody that knows that kid at this stage of his career better than coach K.”

Talking to Okafor and Towns, and others who have been around them, can provide value, too, but Fitch doesn’t give a strong nod to the agents representing players in the draft. “You can talk to the agents all you want but you gotta remember you gotta walk in that stuff after you get done talking with them,” said Fitch who won 944 games with five different teams as an NBA coach. “It’s more important to talk with the kids.”

There are numerous mock drafts projecting first round selections including Bleacherreport.com and Draftexpress.com. Both predict the Wolves will select Towns with the Lakers then choosing Okafor.

The two websites agreed earlier in the week the Rockets will select former Apple Valley High School point guard Tyus Jones with the No. 18 selection. But today Bleacherreport.com has Jones going to the Cavs at No. 24 while Draftexpress.com predicts the Mavericks will take him at No. 21.

Okafor and Jones have been friends for years, played together at Duke as freshmen, and no doubt would love to some day wear the same NBA uniform. If the Wolves ended up with both former Dukies it might be a factor in keeping Okafor here beyond his rookie contract that can bind him to Minnesota for four years.

Draftexpress.com predicts former Robbinsdale Cooper High School star Rashad Vaughn, a shooting guard, will be selected 26th in the first round by the Spurs. Bleacherreport.com projects Vaughn, who was a freshman last season at UNLV, will be selected at No. 28 by the Celtics.

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