David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Gophers Basketball Notes

Posted on December 19, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

It will be a year ago this coming Friday that Gophers freshman forward Maurice Walker injured his right knee against South Dakota State. Walker missed the rest of the season because of a torn posterior cruciate ligament and meniscus, and he’s yet to play this fall.

Coach Tubby Smith told Sports Headliners he is uncertain when the 6-foot-10, 289-pound Canadian will play again. “We don’t have one (a timeline),” Smith said. “Every day he’s getting better. He’s working out now. He’s doing some running with some drills. …We just want to take it along slow.”

Smith said there’s a possibility of Walker playing this season but more evaluation will be made after Christmas. With the inconsistent play of 6-11 Ralph Sampson III and 6-11 Elliott Eliason, the Gophers could certainly use Walker’s size.

Walker averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds for the Gophers in 12 games last season. He’s a three time member of the Canadian Junior National Team.

Meanwhile, the Gophers (11-1) end their nonconference schedule on Thursday night at home against North Dakota State (8-2), a team that lost by three points at Arizona State and lists seven Minnesotans on the roster. The Bison will be looking forward to the game and a possible upset.

Smith is happy with his team through 12 games. “I am fired up,” he said. “I like our kids. I like the way they’re playing. They really, I think, genuinely enjoy each other’s company. They all have the passion, the competitiveness, but now they’re starting to play for one another. That’s something I was really concerned about. Because you get guys, and you gotta get them to be willing to play (together). You gotta get them to be willing to sacrifice some things. We got very unselfish players. …”

Smith said there is no update regarding progress to fund and build a new practice facility adjacent to Williams Arena. Minnesota and Northwestern are the only schools in the Big Ten Conference without such a facility. The Minnesota facility will be used by both the men’s and women’s teams, and ease the use of Williams Arena for practice while providing a more attractive venue to show recruits.

Comments Welcome

Worth Noting

Posted on December 19, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Within about 48 hours approximately 4,000 tickets were sold for TwinsFest last week, according to Patrick Klinger, Twins marketing VP. In addition, season ticket holders receive complimentary tickets and crowds could total over 30,000 for the three-day event at the Metrodome January 27-29.

Klinger said most of the players on the Twins roster, including Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, are expected at TwinsFest. In addition, former players are likely to include Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek and Tony Oliva. Among the attractions will be Bert Blyleven’s Hall of Fame plaque.

Tickets for adults and children under 14 are available at a discount if purchased in advance. Tickets are sold at the Twins Pro Shops, by telephone or via the team’s Website.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill said yesterday on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle he’s optimistic senior cornerback Troy Stoudermire will be given a medical redshirt and allowed to play again next season.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who threw five touchdown passes to help defeat the Vikings yesterday, was seen dining at McCormick & Schmick’s in Edina Saturday night.

Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler and former Gophers wide receiver Eric Decker, now with Denver, are among 26 NFL players selected by USA Football for its third annual USA Football All-Fundamentals Team. The team honors NFL players who exhibit exemplary techniques for youth players to emulate.

The Timberwolves will have a free scrimmage at Target Center open to the public starting at noon today.

The Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation, Minnesota Adoption Resource Network (MARN), and Minnesota Department of Human Services will host the seventh annual “Holiday Shopping for Kids” event late today at Seven Restaurant and the downtown Target store. Thirteen local foster children from MARN waiting for adoption have been invited.

Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson and his wife Landyn will host a holiday party tomorrow for young patients and their families (about 100 people) at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital. The Hutchinsons purchased gifts for every young patient at the hospital. Players joining them will include Patrick Brown, Caleb King, Tyrone McKenzie, Sage Rosenfels, John Sullivan and Kerry Taylor.

Legendary former St. Louis Park High School athletes Jim Petersen and Bob Stein periodically schedule breakfasts with former Orioles assistant football coach Cliff Bombach, now 94.

Harvey Mackay, Minneapolis businessman and former Gophers golfer, said his new book, The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World, climbed in the first 10 days of sales to No. 1 among business books on the Wall Street Journal list and No. 2 on USA Today.

Comments Welcome

Get Excited about Wolves…(But Not Too Much Yet)

Posted on December 16, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

No time of year excites fans more than the eve of a favorite team taking the field or court. By definition, fans live on hope and those who follow losing teams spend off-seasons convincing themselves and others that fortunes will improve.

The Timberwolves were 6-2 in exhibition games last year and then compiled a regular season 17-65 record. Because of the NBA labor dispute and the strike-shortened season to come, the Wolves will play only two preseason games with the first coming tomorrow night at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. The following advice is offered:

Don’t make judgments about the Wolves based on the opening preseason game or the next game on December 21, also against the Bucks but in Milwaukee.

The time to start sending opinions via emails, tweets and Facebook is after the first 10 games of the regular season. By then the Wolves will have played seven home games, three on the road and seen four of the best teams in the NBA.

The Wolves will play six of their first seven games at home including against the NBA champion Mavericks and the team Dallas beat for the league title last June, Miami. Also coming to Minneapolis is NBA title wannabe Oklahoma City and a fading but still exceptional San Antonio team.

Ten games will be enough to make solid judgments about the Wolves but not long enough to regard those opinions as anything but flexible. For those who want to be optimists, though, there’s reason to be in good spirits about the team right now.

No offense to Flip Saunders, but new coach Rick Adelman may prove to be the franchise’s best coach ever. The man has taken 16 teams in 20 seasons to the playoffs, and twice to the NBA Finals. Sometimes he’s had to coach up teams lacking experience and talent.

If you pay any attention to the Wolves — a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in seven years — you know that qualifies this man to coach the team. And yet it’s not that his roster isn’t intriguing and doesn’t tease us with promise.

Comments Welcome