Dan Monson was introducing his Gopher basketball
players one by one last week to season ticket holders at a
reception.  He came to redshirt freshman guard Kevin
Payton who used to live in Austria.  Monson asked Payton
to say the following in German: “The Gophers are going to
surprise everybody and win the Big Ten this year.” 

A conference championship is an unlikely possibility to most people who follow the Gophers and the Big Ten Conference.  Many hoopologists see a finish between eighth and 11^th in the Big Ten.  The Gophers finished in 10th place last season and no full time starters return from a team that was 16-15 over all and 5-11 in the Big Ten.  The roster has four freshmen, four sophomores and six juniors. 

Yet Monson and the coaching staff are trying to look optimistically (see Payton reference above) at this season.   They know that after last season when Monson reportedly was almost terminated, their need to win now is urgent.  Talk to fans or listen to the media and you will hear speculation about whether Monson can last beyond his eighth season as Gopher coach. 

Athlon college basketball magazine, for example, printed only Monson’s name in red in a feature titled “Pressure Is On” listing coaches expected to improve or else.  “His seat could be the hottest in the nation,” the magazine wrote. 

Another magazine, CBS SportsLine.com said:  “There is scaffolding around the Gopher program as Monson works to rebuild his team. …The Gophers won’t go into the tank, but it could be a rough season in Minnesota.” 

In addition to inexperience (seven players who have never played a game minute for Minnesota), there are concerns about rebounding, team defense and inside scoring.  Bright spots could include Oklahoma transfer guard Lawrence McKenzie’s outside marksmanship, the athleticism of junior college transfers Limar Wilson (guard) and Engen Nurumbi (forward), and leadership of Payton (guard).  The Gophers look like a team with effective outside shooting and good overall athleticism.   

Freshman center Bryce Webster’s development will be intriguing, too.  He has offensive and defensive skills, and at 6-9, 240 provides size on a roster filled with smaller and mid-size players.  Assistant coach Jim Molinari said Webster was the most highly recruited player on the team and could have attended a long list of other schools.  Still, Webster has much to learn as evidenced by his six foul performance about half way through the second half of a scrimmage last week. 

Intriguing is a good word to associate with the coming season that starts November 3 with a home exhibition game against Bemidji State.  At the season ticket holders gathering last week Monson thanked his most loyal customers for sticking with the program “through thick and thin.”  He’s hoping for a lot more “thick” this season.

 

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Tom Kelly is on WCCO Radio with Dark Star from 9:30 to 10 p.m. on weekday nights through the World Series.  After that he is on with Star at the same time on Tuesdays.  This reminds a writer that perhaps no local coach or manager ever took the time to explain his sport to the public like Kelly, the former Twins manager. 

Star and Kelly are long time friends.  “I thought I knew a lot about baseball before I met Kelly,” Star said.  “I didn’t know anything.” 

For years while Kelly was managing the Twins his radio show was hosted by Dave Mona and Sid Hartman.  Mona said he thinks Kelly wants people to appreciate baseball at a “deeper level” so Kelly can often be very detailed in his responses to questions. 

Mona used to anticipate when a classic Kelly answer was about to be delivered after a WCCO caller had posed a question. “Sometimes I could audibly hear him sigh and Sid would start to say, ‘goodbye,’ and Tom would say, ‘no, let’s hear him out.’  And then there were two keys to what was going to follow.  The first was, ‘oh, my,’ which is only two words but spoke volumes if you knew Kellyese because you knew the recipient of the, ‘oh, my,’ was about to get a tutorial on how baseball is done (played). 

“And the other (key) would be, ‘well, let’s take a look at the situation.’ And then Tom would start with reverse roles and become the person asking the questions (of the caller) and I always thought when he did that it was some of the most insightful Tom Kelly shows in history because of the kinds of questions he asked.”

Mona then gave these examples of questions. “What was the count?  Who was on desk? What’s his experience been with that pitcher? Who is in the bullpen?  How have they done against him?  What sort  of bunter is he?…I thought during those times people got a pretty rare insight into the seemingly easy but really very complicated world of being a major league manager and I don’t think anyone ever did that better than Tom when he was going through one of those
Q & A’s.”

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Vikings’ coach Brad Childress talking about former Gopher Laurence Maroney who comes to town next Monday night with New England: “I thought he was a very good player coming out (to the 2006 draft).  …He’s got the speed to be able to take it the distance.”

The American Heart Association is working with the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL to promote the What Moves U program to encourage kids to get physically active.  The Vikings’ Steve Hutchinson is involved.  “It’s important for students to stay active – especially with the rise in childhood obesity,” Hutchinson said. 

Best humor witnessed over the weekend:  a Gopher fan wagging his index finger and yelling we’re “No. 1” after Minnesota scored its lone touchdown in a 10-9 victory over Division I-AA North Dakota State on Saturday. 

Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, said there is quiet talk among local sports boosters to bid for the 2016 Olympics.  This area finished second to Atlanta in a bid for the 1988 Olympics, Lester said. 

Bethel linebacker Kirby Carr, Saint John’s linebacker Jamie Steffensmeier and St. Thomas wide receiver P.J. Theisen have been listed among 148 candidates by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) for the 2006 Draddy Trophy.  The award is given to the best player in the country based on combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. The winner receives a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship.  Among the past winners is former Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel (2003).

Davanni’s owner and former Gopher Roger Schelper, 58, still plays pick up basketball a couple times per week at a local health club.  The former Edina High School athlete (track, basketball and football) was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame last year. 

Saint Paul Saints pitcher Mike Meyer, the team’s all-time leader in victories, and first baseman Nick Gretz are retiring from professional baseball. Meyer is returning to his home in Arizona. Gretz, who lives in Farmington, is working in the Twin Cities and is an assistant coach for the Apple Valley High School boys’ hockey team.

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