David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U’s Williams Lifting NBA Draft Status

Posted on March 26, 2012March 26, 2012 by David Shama

Junior Rodney Williams could be playing his way into the first round of the NBA draft this June.

That’s the opinion of former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher who believes Minnesota may have to play without Williams next season. “He’s playing as well as any small forward in America,” Dutcher said.

The Gophers meet Washington tomorrow night in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament in New York. Williams scored 66 points in three qualifying games to help Minnesota earn a trip to Madison Square Garden. “He’s had a great stretch,” Dutcher said.

The 6-7 forward, labeled for awhile now as the Big Ten’s best basketball athlete, has been an underachieving player for most of his career, but not lately scoring 24, 21 (twice) and 20 points in the last four games while lifting his scoring average to a team best 12.1. He’s become a leader on the floor and solid defensive player, but what’s flashy is his offensive profile. He’s found a consistent outside jump shot to go with his explosive drives and dunks.

Dutcher said pro scouts will be paying even more attention to Williams now that he’s arrived on the big stage of Madison Square Garden and been playing so well. The silky smooth Williams will be playing for his future — one that could either have him in the NBA next season or back at Minnesota for his senior year and a projected first round position in the 2013 draft. “What happens in the Garden will do a lot to determine it (Williams’ draft position),” Dutcher said.

What about the Gophers (22-14) and Washington (24-10) tomorrow night? The Huskies are the Pac-12 regular season champs (14-4 record) but Dutcher has watched Washington play and a Minnesota win wouldn’t surprise him. “There’s a reason they (the Huskies) weren’t invited to the NCAA tournament,” he said.

The Gophers won three road games to qualify for the NIT. After finishing 6-12 during the regular season in the Big Ten Conference, Minnesota has won four of five postseason games including one Big Ten tournament game.

Some of the program’s negative image has lessened. Minnesota has played its way into the NIT semifinals with perhaps more energy and good play than any other team. Coach Tubby Smith has received a lot of criticism the last two years, but Dutcher said his postseason work in 2012 deserves praise. “You have to give him credit now,” Dutcher said.

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Worth Noting

Posted on March 26, 2012March 26, 2012 by David Shama

Twins minor league executive Jim Rantz told Sports Headliners that Tsuyoshi Nishioka has been “playing a lot of shortstop” since being demoted last week to Triple A Rochester’s training camp. However, the second year Japanese infielder “may end up at second base” if shortstop Brian Dozier (now with the Twins) plays for Rochester.

Nishioka disappointed the Twins in the field and at bat not only last year but in spring training this month. How has the man who the Twins gave a $9 million contract to reacted to the demotion? “His mental approach seems okay,” Rantz said. “He’s gotten after it.”

Rantz said the Twins may eventually use Nishioka as a utility player, someone who can play shortstop, second base and third base. He hit .226 for the Twins last season while playing shortstop and second base, making 12 errors in 66 games.

Former Twins general manager Billy Smith now has the title of special assistant to the president and general manager. Rantz said Smith’s work includes responsibilities with the Twins’ spring training facilities, and the baseball academies in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.

As of this morning the Twins have 38 active players in camp: 17 pitchers (2 non-roster), 5 catchers (2 non-roster), 10 infielders (4 non-roster), and 6 outfielders (1 non-roster).

The Gophers hockey team defeated North Dakota yesterday to advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa on April 5 but only 10,974 fans were in attendance at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota earned its 20th program appearance in the national semifinal finals where the Gophers will play either Boston College or Minnesota Duluth.

The Wild recalled forward Chad Rau yesterday from Houston. He made his NHL debut on January 21, scoring the winning goal against Dallas.

The annual Minnesota Football Coaches Clinic has pre-registrations of over 900. The Thursday-Friday clinic this week will be at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park and TCF Bank Stadium. Speakers will include Vikings assistant coach Jerry Saxon and University of Houston head coach Tony Levine. Registrations will continue to be accepted online (mnfootballclinic.com) and beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday at the DoubleTree.

Former Gophers athletic director McKinley Boston, now the A.D. at New Mexico State, said the Aggies will have 12 junior college transfers on the 2012 team including nine at spring practice. He expects the Aggies to contend for the WAC championship next fall. New Mexico State’s head coach is former Gopher player DeWayne Walker.

The Rochester Quarterbacks Club will induct ex-Gophers football player Tom Robbins into its Hall of Fame on April 16. Other inductees will include St. Thomas University swimming coach Tom Hodgson. The club president is Rochester radio legend Ed Rauen.

Former Wolves coach Flip Saunders will speak to the C.O.R.E.S. group at a May 10 luncheon in Bloomington. (C.O.R.E.S. is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.)

Recording artist Vanilla Ice will perform during halftime of the Timberwolves-Celtics game at Target Center on Friday night.

Ex-Gophers football player Lewis Garrison officiated the Division II men’s basketball championship game on Saturday between Western Washington and Montevallo.

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U Football Assistants Turn Down Offers

Posted on March 23, 2012March 23, 2012 by David Shama

Jerry Kill told Sports Headliners some of his position assistants were offered jobs with other programs during the off-season, including as defensive coordinators, but his staff remained intact when the Gophers opened spring football practice this week.

Kill didn’t identify the assistants who were offered jobs but did confirm that staff members have received salary increases since arriving here with the head coach in December of 2010. Sources indicate the Gophers’ salaries for assistants have moved up from near the bottom of the Big Ten to the middle.

“If you can keep the core group together then that’s a good thing,” Kill said. “Continuity has been a problem here at the University of Minnesota.”

Offensive and defensive coordinators sometimes changed annually under head coach Tim Brewster, Kill’s predecessor. Kill came to Minnesota with a reputation for holding his staff together at Northern Illinois and other schools where he’s coached. Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys has been with him for 17 years.

Staff continuity is one of four factors Kill listed as imperative to making the Gophers a winning program. Other requirements are not losing players because of school work, having a successful strength program, and being given time by the administration to build the program.

“I think everyone wants our program to be at the top,” Kill said. “We gotta find a way to get it to the middle and then we’ve gotta go another step. We’ve got work to do but we’re certainly a heck of a lot farther along in knowing what we need than we were a year ago. So we just need to keep making progress.”

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