David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Maturi: U ‘Lucky’ to Have Smith

Posted on January 9, 2012January 9, 2012 by David Shama

The Gophers have lost 14 of their last 15 Big Ten games but athletic director Joel Maturi expressed strong support for coach Tubby Smith in an interview last week with Sports Headliners.

Minnesota is 0-4 in conference games after last night’s 79-66 loss to Purdue at Williams Arena. The Gophers closed last season by losing 10 of their final 11 league games including one in the Big Ten Tournament. Minnesota has also lost 10 consecutive games against Big Ten opponents. The streak is the longest since the 2007 and 2008 seasons when the Gophers also had a combined 10 game losing streak. Nine of the defeats were in 2007.

“I think we’re very lucky to have Tubby Smith as our basketball coach here,” Maturi said. “I think it’s a situation where we’ve had some unfortunate things happen to the program. …You tell me the players that have been injured. You tell me the players that have left.

“We all take responsibility for some of those actions including Joel Maturi. But it does have an impact — sometimes immediately — as to wins and losses.”

Maturi decided two years ago that high impact forwards Trevor Mbakwe and Royce White couldn’t play until their legal entanglements were resolved. Since then Maturi and Smith have seen several players leave the program including White, guards Devoe Joseph and Justin Cobbs, and center Colton Iverson.

Joseph, Cobbs and Iverson, along with Mbakwe, whose season ended with a knee injury on November 27, could all be playing at Minnesota now. Not only was Mbakwe a difficult injury loss, but last season senior point guard Al Nolen missed most of the Big Ten schedule with a foot injury and the Gophers collapsed without him. And also last season Gophers freshman center Maurice Walker was injured in late December and hasn’t played since.

Maturi hired Smith in 2007 after the coach had been at Kentucky for 10 seasons. He won a national championship in 1998 and had 10 tournament teams. His worst record at Kentucky was 22-13.

Not only are the Gophers losing games, but many of the defeats are frustratingly close. Two of the conference losses this winter have been by a combined seven points, and another defeat was a nine point double overtime loss at Illinois. The situation has left not only Smith and the Gophers frustrated but also fans including season ticket holders who have been informed they will pay more for their seats next season.

An expanded donation program will have most season ticket holders paying more than just the cost of their season tickets as in the past. Maturi said he believes Minnesota and Northwestern are the only conference schools without such a fundraising policy.

On court losses and more expenses will give season ticket holders pause about renewing but Maturi said the policy will become reality. “We’re going ahead with the policy we put together,” he said. “It’s the right thing for the long term health of Gopher basketball and Gopher athletics. And that program has been four years in the making. We already delayed it one year. We’ll go forward with it.”

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Worth Noting

Posted on January 9, 2012January 9, 2012 by David Shama

Maturi is excited about the Gophers hockey team, that after finishing with a 16-14-6 record last season, has made a comeback. Minnesota is among the nation’s top ranked teams and is 15-7-1 overall, and 11-3 in the WCHA, although the Gophers have lost two straight nonconference games by one goal each.

Maturi sees a “hunger” among returning players who want to have this season be special. “I think we have a good team, and I think we have a hockey team that potentially could be great, but there’s a lot of factors that go into being great versus good,” Maturi said. “And that remains to be seen.”

Those factors can include a team playing effectively at tournament time and having a “hot goalie.” But for now the Gophers are impressive—a talented team with size and speed that plays with energy and is entertaining to watch.

Maturi’s contract as athletic director ends in June and he said his status beyond then is to be determined. Maturi repeated comments made months ago that both he and new University president Eric Kaler need to be comfortable with one another. Maturi said no meeting with Kaler is planned for this month to discuss his future.

Maturi has been Minnesota’s athletic director since 2002 and he said at this stage of his career it’s important to be happy with his job and who he is working with. “Those decisions are still ongoing and will be made in due time,” he said.

Timberwolves Michael Beasley, Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio are on the NBA All-Star game ballot. The 61^st All-Star game will be played on February 26 in Orlando.

Love was quoted in the January 9 issue of Sports Illustrated about those who think his rebounding numbers might be inflated: “…I tend not to listen. I let my game do the talking.”

Twins pitcher Franciso Liriano has been given permission by Twins management to pitch 20 innings of winter baseball in the Dominican Republic.

The Gophers baseball team will play 39 home games including 38 at the Metrodome and a May 5 game against PennState at Target Field. The Minnesota schedule has the team playing 27 straight home games—the longest consecutive home stand in program history. The Gophers open their schedule with the 18th annual Pro & Legends Alumni Game at the Metrodome on February 4.

In March of 2010 the Gophers, playing against Louisiana Tech, hosted the first baseball game at Target Field. The game drew the second largest crowd in collegiate baseball history, 36,056.

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NHL Outdoor Game Possible Here

Posted on January 6, 2012January 6, 2012 by David Shama

Minneapolis-St. Paul remains a possibility to host the NHL’s New Year’s Day Winter Classic, according to a hockey source who asked that his name not be used.

Five outdoor games have been played, with Chicago being the farthest west of the sites so far. “A lot of factors enter into the NHL’s decision about hosting the game,” the source told Sports Headliners.

He said those factors begin with what NBC wants and the potential for TV ratings. Other factors are the on-ice reputation of the host team and having a natural rival to play against, plus high profile players and a “glamorous market,” according to the source.

The Wild haven’t even been a playoff team since 2008. The franchise has been searching for a high profile scorer since the departure of Marian Gaborik to New York. The best rival for the Wild in a Winter Classic game here is Chicago. Minneapolis-St. Paul can’t match the glitz of some American markets but in this area’s favor is a national reputation for both playing and watching hockey.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is on record saying Minnesota will one day host a Winter Classic. No announcement has been made about the 2013 site but the source said Detroit may host the game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. “The league is receiving flack for not getting western teams involved,” he added.

The Cleveland baseball park will host the Ohio State versus Michigan outdoor hockey game on January 15. Tomorrow Boston’s Fenway Park will be the site of a college hockey doubleheader.

Target Field potentially could host a Minnesota Winter Classic. Although the stadium has fewer seats than TCF Bank Stadium, the venue can sell alcohol while the University’s facility does not.

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners his organization has made its interest known in having Target Field be the site of a Winter Classic, and also he is considering a college-high school showcase. “We’ve always felt Target Field would be a fun venue for hockey,” he said.

While there’s nothing definitive to announce, St. Peter said he’s “pretty confident” that in the next 60 to 90 days the Twins will further detail plans for hockey at Target Field. Any hockey at the baseball stadium would be played in January or early February, he said.

Love Contract Talks Face Deadline

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners he will be meeting with Kevin Love and his agent Jeff Schwartz this month regarding a new contract for the All-Star forward. “It’s our intention to make every attempt to sign Kevin,”Taylor said.

Under NBA rules, the Wolves have until January 25 to negotiate with fourth-year players like Love. If a deal isn’t made by then, contract talks have to wait until after the league season.

Love will be a restricted free agent following this season. That means the Wolves could match any deal from another league team and retain him.

Speculation is Love could command a multi-year new deal paying him more than $60 million. Love, 23, has become one of the league’s elite offensive forward, averaging 25.7 points and 15 rebounds per game.

Taylor hopes to keep both Love and rookie point guard Ricky Rubio for many years. He reports “good talks” with both players. “I think and hope their main goal will be wanting to be on a winning team,”Taylor said.

The Wolves were 17-65 last season but are dramatically improved, already playing competitively despite a difficult early schedule. Taylor is hoping a nucleus of Love and Rubio will produce a lot of wins for many years.

Taylor also told Sports Headliners his franchise, despite a renaissance in public interest, will lose money again this season — perhaps $15 million. About $10 million, Taylor said, is because of the shortened pre-season and regular season caused by the NBA labor dispute.

Worth Noting

The Winter Classic this year — like the college football bowl games — was on January 2 and played during unusually mild temps in Philadelphia. Dan Craig, a River Falls native and the NHL’s ice guru, is credited for his work in having the surface ready to play.

The Wild might be looking to trade goalie Josh Harding, perhaps hoping to secure young prospects and gain payroll relief. Harding’s contract ends after this season and the team’s other main goalie, Niklas Backstrom, has an estimated salary of $6 million. The Wild probably doesn’t want to have several million dollars tied up in salaries for two goalies next season. Harding reportedly earns less than $1 million this season but figures to command a lot more in 2012.

Marian Gaborik is having an impressive season with the Rangers. He ranks second in NHL goal scoring with 23. At 29, Gaborik has entered his peak years. The native of Slovakia once spoke no English but has taught himself the language.

Former South St.Paul High School and Notre Dame hockey coaching legend Lefty Smith passed away in South Bend earlier this week. He was a St. Thomas college graduate.

Wolves second year guard Wayne Ellington remembers his rookie hazing. He had to bring center Al Jefferson a bottle of 5-hour Energy before each game. “Sometimes I would forget and…be scrambling out to try to find him one,” Ellington said last week.

This year Ellington said Wolves rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams had to find baby oil for all the players. “It just goes on throughout the season,” Ellington said. “They haven’t even tasted any (major hazing) yet. They’ve had it really good so far as rookies.”

Ellington said Rubio, a native of Spain, is making progress with his English. “He’s a great guy,” Ellington said. “He’s pretty funny. He’s learning our slang pretty fast so it’s funny listening to him.”

Wolves veteran guard J.J. Barea said he’s never seen a player come into the NBA that can pass like Rubio. “…He can control the game, he can pass the ball,” Barea said recently. “He likes to play defense, he likes to play hard. So I think he’s doing a good job.”

Could Rubio one day be the league’s best point guard? “At some point definitely,” Barea said. “He keeps getting better, (and) keeps working like he’s doing. Keeps getting better on offense. Shooting wise I think he’ll be good.”

Barea’s girlfriend, 2006 Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera, is expecting a baby boy on March 5. No name decided on yet.

ESPN’s John Hollinger analyzes stats and rates former Orono prep Jon Leuer, now with Milwaukee, as the seventh most efficient rookie in the NBA. The Wolves’ Rubio is No. 10 and Williams No. 17.

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