David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Confidence No Problem for Miguel Sano

Posted on March 18, 2016March 18, 2016 by David Shama

What to know about Miguel Sano, the late Flip Saunders, and national championship pursuits tonight by the St. Thomas men’s basketball team and the University of Minnesota’s women’s hockey team. …

Sano has yet to play a full season in the majors but writers are learning the 22-year-old hitting phenom from the Dominican Republic is full of confidence. In July of last year he told Sports Headliners future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter he’s seen, and also said, “I can be better than Cabrera, I think.”

Sano spoke about what kind of batting numbers he could achieve in a full season in a March 8, 2016 article by Tom Verducci of Si.com. He told Verducci, “I don’t know, but if I stay healthy I feel like I have a chance to be something like the MVP and win the Triple Crown, and I can be on the All-Star team.”

Miguel Sano (photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins).

In 80 games and 279 at bats last season Sano had a .269 average, with 18 home runs and 52 RBI. Sano obviously believes those are numbers he can build on this season and during his career.

Twins president Dave St. Peter views the young slugger’s confidence as a positive. “He obviously has a long way to go to get to his full potential but he’s a talented player,” St. Peter told Sports Headliners. “He has all the attributes on the field that you would expect out of some of the better players in the game, in terms of being able to hit for power and command of the strike zone.

“I think getting back on the field defensively is going to be important for him in terms of his career. We certainly thought that was a critical thing in the offseason to move him into a position (on the field). …We’re counting on him to take that next step. We’re hopeful he’s going to be a positive force for our club for a long, long time.”

Sano, a third baseman and shortstop in the minor leagues, was mostly a designated hitter for the Twins last season. In spring training he’s learning to play right field and that’s a process. “The best thing is he’s had a great attitude about it and he’s attacked it,” St. Peter said. “He’s been a good student, asking questions, learning from mistakes. I think having Torii Hunter (retired Twins right fielder and now an instructor) in camp the first couple weeks was a huge benefit to Miguel.”

Sano is 6-4, 262-pounds but St. Peter said there are no concerns about running down balls in the outfield. “He runs fine. Running isn’t going to be the issue for him. It’s going to be how long it’s going to take for him to master (outfield) routes and play those balls that are hit right at him. We want to make sure that we give him time for the transition, but we’re optimistic that he is going to be fine in right field.”

St. Peter believes Sano can become exceptional in the field. “We think the athleticism is there for him to be a very good outfielder. The only thing holding him back is inexperience.” …

Saunders died a few days before the Timberwolves started the 2015-2016 season but the impact of his personnel decisions is evident this winter. Owner Glen Taylor hired Saunders about three years ago to turn around a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2004. In a short time Saunders rebuilt the roster with young talent that has yet to win consistently, but the club shows promise of eventually making deep runs in the NBA playoffs.

Only point guard Ricky Rubio and center Nikola Pekovic remain from the team’s 20-man training camp roster in the fall of 2012. Six players remain from the 15-man roster the Wolves had opening the 2014-2015 season. In addition to Rubio and Pekovic, those players are Gorgui Dieng, Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad and Andrew Wiggins.

As president of basketball operations in May of 2013, Saunders inherited Rubio and Pekovic. This season the Wolves’ starting lineup has often consisted of Rubio and LaVine at guards, Dieng and Wiggins at forwards, and Karl-Anthony Towns (drafted last June) at center. Muhammad, a forward, plays major minutes off the bench.

Jim Dutcher said Saunders, who played and coached for him with the Gophers, could see potential in players that others missed. “…His ability to foresee what a player could be, not what he was necessarily at the time,” Dutcher said.

Flip Saunders (Photo courtesy of Timberwolves).

In Saunders’ first NBA draft he made a trade with the Jazz that allowed the Wolves to acquire both Dieng and Muhammad. He got two No. 1 draft choices by sending his initial first round pick, Trey Burke of Michigan, to Utah. Dieng didn’t have eye-catching scoring numbers in college but at power forward for the Wolves he makes contributions the subtle observer doesn’t always see. Muhammad’s flashy talent was obvious at UCLA but some experts doubted his character. Dutcher said Saunders believed with maturity and the right coaching Muhammad could help the Wolves.

LaVine was a one-and-done freshman at UCLA in 2013-2014 and Saunders liked what he saw. “Probably biggest one (of Saunders’ personnel moves) was LaVine, a nonstarter in college and he takes him with their No. 1 choice because he could see his athletic ability,” Dutcher said. “He could say, ‘Hey, if we can refine his game, this kid is going to be a player.’ ”

After Saunders’ first year or so with the Wolves it became apparent All-Star forward Kevin Love didn’t want to be part of the franchise long-term. Saunders negotiated a deal in the summer of 2014 with the Cavs sending Love to Cleveland and bringing Wiggins to Minneapolis. Wiggins had been the overall No. 1 NBA draft choice earlier in 2014 and in his first season with the Wolves became NBA Rookie of the Year.

Dutcher believes Saunders’ easiest move was acquiring Towns. Known for their awful luck in the draft lottery, the Wolves finally won the NBA’s No. 1 overall pick last year. Dutcher believes it was “pretty easy” to take Towns instead of Jahlil Okafor, another big man hyped before the draft and eventually taken third overall by the Sixers. He refers to Towns as the “cornerstone” of Minnesota’s youthful team. “He is a high character kid who is only going to get better,” Dutcher said.

The Wolves’ record is a dismal 22-46 but there is too much young talent not to dramatically improve that record during the next couple of seasons. Saunders, who was diagnosed with cancer last year and saw his health quickly deteriorate, died at age 60. Dutcher said his friend’s efforts with the Wolves “were finally about to be rewarded.”

More importantly, Dutcher said, Saunders’ death is for the many people who loved him a “tragedy that is hard to deal with.” …

Salem, Virginia is about a three hour drive from the campus of Christopher Newport in Newport News, Virginia. St. Thomas coach John Tauer knows CNU will have a supportive crowd when the two teams play in a Division III Final Four semifinal game tonight in Salem.

Tauer, though, didn’t seem concerned earlier this week when talking to Sports Headliners. The Tommies advanced to the Final Four last Saturday in Rock Island, Illinois where Augustana, a physically imposing team and ranked No. 1 in Division III, had a home court advantage.

“Their crowd was as wild as any one that I’ve ever seen,” Tauer said. “Our guys certainly rose to the challenge. You can worry about all those factors in a national tournament. The reality is I am much more concerned trying to get our guys ready, and prepared to play an outstanding team. The crowd is the crowd. That’s fun for everybody but the reality is what’s going on inside the court is what we try to focus on.”

The Tommies (28-3) and CNU (30-1) play tonight at 6:30 p.m. (central daylight) after the semifinal game between Benedictine (31-0) and Amherst (25-6). The winners play for the national championship Saturday night. Tonight’s games are streamed live on NCCA.com. The championship game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

Tauer, who has a 126-22 record in five years as the Tommies’ head coach, is now in his fourth Final Four. He played in one final, was an assistant coach on the UST national title team of 2011 and was head coach for the Tommies in the 2013 Final Four.

Last year’s team was 24-4 and its wins included a victory over eventual national champion UW-Stevens Point. With four of his top six players returning, Tauer knew his team could have another high success season. The Tommies not only have talent but experience with four of their major contributors being seniors.

This week Tauer was named West Region Coach of the Year by D3Hoops.com. Senior center Ryan Saarela (second team) and senior forward Taylor Montero (third team) were named All-Region.

Both players are Minnesotans, as are all but one of the 17 players on the roster. Tauer said the talent pool of Minnesota high school basketball is impressive and that’s a reason why he stays close to home in recruiting. Logistics and budget are factors too. “I don’t have a private jet (for recruiting),” he said. …

The Gophers women’s hockey team (33-4-1) plays the Badgers (35-3-1) for a sixth time this season when the two teams meet tonight starting at 6 p.m. (central daylight) in a national semifinal Frozen Four game in Durham, N.H. The Badgers have won three games, the Gophers two this season, and the winner tonight advances to the NCAA national title game Sunday that begins at 1 p.m.

The defending national champion Gophers are in their fourth consecutive Frozen Four. Minnesota is trying to win its seventh national championship and third back-to-back title.

The other Frozen Four teams are Boston College (39-0) and Clarkson (30-4-5). The two semifinal games and Sunday’s title game will be streamed live on NCAA.com.

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Don Lucia Expecting Contract Talks

Posted on March 16, 2016March 16, 2016 by David Shama

After this season Don Lucia has one year remaining on his contract as Gophers men’s hockey coach. He wants to continue indefinitely in the job he has held since 1999.

“Yeah, I would like to come back,” Lucia told Sports Headliners last week. “This is my 29th year as a head coach and I will be 58 this summer, but I still love what I do.”

If University of Minnesota officials don’t give Lucia a contract extension it will leave him in an awkward position this offseason and during the 2016-2017 schedule. Rival coaches can tell high school recruits the Gophers’ hockey future is in doubt. Minnesota’s assistant coaches and players will question the school’s commitment to the head coach.

Lucia doesn’t think that’s a direction he’s headed. “Yeah, I think after the season we’ll sit down and talk. We’ll see where the University is at and we’ll see where I am at, and what they want to do going forward.”

It’s not clear what direction University administrators will take. This is a time of transition in the athletic department with no permanent athletic director. Does University president Eric Kaler want interim athletic director Beth Goetz to make a recommendation soon on Lucia’s contract and future?

Maybe. Goetz was allowed an important hire last week when the Gophers named Ayo Taylor-Dixon a senior associate athletic director with responsibilities for department marketing, sales and service. Some observers find the hire curious believing such an important slot should be filled when a new AD is in place—but perhaps Kaler is already leaning toward naming Goetz for the position that has been open since last summer.

The Gophers entered this season with more wins (105) the last four seasons than any Division I men’s program. Minnesota also made program history by winning consecutive regular season league titles the last five years, with two championships in the WCHA and the last three in the Big Ten including in 2016.

The five straight titles ties Boston College (1994-1998) for the NCAA record for consecutive conference championships, but overall it’s been a somewhat mediocre season for Minnesota. The Big Ten record is 14-6 and for all games it’s 19-16, with inconsistency characterizing Minnesota’s play. Instead of being ranked among the nation’s elite in polls, the Gophers have struggled to be in the top 20.

Minnesota has a storied program with high expectations including national championships. Lucia’s teams won consecutive NCAA titles in 2002 and 2003 but none since. The Gophers did lose the national title game two years ago to Union. Lucia has long had his critics and the “chorus” has been loud this season.

Lucia can diminish criticism if his team qualifies for the NCAA Tournament and makes an impressive run toward the Frozen Four in April. The Gophers play in the Big Ten Tournament at Xcel Energy Center starting Friday night. The tourney winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers’ entry to the NCAA field will come only if they emerge as Big Ten Tournament champions on Saturday, because their overall resume isn’t worthy of an at-large selection based on the data used to select teams.

Lucia said “great goaltending” and defense are the most important elements in playoff hockey. He has one of the best NCAA freshman goalies in Eric Schierhorn. “We’ve proven that we can beat good teams, but we’re not a dominant team where we can play an average game and win,” Lucia said. “The guys understand that.”

Reality may well be the Gophers are better next season than now. Lucia is playing seven or eight freshmen most games, including Schierhorn. More experience will help younger players and so will becoming physically stronger. “Some of them need to make a step in the weight room and that can’t happen overnight,” Lucia said. “It’s gotta be in that offseason of physical training.”

There’s no doubt Lucia wants to coach next year’s team and others that follow. “I am at that point as long as you still enjoy what you’re doing, you want to continue to do it,” he said. “I think I am in good shape. I physically take care of myself. Some guys coach until they’re 70. I don’t think I’ll be doing that. I’d like to continue to do it for a few more years.”

No matter when the Gophers play their last game this season, Lucia will take a complete view of 2016-2017. “Do you want to try to win a national title? Sure you do. I am still disappointed we didn’t a couple years ago. Union did. I don’t judge any year on ‘did you win your last game?’ It’s difficult to win your last game. I judge more on did the kids get better? Did the kids have a positive experience and did we maximize our abilities?”

Academic achievement from his players is important, too. This year’s team has a cumulative GPA of 3.2. Lucia said that for many years only one player who stayed in the program four years hasn’t earned a degree.

Worth Noting

Lucia’s list of incentives with the University agreed to in 2012 rewards him with $30,000 for winning a regular season conference championship, $15,000 for a conference tournament title and the same amount for a Gophers’ invitation to the NCAA Tournament, plus $30,000 for an NCAA regional final, $50,000 for the Frozen Four and $75,000 for winning it.

The 10 candidates announced today for the 2016 Hobey Baker Memorial Award honoring college hockey’s top player are: JT Compher, Michigan; Kyle Connor, Michigan; Thatcher Demko, Boston College; Zac Lynch, Robert Morris; Alex Lyon, Yale; Tyler Motte, Michigan; Alex Petan, Michigan Tech; Andrew Poturalski, New Hampshire; Ethan Prow, St. Cloud State; Jimmy Vesey, Harvard. The 10 finalists were selected by voting from all 60 Division I college hockey head coaches and by online fan balloting.

As of yesterday Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith at No. 18 was Pro Football Talk’s highest ranked remaining NFL free agent without a contract or franchise tag. Smith is reportedly deciding between the Vikings and Cardinals.

Charles “Chip” Taylor, Jr. is the new Hamline head football coach replacing Chad Rogosheske who accepted the head job at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio to be nearer family. Taylor came to Hamline as defensive coordinator in 2013 when Rogosheske was named coach. Taylor’s resume includes summer internships with the NFL’s Cardinals and Chiefs.

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame hosts its 9th annual Minnesota Football Honors event April 17 at the Hilton Minneapolis. Among those to be recognized for awards are: Jon Christenson, University of Minnesota, Stein-Fallon Scholar-Athlete; Casey O’Brien, Cretin-Derham Hall High School, Courage Award; Joshua Gordon, Minnesota State University, Bobby Bell College Impact Player of the Year Award; Mohamed Mahamud, Washburn High School, Stacy Robinson Leadership Award ($2,000 scholarship); Stan Nelson, Bud Grant Distinguished Minnesotan Award; Grady Rostberg, Hutchinson High School, John Gagliardi Legacy; Missy Strauch, Augsburg University, Fred Zamberletti Award; Gene McGivern, University of St. Thomas, Sid Hartman Media Award; Minnehaha Academy, Highlight of the Year Award; Caledonia Area High School, Minnesota Football Program of the Year Award; 1975 Stillwater High School state football champions, Murray Warmath Legendary Team Award.

The following high school scholar-athlete award winners receive $2,000 scholarships: Matthew Biegler, Underwood High School; Isaac Collins, Maple Grove High School; Cory Dixon, Patrick Henry High School; Andrew Haldeman, Harding High School; Ethan Ishaug, Barnesville High School; Kiefer Miller, Nevis High School; Conner Olson, Monticello High School; Elijah Rice, St. Michael-Albertville High School.

The event is open to the public and includes a social hour starting at 5 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards program. More at Minnesotafootballhonors.com.

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Here’s Help Forecasting NCAA Tourney

Posted on March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 by David Shama

Don’t overlook the University of Arkansas at Little Rock when filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket.

That’s the advice of former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher who has been studying tournament fields for 50 years. He predicts the Trojans, a No. 12 seed in the Midwest Region, will upset No. 5 seed Purdue in an opening round game this week. “They’re a real sleeper team,” Dutcher said about the 29-win Trojans.

Upsets are common during the first week of “March Madness” and there is a lot of parity in the field of 68 teams but only a handful are seen as potential Final Four entrants next month in Houston. Dutcher thinks the last four teams will be Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina and Oklahoma. Kansas is the No. 1 overall tournament seed and Dutcher’s choice to win the national championship.

All four of his predicted finalists are either No. 1 or No. 2 seeds in their regions. “I really went out a limb,” he said.

North Carolina may have the most talented team in the tournament but Dutcher said there might be some glory coming for J.P. Macura and his Xavier teammates. The former Lakeville North guard is Xavier’s fifth leading scorer at 9.6 points per game. The Musketeers are the No. 2 seed in the East behind Carolina and if you’re looking for a mid-major to make a deep tournament run it could be the Musketeers. “Xavier is pretty good,” he said.

A problem for Macura and teammates, though, is the East Region is loaded with strong teams including Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia. “I think the toughest route to the Final Four is out of the East,” Dutcher said.

California, the No. 4 seed in the South, has Dutcher’s attention. “Cal is playing really strong,” he said. “They have at least two No. 1 (NBA) draft choices.” Draftexpress.com predicts forward Jaylen Brown will be the third overall pick in the 2016 draft, with forward Ivan Rabb also a first rounder, and point guard Tyrone Wallace a second round choice.

Dutcher believes Iowa State has “got a chance” to be a surprise team in the Midwest but the Cyclones’ in-state rival Iowa isn’t likely to do much in the South. The Hawkeyes have lost five of their last six games and Dutcher said a problem is Iowa plays too many different defenses and doesn’t execute. “They don’t play great defense,” Dutcher said. “They just give up too many points.”

If pressed for a possible surprise team from the West Region, Dutcher goes with Texas A&M. The Aggies are a physical team and got a Final Four vote from college basketball authority Seth Davis on the CBS tournament selection show yesterday.

Worth Noting

The Gophers men’s basketball program has only qualified four times for the NCAA Tournament this century. Minnesota participated in 2013, 2010, 2009 and 2005, with a cumulative record of 1-4.

Coach Richard Pitino’s three-year Big Ten regular season record is 16-38. Minnesota was 2-16 this year, the most conference losses in school history.

The Gophers’ average attendance for the team’s 18 home games was 10,292. That’s the lowest since the 1970-1971 season, 8,395.

Ken Lien will announce the 2016 Mr. Basketball award winner at 5:15 p.m. on 1500 ESPN. The prediction here is the winner will be Amir Coffey from Hopkins High School.

The amazing Sid Hartman—who no longer drives a car but still writes multiple columns per week for the Star tribune and voices opinions six times weekly on WCCO Radio—has his 96th birthday tomorrow, March 15.

Does Jordan Schroeder sleep with a suitcase next to his bed? The 25-year-old forward and Lakeville, Minnesota native has been recalled from the Wild’s Iowa AHL team six times this season. The latest pack your bags notice came when Wild GM Chuck Fletcher announced Friday Schroeder was rejoining the team to fill a roster need. Schroeder, who has scored one goal in 16 games for the Wild, has been among the scoring leaders for Iowa where he has 34 points in 40 games.

P.J. Fleck, 35, is one of the most hyped young head football coaches in the country. Featured in Sports Illustrated last year, Fleck has impressed with his charisma while coaching at Western Michigan. He will be a headline speaker on March 31 at the annual Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park.

While the clinic is annually attended mostly by high school coaches, new this year is the Youth Coaches Clinic April 1 and 2. Sessions on blocking and developing young quarterbacks will be among the offerings for coaches from youth football organizations. There will also be an opportunity to hear Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema speak to all MFCA Clinic attendees April 1. More at mnfootballcoaches.com.

Ron Stolski, executive director of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, is also head coach at Brainerd where this fall he will be in his 55th season of prep coaching.

Lovie Smith went to a Super Bowl and won NFC North Division championships coaching the Bears so the surprise announcement last week that he is the new Illinois head coach adds another prominent name to the Big Ten. With his NFL roots and known brand in Chicago, Smith can change Illini recruiting for the better but Ryan Burns thinks Notre Dame will still get “the cream of the crop.” Burns is publisher of Scout’s GopherDigest.com.

The Illini have fallen on hard times since a Rose Bowl appearance in 2008. Establishing a winning program will be needed to change recruiting, and that figures to take awhile. Still, Burns predicts improvement in Illinois recruiting for 2017.

“This (2017) will probably be Illinois’ best class in the last five years or so, just because Lovie is a big name,” Burns said. “But I don’t think they’ll be competing with the Penn States, the Michigan States of the world. Even the Minnesotas. If they were able to get on par with what Minnesota has been doing, I think that would be a pretty good jump for them, but I don’t think it will be dramatic.”

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