David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Shabazz Gets Musselman Endorsement

Posted on June 24, 2013June 24, 2013 by David Shama

Among the assumptions about Thursday night’s NBA Draft is the Timberwolves will select a shooting guard with their No. 9 pick in the first round. What might be far more clandestine is their interest in UCLA swingman Shabazz Muhammad.

While public conversation has frequently included the possibility of selecting Indiana’s Victor Oladipo, the Wolves almost certainly have to make a trade with another team and move up in the draft to obtain the Indiana junior shooting guard. There’s no guarantee the Wolves want to or can make such a move.

In the June 24 issue of Sports Illustrated the magazine predicts the Wolves will select Muhammad at No. 9 after Oladipo is chosen at No. 5 by the Suns. The publication includes a feature on Muhammad who played only as a freshman at UCLA, averaging 17.9 points per game and finishing his career in a 20 point first round NCAA Tournament loss to the Gophers last March.

Among Pac-12 rivals who watched Muhammad play was Arizona State associate head coach Eric Musselman, a friend of Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders. “If there were an NBA game tomorrow, you could put him in your rotation,” Musselman said in the magazine. “There are probably less than 10 guys in this draft you can say that about.”

While Muhammad is stereotyped as a shooter-scorer, a one dimensional player, Oladipo has all-around abilities including a stingy defensive skill set. The Wolves’ glaring need, though, is someone who can hit open jump shots while joining a team already built around forward Kevin Love and point guard Ricky Rubio.

Given that roster need, Jim Dutcher wouldn’t advise Saunders to move up in the draft to take Oladipo. “If you’re looking for a shooter I would say no,” said Dutcher. “He’s more of an all-around athlete than he is a pure stroker. He’s not like a Klay Thompson or those kind of players that can just knock down (shots). Stephen Curry, those great shooters.

“That’s one of the question marks. Is he (Oladipo) a quality outside shooter? And I am not sure. I think his better game is a penetrator, a guy who gets to the basket. One thing he does do is he finishes at the basket.”

Dutcher, the former Gophers’ coach whose players at Minnesota included Saunders, labels Oladipo a “great physical talent” with good character who will be a solid pro.

“The one thing that would be concerning to me is as you watched Indiana play, there were large periods where Oladipo kind of disappeared. He’s out there and then he would do something spectacular. And maybe it’s because Indiana had a balanced team. …I would be concerned that he wasn’t their go-to guy at the end of games. Sometimes he would be and a lot of times he wouldn’t be involved.”

Basketball fans in this town will be intrigued by Thursday night’s draft not just to see what the Wolves do with two first round picks and two second rounders. There will also be interest in the futures of former Gophers Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams.

Mbakwe led the Big Ten in rebounding at 8.7 per game. His instincts for rebounding and physical strength at 6-8, 245 are NBA level but there are holes in his resume including a limited offensive game. Williams, 6-7, 205, can put himself on ESPN SportsCenter with world-class dunks, but it seems like there are almost as many questions about his overall skill set as inches he can jump.

“I think on Trevor you gotta evaluate where you are going to play him,” Dutcher said. “He’s strong around the basket but he does not have a refined inside game. If he can’t dunk it, he can’t make it a lot of times.

“He’s not big enough to play a full-time center in the NBA. You gotta be able to make that face-up jump shot and there were games that he did that, and he was probably the premier rebounder in the Big Ten Conference which says a lot, but everybody evaluates Trevor based on one game. The Indiana game where he out played (Cody) Zeller and the Gophers upset Indiana who was then the No. 1 team in the nation.

“But you gotta look at the whole picture where he got out played at Nebraska and Northwestern. Some of the lesser teams…where he didn’t have great games. The Michigan game here (facing a top 10 team) I thought he got badly outplayed by Michigan’s big men.”

Dutcher believes Mbakwe is probably a second round NBA draft choice at best. “He’s not a sure fire NBA player. Probably going to end up playing in Europe would be my guess unless somebody has a spot for a guy that can go in and get you a key rebound or two.

“He does have some down things. He’s older (24). His age is not in his favor. The off the court baggage, I think Trevor has dealt with that pretty well. I don’t think that is a major concern but…when they evaluate a player they evaluate everything.”

While Mbakwe had serious issues off the court during his college career, Williams won’t have to answer such questions from NBA teams. The signature question about Williams is how did he miss doing more with all his athleticism?

“People that watched Minnesota waited four years for Rodney to have a break-out year and he never did,” Dutcher said. “Not a consistent outside shooter. Not a great defender. He does the spectacular. He can go up there and dazzle you with a slam dunk but at the end of the year when you look at the stats he doesn’t average great scoring. He doesn’t average even great rebounding, and doesn’t have impressive statistics. But you gotta be impressed with his leaping ability. ….

“I doubt that he gets drafted. Somebody will take a chance on bringing him to (an NBA) camp or putting him in the D-League, or doing something just because of his physical jumping ability. But you evaluate the all around game and Rodney…is probably not an NBA player.”

Worth Noting

The year’s draft will feature more Big Ten players likely to be selected in the first round than any in recent memory. The list consists of Indiana’s Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, Michigan’s Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., and could include Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas.

The Timberwolves will host a free draft party for fans at Target Center starting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday night. The draft begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be telecast by ESPN. Wolves center Greg Stiemsma is scheduled to be in attendance for a portion of the party.

Former Gophers assistant coach Jimmy Williams is no longer an assistant at the University of Memphis and has interest in NBA coaching. Williams is living in Houston.

The Wild have eight picks in next Sunday’s NHL Entry Draft but none in the first round. A trade may change that. The draft begins at 2 p.m. Minnesota time and will be televised by the NBC Sports Network.

Miguel Sano, the super prospect who some observers think could be playing for the Twins as early as next year, is off to a slow start after being promoted from Class A Fort Myers to Class AA New Britain. In 11 games the 20-year-old third baseman is hitting .171 with two home runs and eight RBI.

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U Looks at Sand Volleyball Program

Posted on June 21, 2013June 22, 2013 by David Shama

The Gophers are showing interest in possibly adding sand volleyball to the roster of intercollegiate sports. “We’ve just had general discussions with the administration,” Gophers indoor volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon told Sports Headliners yesterday.

Although it is an Olympic sport, only 34 American colleges have “verified their commitment” to sand volleyball, according to Collegesand.org. The website said 40 programs are necessary to make sand volleyball a “championship sport.” The NCAA has given the activity emerging sport status.

Nebraska started a sand volleyball program this year and is the only Big Ten school competing in the sport. The Huskers’ schedule was limited to the month of March and included only road matches with opponents such as Florida State, Pepperdine and UCLA.

Nebraska, like Minnesota, has a winning tradition and strong fan support in women’s indoor volleyball. The Huskers and Gophers tied for second place in volleyball in the Big Ten last year with 15-5 records. Nebraska averaged 4,287 fans per home match, second best in the nation. The Gophers, who nearly qualified for the NCAA Final Four Tournament, averaged a national third best 3,316 fans at home.

Various factors about college sand volleyball are likely of interest to Gophers athletic department leaders as they contemplate bringing the sport to campus. To field a team the Gophers could use some of the same players from the indoor team that competes in the fall. College sand volleyball requires more minimal personnel with two players from each side competing against one another (indoor volleyball uses six players per side on the court).

Having a sand volleyball team might mean a recruiting advantage for the Gophers because they could offer competitive playing time to players beyond the indoor volleyball schedule. That factor would be particularly helpful while recruiting in a state like California where so many teenagers play sand volleyball.

At Nebraska indoor coach John Cook is also coaching the sand volleyball team. The Gophers’ sand volleyball coach would almost certainly be McCutcheon, a former men’s and women’s Olympic coach and a world renowned volleyball authority.

The athletic department is in the process of developing a master plan for athletic facilities and the review could include a potential outdoor sand volleyball court. That wouldn’t be a costly expense and fits into the economy of the sport involving scholarships, coaching and a limited schedule.

Sand volleyball here might eventually have revenue producing potential if late spring matches were offered. The indoor Gophers volleyball team with its average of 3,316 drew more fans than women’s basketball, 3,277.

While nothing is for sure yet about the future of sand volleyball at Minnesota, McCutheon sounded optimistic about how it could fit in here. “I think it could be very successful given that it’s such a strong sport in the state,” McCutcheon said.

The athletic department presently has 25 intercollegiate sports. Like other schools the Gophers are mandated by federal law to provide equal opportunities for men and women. The addition of sand volleyball would add to the list of women’s offerings at Minnesota that now includes basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, hockey, rowing, softball, soccer, swimming-diving, tennis, track and field, and indoor volleyball.

Worth Noting

East Ridge High School center J.C. Hassenauer, who has verbally committed to Alabama, can become the second Minnesota native ever to play football for the Crimson Tide, according to an Internet story Tuesday by Andrew Gribble on Al.com. Guard William Buckler from St. Paul played for Alabama in the 1920s.

Mark Dienhart, the former Gophers athletic director and more recently executive vice president and chief operating officer for St. Thomas, will now lead Best Buy founder Richard Schulze’s family foundation starting in July.

Former Gophers ticket manager Tom Swain and his wife Arlene had their 66^th wedding anniversary on Wednesday.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier after being asked about starting third-year quarterback Christian Ponder’s accuracy: “I think he’s much better. He’s worked his tail off trying to improve his accuracy. Our coaches have put him through a bunch of different drills and through his hard work I think he’s improved in that area. Now we’ve got some things we’ve got to get done in training camp, but he’s put in the work to improve and we are seeing it.”

Ex-Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton is 6-foot and played at about 190 pounds. In the June 17 issue of Sports Illustrated Tarkenton recalled trying to block 6-5, 272-pound Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones who was built like concrete and passed away earlier this month. “He just broke up laughing,” Tarkenton told the magazine.

The Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game will be played Saturday, June 30 at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud. This coming Sunday 93 players and 16 coaches report to training camp at St. John’s University in Collegeville.

The Timberwolves and the city of Minneapolis hope to soon finalize a $100 million deal to renovate Target Center. Both parties will be involved with financing on the project to further modernize the arena that opened in 1990. The original cost of the building was $104 million.

Look for the Timberwolves to build a new practice facility at a site to be determined. The project would include naming rights. The team now practices at Target Center.

In its mock draft NBAdraftnet.net predicts the Wolves will choose shooting guards Kentavious Coldwell-Pope and Ricardo Ledo with their No. 9 and 26 first round picks in next week’s NBA draft. Former Gophers forwards Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams will be selected on the second round, with Mbawke going to the Grizzlies at No. 41 and Williams to the Suns at No. 57.

The Wolves host a workout session for potential NBA draft choices at Target Center today and among the players will be former Gophers center Colton Iverson who finished his college career at Colorado State. NBAdraft.net predicts Iverson will be drafted by the Magic at No. 51 in the second round.

TV commentator Bert Blyleven, who was born in the Netherlands, joking on Wednesday night’s Twins-White Sox game: “Not Dutch. Not much.”

Joe Mauer had his ninth three-hit game this season against the White Sox in the Twins’ 8-4 win yesterday at Target Field. Mauer is batting .424 in eight games against the White Sox this year.

The No. 4 best workplace among Minnesota large companies is the Minnesota Twins, according to a special section in last Sunday’s Star Tribune.

Gophers women’s basketball coach Pam Borton announced that Rachel Banham, one of the two top sophomore scorers in the NCAA last season with a 20.7 average, had successful patellar tendonitis surgery.

Cynopsis.com reported on Wednesday that last Monday’s Bruins-Blackhawks game was the most watched NHL game ever on the NBC Sports Network and had the most viewers of any Stanley Cup Finals game on cable TV in 11 years.

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Budget Didn’t Stop Retractable Roof

Posted on June 19, 2013June 19, 2013 by David Shama

Vikings notes from Winter Park:

Lester Bagley told Sports Headliners it wasn’t the extra cost of a retractable roof that resulted in a final decision to make the new Vikings stadium a fixed-roof facility. Estimates are a retractable roof would have added $25 to $50 million to the $975 million stadium cost but Bagley, the Vikings’ stadium drive leader for years, said the design that includes the largest pivoting glass doors in the world and other features allowing light into the facility are the right fit for this climate and gameday experience.

While Bagley didn’t offer specifics, he indicated the extra funding for a retractable roof was doable but he believes the new downtown stadium with its present design will be the “best in the NFL” when it opens in 2016. The doors will open to the outside plaza, and combined with windows and the partially transparent roof, there will be an outdoor feel to an indoor building.

With a retractable roof, the roof would be closed on many game days because of rain, snow, cold winds and temperatures. Games in late fall and early winter would almost certainly necessitate having the roof closed.

Regardless of weather, fans will have a consistent gameday experience in the climate-controlled facility. That experience will not only include natural light, but also the latest technology such as HD video boards and seating proximity to the field that will equal or surpass any facility in the NFL, according to Bagley. “We may also have a family section that could be alcohol-free,” he said.

Bagley also said the team’s September 29 regular season game in London against the Steelers will be a sellout in 84,000-seat Wembley Stadium. He expects thousands of Vikings season ticket holders to attend the game. The Vikings will send veteran defensive linemen Jared Allen and Kevin Williams to London in late July to promote the game.

Williams, who will be 34 on August 16, was asked about his future with the team after his contract ends following this season. “I would like to stay here (with the Vikings),” he said. “You always want to stay where you’re drafted at, but I know it’s a business and things happen, so just looking to having a good year and whatever happens, happens.”

He was noncommittal when asked if he will accept less money on his new contract. “We’ll see how the season goes. …”

Defensive tackle Shariff Floyd, the team’s first draft choice this year, could some day replace Williams. As the team practices this month, what advice does Williams have for Floyd?

“Pay attention. You got a lot of older guys in front of you that have done this…played the game. Soak it up. Enjoy it while you can and try to use it.”

Safety Harrison Smith had an outstanding rookie season but last year wasn’t without challenges for him. At times the demanding transition from college to pro football left him fatigued.

“I seriously thought I hit the rookie wall before the season started,” he said. “You just have to keep going and just keep working every day. There’s no way around it. You’re gonna deal with it. I am glad to kind of have that year past me.”

Worth Noting

Apple Valley’s Tyus Jones and Chicago’s Jahlil Okafor are likely to attend the same college and they have mostly similar schools under consideration, but not identical ones. This spring Jones’ mother, Debbie Jones, told Sports Headliners her son is considering Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State. Okafor’s schools are Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State and Ohio State.

Choosing a school outside the Big Ten could relieve hometown and home state pressure on both Jones and Okafor who are such good friends it will be a surprise if they don’t play together as freshmen in college a year from this fall. Baylor is a good guess for a “dark horse” to land the two prep basketball superstars. Baylor director of player development Jared Nuness is a distant cousin of Jones.

Angel Morales, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, the three Twins prospects promoted last week from Class A Fort Myers to Class AA New Britain, have now played several games for the Rock Cats. Center fielder Morales is hitting .095 in six games, second baseman Rosario is at .313 in five games and third baseman Sano is batting .067.

The Twins opened a three game series against the White Sox last night by beating Chicago 7-5. Glen Perkins earned his 17^th save of the season, setting a career high after last year’s 16. The Twins have lost three of their last four series.

Brian Dozier ranks second among MLB second basemen in double plays with 51. Shortstop Pedro Florimon is third among MLB shortstops with 48 double plays. As a team the Twins lead in double plays with 81.

WCCO Radio “Sports Huddle” co-host and public relations executive Dave Mona was honored by his company, Weber Shandwick, at a Mall of America retirement party last night at the Mall of America. Among the guests was Mona’s radio co-host Sid Hartman. Mona formally retires from Weber Shandwick on July 1, although he will still do some work for the company.

The highest paid public employees in 40 of 50 states are coaches, according to a May 9 graphic by Deadspin.com. Included among the 40 states is Minnesota where Gopher football coach Jerry Kill and basketball coach Richard Pitino each reportedly earn base compensation of $1.2 million.

St. Thomas finished No. 9 nationally in the final Division III Learfield Sports Director’s Cup standings for school year 2012-2013. Other MIAC schools in the top 50 are Gustavus Adolphus at No. 36 and St. Olaf, No. 45. Concordia, Carleton and Saint John’s also placed in the first 100.

The 13-member MIAC is one of only three conferences to have 11 schools in the final standings. The Learfield standings measure each institution’s combined performance at national championship tournaments and events.

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