At the awards banquet Sunday night Mark Madsen encouraged the Mr. and Miss Basketball finalists to think about how they want to be remembered on and off the court.  The Timberwolves center gave an inspiring talk to the 10 players and the audience as the banquet’s featured speaker at the Minneapolis Marriott West. 

Madsen, who has played six seasons in the NBA for the Lakers and Wolves, shared his observations about players he’s known, offering on and off-court impressions.  He admires Kevin Garnett’s caring for people including the $2 million check he wrote to help with the Hurricane Katrina disaster.  Garnett’s weight lifting commitment, including on game days, is impressive, too.  “I don’t know if you’ll find a man who works harder,” Madsen said. 

Madsen said legendary center Shaquille O’Neal, once a teammate with the Lakers, is an extraordinary family man, and he made a surprising comment about controversial Latrell Sprewell.  The latter has been known as an NBA bad boy but Madsen praised Sprewell for the respect he showed teammates and ability to bring them closer together when he played for the Wolves. 

Madsen talked about fate and keeping your word when he read a story about hall of fame coach John Wooden.   Almost 60 years ago both Minnesota and UCLA were in pursuit of Wooden.  A Midwesterner, Wooden favored coming to Minnesota, according to the book “Wooden: A lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court.” He was hoping to be officially offered the Minnesota job at 6 p.m. on a Saturday night but a blizzard knocked out the phone lines in Minneapolis.  When the 6 p.m. call didn’t come, Wooden thought Minnesota wasn’t going to hire him and he took a 7 p.m. call from UCLA and accepted the job as Bruins coach where he eventually won 10 national championships.  Minnesota called later that evening but it was too late; Wooden honored his commitment to UCLA. 

Blake Hoffarber of Hopkins, who will play for the Gophers, won the Mr. Basketball award and Angel Robinson of St. Paul Central, headed to Marquette, won the Miss Basketball.  Both were emotional as they expressed their appreciation to the crowd.  The boys’ finalists included Cole Aldrich of Bloomington Jefferson, Noah Dahlman of Braham, Trevor Mbakwe of St. Bernard’s and Alex Rubin of Armstromg. The girls’ finalists included Kachine Alexander of Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Alyssa Karel of Cretin-Derham Hall, Macie Michelson of Marshall and Janessa Wolff of Park Rapids. 

Noah’s brother Isaiah, now at Michigan State, won the Mr. Basketball award last year.  Jenna Smith of Bloomington Kennedy, now at Illinois, was the Miss Basketball.   

The Mr. Basketball award dates back to 1975, the Miss Basketball to 1979.   The finalists for the 2003 Mr. Basketball award included Kris Humphries and Dan Coleman of Hopkins, Lawrence McKenzie of Patrick Henry and Kammron Taylor of North.  Humphries is now with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, while Coleman and McKenzie play for the Gophers, and Taylor finished his career at Wisconsin in March.

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The Wild will soon be starting its season ticket renewal process. Season tickets will be capped at 16,500. The franchise has over 7,500 on a waiting list to purchase season tickets.  

Except for Minnesota natives Wyatt Smith and Mark Parrish, Wild players will be summering other places than the Twin Cities.  Nine players from the Wild organization, representing several different countries, are participating in the IIHF World Championships in Russia. Players include Pavol Demitra, Marian Gaborik and Branko Radivojevic, all playing for Slovakia, 

On a team that didn’t consistently close out games with wins, Wolves rookie Randy Foye often was better in the fourth quarters than earlier in games.  He scored 48% of his points (398 of 832) in the fourth quarters and overtimes. In those late game situations he made 48.2% of his field goals, 39.3% of three point field goals and 87.5% of free throws. His game averages in those categories: 43.4%, 36.8% and 85.4%.  

Although heights of NBA players are often exaggerated, Mark Madsen said teammate Kevin Garnett is 7-1, not 6-11 as often written.  Garnett, who led the NBA in rebounding for a fourth consecutive season, was selected as a member of the NBA’s all-defensive second team announced on Monday.  It was the eighth time Garnett has been on the first or second team.  The teams are selected by NBA coaches and Garnett received the second fewest votes (Kirk Hinrich of the Bulls had less).  With forwards Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen, the Spurs were the only franchise with two players on the first team. 

Madsen will lead Timberwolves camps for kids 6-14 at Champlin Park High School (June 25-29) and Eden Prairie High School (July 9-13).  For more information, call the Timberwolves offices, 612-673-1600. 

Vikings coach Brad Childress on Randy Moss being traded to New England from Oakland:  “You’re always happy he’s not in your division. He’s a good football player. I talked with Bill (Belichick, Patriots’ coach) about that a little bit. … He’ll do a good job with them. I know Randy is happy to be there so it looks like a match made in heaven.” 

The MIAC has honored Bethel University senior centerfielder Kirby Carr as its Baseball Player of the Week.  The Fergus Falls native was 11-for-22 at the plate including five home runs, 10 runs scored, 12 RBI and compiled a 1.182 slugging percentage as the Royals won games against St. Olaf, Saint Mary’s, and Gustavus last week.

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Ciatrick Fason offered advice to Adrian Peterson, the Vikings’ No. 1 draft choice last weekend.  Fason, a reserve running back drafted in the fourth round by the Vikings two years ago, was asked about the transition Peterson will make going from Oklahoma where he set school and NCAA rushing records to playing in the NFL. 

Fason told Sports Headliners “learning how to take care of your body” tops the must-do list.   How is that done?  “You just got to do everything possible. . . Tony Richardson (veteran Vikings running back) and those guys, they teach you those things. …They taught me how to go to the chiropractor, how to get massages, how to take care of your feet.  You gotta do everything just to make sure your body is always taken care of.” 

The advice couldn’t be more on target for running backs, with all the physical abuse they receive, and particularly Peterson whose story line at Oklahoma was almost as much about injuries as it was electrifying performances on the field where he ran past and over tacklers with a style and frequency seldom seen in college football.  During his first season, the one year he was free from injury, he broke the NCAA freshman running record and the school single season rushing mark.  He gained 1,925 yards. 

Fason disagrees with those who question whether Peterson, who seldom was thrown passes at Oklahoma, can catch the ball, adding that Peterson has “great hands.”  Durability and pass receiving were pre-draft concerns about Peterson. 

“I watched him his whole career,” Fason said.  “He’s a great back.  I feel like we’re a lot alike.  … He’s just a little faster than me, but I feel like we’re almost the same type of back.”  

Fason, 6-foot, 207-pounds, has run the 40 yard dash in 4.57 seconds.  Peterson, 6-foot-2, 217-pounds, has run a 4.37.   

Asked to further describe Peterson’s running style, Fason said, “He runs with a mad demeanor about himself.”  That description fit with profiles of Peterson running “angry.” 

The Vikings listed seven running backs on their pre-draft roster.  There had to be some private “ughs” in reaction to the Vikings selecting Peterson at No. 7.  A good teammate wants to see the team improve itself but he also wants playing time.   

Fason, for example, has played a reserve role for two seasons.  His NFL career stats include 18 games, 50 carries, 161 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Does he anticipate his third season means an expanded role with the Vikings?  “I really can’t tell you that now,” he said.  “I thought it was going to be but the way it’s looking, I am going to have to…wait for my opportunity.” 

The Vikings might make a $15 million guaranteed investment in Peterson.  That money translates into opportunity.  “Third or fourth round guys, we just got to sit back and wait for our opportunities,” Fason said.  “It really makes a big difference on where you slide (in the draft) and you just got to wait for your opportunity.”

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