David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Must Step Up Without Mbakwe

Posted on November 30, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Game One of the post-Trevor Mbakwe era starts tonight for the Gophers.

About 54 hours after the announcement that the senior forward is done for the season because of his torn right ACL, Minnesota (5-1) will play Virginia Tech (6-1) in a nationally televised Big Ten-ACC Challenge game from Williams Arena. Months ago the Gophers knew this would be a statement game, but no one had any idea the assignment was going to look so difficult.

“Anytime you lose your best player it puts you in a real bind,” Dan Dakich said. “You want other people to step up.”

Dakich, a former college player and coach now analyzing games for ESPN, includes Mbakwe among the top 10 players in the country. Few collegians impact a game like Mbakwe who was averaging 14 points and 9.1 rebounds per game this season, after averaging a double-double last season including a Big Ten best 10.5 rebounds last year. He also ranks with the best shot blockers in the country and was a preseason All-American.

Mbakwe had improved his play this fall from last season. His free throw shooting and leadership had become assets for the Gophers. When the Gophers found themselves in close games, Mbakwe often was a difference maker.

That productivity had Dakich sympathizing with the Gophers this week. When he coached at Bowling Green, Dakich said he lost his best player during seven of 10 years.

Dakich suggested head coach Tubby Smith, his assistant coaches and the Minnesota players will have to avoid becoming “deflated” about Mbakwe. Even before the injury (sustained on Sunday in a loss to Dayton), the Gophers were predicted to finish among the bottom six Big Ten teams. Now no one will expect anything of Minnesota other than a fight to avoid last place in the conference.

Dakich said junior forward Rodney Williams and senior center Ralph Sampson III — both underachievers in the opinion of fans — must lead the Gophers now, replacing the scoring, rebounding, defense, and leadership missing without Mbakwe. Williams has been even more inconsistent than Sampson during his career but his athleticism is extraordinary. “It’s time he (Williams) played like an All-Big Ten kid,” Dakich said.

Sampson? “He has the ability and experience to be as good as any Big Ten player there is,” Dakich said.

Sampson’s lack of aggressiveness has characterized his career but Dakich said that needs to change. “You never want to leave college the way you came in. That’s your fault.”

Smith is in his fifth season at Minnesota and has lost key players because of injuries, transfers and off-court problems. Now comes the Mbakwe season ending injury. “This makes me sick for Tubby and the kids,” Dakich said.

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Maturi: U ‘Behind 8-Ball’ for Facility

Posted on November 30, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Only Northwestern and Minnesota among Big Ten schools is without a modern practice facility for its basketball teams. “We’re way behind the eight ball,” Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners.

The Gophers athletic director said some conference schools have had facilities so long they’re enhancing what was originally built. The Gophers can’t wait any longer to pursue a privately financed practice facility to be used by both the men’s and women’s programs.

During the last few months the University has started meeting with potential donors. “The good news is the process has begun,” Maturi said.

The practice facility is to be located just west of the Sports Pavilion-Williams Arena complex. It will be built on a now empty parking lot facing Fourth Street at a projected cost of $15 million.

Maturi said the facility will have two basketball courts, one for coach Tubby Smith’s team and the other to be used by women’s coach Pam Borton and her players. The facility will include a weight room, training room, lockers and a place to host recruits. The facility will connect by tunnel to Williams Arena.

Maturi said only initial meetings have been held with potential donors and more presentations are planned. A lead donor — or donors — is particularly needed.A contribution that paid for 40 percent or more of the cost could result in naming rights to the facility.

The donor solicitations have generated “positive feedback” but no one has said yes to a significant contribution. Because “these things take time,” Maturi won’t place a timeline on when construction will begin.

Although Williams Arena is in need of costly repairs, that project will be separate from the practice facility campaign. Among the 83-year-old building’s needs is roof repair and money for that could come from general University funding, not the athletic department, according to Maturi.

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Worth Noting

Posted on November 30, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

NBADraft.net last week projected Gophers forward Trevor Mbakwe to be the No. 16 pick in the 2012 NBA draft. A Gophers official emailed that it’s “unknown at this point” whether Mbakwe could be granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA and play next season for Minnesota.

Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi will be in New York next week to attend the College Football Hall of Fame event recognizing former Gophers All-American quarterback Sandy Stephens and others.

Don’t be surprised if Paul Chryst’s name comes up for the Illinois head coaching job. Chryst, the Wisconsin offensive coordinator, drew speculation as a candidate to coach the Gophers in 2007 and 2010.

Big Ten football games drew 6,008,814 fans for an average of 71,534 in 84 games (39 sellouts). The Gophers averaged 47,713 per home game, the lowest in the three year history of TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota’s attendance exceeded Purdue, Indiana and Northwestern.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier talking about his 2-9 team and what he wants to see accomplished in the remaining five games: “Well, you’d like to see improvement across the board, and we have lots of room for improvement in a lot of areas. You’re trying to continue to evaluate players along the way. …Really get some momentum, get some wins and see some improvement along the way.”

Percy Harvin, who had a 104 yard kickoff return for the Vikings against Atlanta last Sunday, returned kicks for 95 yards last season and 101 in 2009. He’s the only athlete in Virginia prep history to win five gold medals at the state track meet.

Gophers marketing executive Jason LaFrenz said there’s no remaining inventory for men’s hockey season tickets. Single game tickets are available for all games.

New Twin Jamey Carroll, who could be the team’s starting shortstop and No. 2 hitter in the batting order, has a career on base percentage of .359. That’s a positive for a No. 2 hitter and a lot better than the on base percentage for last year’s shortstop, Tsuyoshi Nishioka’s .278.

The Wild play in Edmonton tonight and Minnesota already has two wins in three games against the Oilers this season. Goalie Niklas Backstrom has won both games.

The Big Ten Network provides its most extensive coverage ever of Big Ten wrestling this season with 43 regular-season dual-meets, the 2011 Midlands Championships and the 2012 Big Ten Championships. All will be broadcast on the network or streamed online. Thirty-nine events will be shown live either online or on the network.

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