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Honors Now & Coming for Murphy

Posted on March 1, 2018March 1, 2018 by David Shama

A Thursday notes column.

Although Jordan Murphy had a disappointing season-ending game last night against Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament, the junior power forward is Minnesota’s most valuable player in 2018 and next fall will be regarded as a potential All-American.

Murphy, who missed most of the first half because of foul trouble, scored 11 points and had nine rebounds in the Rutgers game. Murphy’s rebounds pushed his career total at Minnesota to 910, moving him into third place all-time behind Mychal Thompson’s 956 and Kevin McHale’s 950.

The San Antonio native, who leads the nation’s Division I players in double-doubles, just missed picking up his 25th in 32 games last evening. He broke Thompson’s single season school record of 21 double-doubles, and he leads the Big Ten in rebounding with an average of 11.3 per game.

Murphy, who tied Tim Duncan’s NCAA record streak of 17 double-doubles to begin a season, could move into second place in 2019 behind Thompson’s career points total of 1,992. Murphy has 1,282 career points.

The only Gopher to start every game this season, the powerful 6-7, 250-pound Murphy was Minnesota’s leading rebounder and scorer (averaging 16.8 points per game). He was named to the media’s second team All-Big Ten group this week. The conference coaches put him on the third team.

Murphy was a second team selection last year and is the first Gopher since Vincent Grier in 2006 to be All-Big Ten in consecutive years. Thompson, from 1976-78, was the last Minnesota player to be all-conference three consecutive seasons.

Going into next fall Murphy’s name will be considered when preseason candidates for Big Ten Player of the Year are discussed. He will also receive attention regarding preseason All-America teams and will certainly be on the watch list for the Karl Malone Award honoring the nation’s best power forward. He is in the running for that award this season.

That was former Gopher football player Lewis Garrison officiating last night’s Big Ten Tournament basketball game in New York between Illinois and Iowa.

The Golden Gophers don’t have a single player at this week’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis but that’s likely to change in 2019. Ryan Burns, publisher of GopherIllustrated.com, told Sports Headliners he believes 2018 senior offensive tackle Donnell Greene could project as a third or fourth round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Burns said word is Greene and running back Rodney Smith, also a senior next fall, were informed by NFL sources if they declared for the 2018 draft they projected as late picks. Smith could have a third consecutive season of rushing for more than 950 yards next fall and enhance his positioning in the 2019 draft.

Smith’s three-year partner at running back, Shannon Brooks, and senior placekicker Emmit Carpenter, might also be at the Combine a year from now. Brooks is an elusive runner who has made touchdowns runs of 37 yards or more five times in his Minnesota career. Carpenter, at 81.8 percent, has the best field goal conversion percentage in Gopher history and is a former Big Ten Kicker of the Year.

Former Gopher assistant coach and captain Grant Potulny has his Northern Michigan team seeded No. 2 in the WCHA playoffs that begin Friday. In his first season as head coach the Wildcats have won 21 games, the most since 2006.

Potulny was named Northern Michigan’s head coach in April of last year. At 21-12-3 overall, the Wildcats have won 20 games for the first time since 2010.

Potulny, who was an assistant at Minnesota for eight seasons, has long been known as a leader. He was a three-time captain of the Gophers during his career from 2000-2004. During that period the Gophers won two national titles.

If and when the Gophers head coaching job opens up, Potulny’s name could prompt consideration. Don Lucia is finishing his 19th season as head coach and the University of Minnesota athletic department hasn’t made a long-term contractual commitment to him.

Lucia’s current contract has one more season and athletic director Mark Coyle will need to make decisions soon. Lucia has made it known in the past that operating on a soon-to-expire contract is a detriment to recruiting.

Potulny’s Wildcats are scheduled at home Friday, Saturday and Sunday in WCHA men’s quarterfinals playoff games against Alabama-Huntsville, 11-21-2, and the No. 6 seed. The No. 1 tourney seed is Minnesota State.

This weekend’s Big Ten Tournament men’s hockey quarterfinal series between Minnesota and Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania, will be broadcast live on Fox Sports North channels, and streamed on BTN2Go and Fox Sports Go. The best-of-three series starts Friday and will be televised by Fox Sports North Plus, with Saturday’s game on Fox Sports North. If necessary, the deciding game will be Sunday and aired on Fox Sports North. All three games will be played at 6 p.m. Central Time.

This is the first year since the inception of Big Ten hockey in 2013-2014 that the Gophers haven’t been regular season conference champions. A 10-12-2 record this winter placed the Gophers fifth in the league standings behind Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.

Jake Odorizzi, the recently acquired right-hander expected to be an impact starter for the Twins, makes his debut with Minnesota Friday when he starts a spring training afternoon game against the Blue Jays. The game won’t be televised in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

It looks like DH-first baseman Kennys Vargas, who in three major league seasons with the Twins hasn’t established himself as a regular, is the odd man out with the recent acquisition of free agent Logan Morrison who fills the same role. Both Vargas and the Twins likely would welcome a trade.

The February 26 issue of Sports Illustrated ranks the top 100 baseball players in the majors and the list starts with Angels’ superstar Mike Trout, and includes three Twins: No. 41 Brian Dozier, No. 68 Byron Buxton and No. 78 Ervin Santana. Noticeably missing: Twins slugger Miguel Sano who had a controversial 2017 on and off the field.

The Gophers’ Hugh McCutcheon, whose volleyball coaching resume includes the Olympics, speaks to the CORES lunch group March 8 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Reservations are needed by March 5. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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Kirk Cousins Resume Prompts Scrutiny

Posted on February 27, 2018February 27, 2018 by David Shama

Count former Viking Bob Lurtsema as someone hoping the Kirk Cousins to the Vikings rumors aren’t true. Yesterday and today multiple reports speculate the Redskins’ free agent quarterback could be headed to Minneapolis.

“He is not a leader,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “Look at his record. He is a loser.”

Rich Cimini, writing on ESPN.com February 25, said the 29-year-old quarterback has a 4-19 record against winning teams (based on final season records). He is 19-9-1 against losing clubs, 3-2 versus .500 teams. His overall regular season record is 26-30-1, and he is 0-1 in the playoffs, Cimini reported.

“What the hell has he done?” Lurtsema said of Cousins who has played six NFL seasons—all for the Redskins.

Cousins has set franchise passing records for the Redskins. The last three seasons (starting with 2015) his passer ratings have been impressive—101.6, 97.2 and 93.9, but he isn’t regarded as a superstar quarterback. In the NFC North where the Vikings compete he could be ranked behind not only the Packers Aaron Rodgers but also the Lions’ Matthew Stafford.

The Vikings, though, have had success in recent years fitting three different quarterbacks into their system. They may regard Cousins as healthier and potentially better than any quarterbacks on the current roster.

Speculation is the Vikings might spend in the neighborhood of $100 million on a contract for Cousins who is regarded as the NFL’s best free agent quarterback. If the Vikings pay out that kind of money it’s yet another indication of the Wilf family’s willingness to spend money in their pursuit of a Super Bowl win.

“The Wilfs will do anything to get a winner,” Lurtsema said about the Vikings’ owners. “They’re not afraid to do whatever it takes to make a winner. Good family.”

It could be the Vikings prefer to move on from Case Keenum, believing Cousins is a better talent. Keenum, as a sub for the injured Sam Bradford, went 11-3 as the team’s starter during the last regular season. Lurtsema is a fan of Keenum and praises his performance including leadership in 2017.

NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling is writing today that the Vikings maybe unlikely to put the franchise tag on Keenum and that when free agency talks start next month Minnesota’s target could be Cousins. “If I were a betting man, that’s where I would say he lands,” NFL authority Gil Brandt wrote on Twitter yesterday.

Worth Noting

Big Ten Network streaming or BTN pay TV might be the only way for fans in Minnesota to watch the Gopher men’s Big Ten Tournament hockey games at Penn State on Friday and Saturday. No official word yet but a University of Minnesota athletic department spokesman confirmed the possibility yesterday.

Among new players on the Gophers football roster when spring practice starts next week will be wide receiver True Thompson, son of former U all-time leading rusher Darrell Thompson. True is a preferred walk-on from Iowa Western Community College who also was recruited by Syracuse.

Darrell told Sports Headliners True has better hands and jumping ability than dad. His son is looking forward to playing for wide receivers coach Matt Simon. “I hear nothing but great things about Matt,” Darrell said.

Another Thompson son, Race, is a redshirt freshman basketball player at Indiana. Race is friends with Rochester John Marshall’s Matthew Hurt, a high school junior and among the most highly recruited players nationally in the class of 2019. Hurt made an unofficial visit to Indiana last year and spent time with Race, Darrell said.

Quoting Dick Bremer on Twitter: “The acquisitions of Jake Odorizzi and Logan Morrison from the financially crippled Rays reminds me of the theft of Jeff Reardon and Al Newman from the Expos before the 1987 season. Hoping for the same result.”

Reardon’s heroics as the Twins’ reliever included getting the final out in Game 7 of the 1987 World Series. Newman was a versatile utility player and he also was a contributor to the 1991 World Series championship team.

Bremer, who has been doing Twins TV play-by-play man since the 1980s, turns 62 on Thursday.

For the first time in franchise history, all 162 of the Twins’ regular season games will be televised. Fox Sports North will do 154 games, FS1 six and ESPN two including the April 18 game against the Indians from Puerto Rico.

Edina and Minnetonka are favorites to emerge as class 2A state champions next month but a sleeper pick is Moorhead. Spuds junior defenseman Ethan Frisch is a name to follow at Moorhead and he could be a star in college at North Dakota where he has verbally committed.

For the second consecutive year the Golden Gophers men’s basketball team will have the season-ending banquet at Williams Arena. The Golden Dunkers booster group will host the March 5 banquet featuring table seating on the historic arena floor. The 6 to 8:30 p.m. event includes player autographs. Seating at coach Richard Pitino’s table is $400 per person, with other tickets priced at $75 ($37.50 for eighth graders and younger). More at Goldendunkers.com.

Pitino will speak to the Twin Cities Dunkers March 6 at the Minneapolis Club. Pitino is nearing the end to his fifth season as Minnesota coach this week in the Big Ten Tournament. The Gophers play Rutgers in a first round tournament game on Wednesday night in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

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More B-Days Ahead for Williams Arena

Posted on February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 by David Shama

A Wednesday notes column:

The University of Minnesota celebrates the 90th anniversary of Williams Arena tonight at the Golden Gophers-Nebraska game. Despite the building’s age and flaws it’s likely to be the home of U men’s and women’s basketball for many more years.

The facility is revered by Minnesotans for its history and great moments including not only for the Gophers, but also as the home of the Minnesota high school basketball tournament for many years. The raised floor is almost unique among college gyms and the proximity of the seats to the court makes for an intimate arena. When the 14,625 seat building is filled to capacity, and the Gophers are playing a big game, there are few college venues as loud and fun.

Known in recent decades as the “Barn” because of its outside shape, the building has long been criticized for crowded concourses, narrow seats, obstructed views of the court and minimal number of bathrooms. A remodeling of the arena in the 1990s included installation of many chairback seats, but bench seating also remains in place.

At least two major factors make it unlikely the arena will be replaced anytime soon. To many fans and ticket buyers, the thought of replacing the beloved building is heresy. A move to a new arena could cause a revolt by some season ticket holders and athletic department donors—telling the athletic department, “See you later.” Abandonment by supporters would be even more probable if the men’s team continues its almost annual performance of playing mediocre (and worse) basketball.

The second issue is money. The athletic department still has more than $60 million to raise in paying off the new $166 million Athletes Village project. There is also ongoing maintenance and renovations on existing facilities. And there is an overall annual challenge to fund the 23 sport men’s and women’s programs—with only football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey being profitable. Those three generate much of the money in the athletic department budget.

At tonight’s game celebrating the 1928 opening of Williams Arena several promotions and special pricing will be offered. Included will be recognition of season ticket holders and 90 cent tickets available for anyone age 90 or older at the arena box office.

Isaiah Washington (photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications)

Minnesota’s Isaiah Washington averaged 20.5 points in two losses last week to Iowa and Michigan. The Gopher point guard was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week yesterday, and he is playing his best basketball of the season.

Minnesota is 1-8 since starting center Reggie Lynch was suspended indefinitely. Starting forward Amir Coffey, with an injured shoulder, has missed seven of the last nine games.

With the second of two national Signing Days coming tomorrow, P.J. Fleck’s Gopher football class of 2018 now has a composite ranking at No. 34 by 247Sports. That’s down from No. 27 but still second best in the Big Ten West behind No. 25 Nebraska. Ohio State is No. 1 in the website’s rankings.

Sunday’s Super Bowl did more than set offensive records for the big game. Nevada’s 198 sports books had a record $158.6 million wagered on the Eagles-Patriots game, according to figures released Monday by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and reported in an online Las Vegas Review-Journal story.

Look for the Vikings to hire their new offensive coordinator before any news breaks regarding the quarterback roster for next season. It will be interesting to learn whether offensive line coach Tony Sparano is in the mix of candidates for OC. Sparano was offensive coordinator for the Jets in 2012 and before that held the same title at Boston College.

While the Vikings have three quarterbacks on their roster who are free agents, Super Bowl 52 MVP quarterback Nick Foles is under contract for one more season with the Eagles. The journeyman turned star will earn $4 million in base salary, and with a roster bonus of $3 million, will receive a total of $7 million in 2018, according to Sportac.com.

When the Twins go to spring training later this month, among the topics sure to come up in the media is Brian Dozier’s contract. The second baseman has one season remaining on his current agreement and reportedly will be paid $9 million in 2018. Dozier has led the Twins in home runs the last two seasons with a total of 76. The Mariners’ Robinson Cano at $24 million is MLB’s top paid second baseman, according to Sportac.com. He has 62 home runs the last two seasons.

Fox Sports North Plus will telecast the Twins spring training game against the Gophers February 22 game. The Thursday night game starts at 5 p.m. Central time.

The University of Minnesota has historic ties to men’s Olympic hockey but this year in South Korea only one U alum, former Gopher All-American Ryan Stoa, is on the American roster. Ex-Gopher and Hobey Baker winner Robb Stauber is the head coach of the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team. Kelly Panek, a current Gopher, joins seven other U alums on the women’s team.

The Wild, who play the Coyotes Thursday night at home, is 4-0-1 in its last five games at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota has dominated Arizona with an 11-1-2 record in the last 14 games.

The Wild is publicizing a free open to the public outdoor practice Sunday at the St. Louis Park Rec Center. The practice starts at 11 a.m. and is scheduled for 45 minutes.

Twin Cities golfers were able to play last February but it doesn’t look like an encore in 2018. Daytime temps may hit 40 at best between now and March 1, per AccuWeather.com.

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