David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on December 2, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

The guess here is the Vikings won’t play Adrian Peterson (high ankle sprain) on Sunday.

The Vikings will be scrutinized in next year’s college draft to find players in the middle and later rounds who can contribute, something that hasn’t been a franchise strength lately.

Joe Kapp is a national name again because of his brawl in Canada last week with a former CFL rival documented on YouTube. The 73-year-old former Vikings quarterback also had a well publicized fight during his playing days with a teammate, Lonnie Warwick. Kapp is the only man ever to play in a Rose Bowl, Grey Cup and Super Bowl. He also coached the University of California during “The Play,” the famous 1982 game-ending play against Stanford.

The Vikings encourage fans to bring a new or “gently-used” jacket to Sunday’s Vikings-Broncos game for donation to The Salvation Army. Fans can donate online at www.thesalarmy.org.

Gophers senior Trevor Mbakwe, who is out with a season-ending ACL injury, will be 23 years old in January and no doubt will give pro basketball a long look next spring even if the NCAA grants him a medical redshirt allowing him to play at Minnesota in 2012-13. He graduates this month with a major in recreation, parks and leisure studies, and has a son, Makhi Mbakwe.

The USC basketball team that plays the Gophers tomorrow at Williams Arena is 4-4 on the season. Losses include a double overtime defeat at home against Nebraska. The Trojans are coached by Kevin O’Neill who has travelled a long head coaching road that includes Marquette, Tennessee, Northwestern and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.

Not expected to play here tomorrow is 7-foot redshirt sophomore Dewayne Dedmon who late last month was diagnosed with a foot injury. Dedmon was the subject of a lengthy Sports Illustrated feature earlier this fall. He was discouraged for religious reasons from playing basketball as a youth and only played one season of high school basketball despite his considerable potential.

Gophers sophomore center Nick Bjugstad is tied for the national lead in points (25) and goals (15). His uncle Scott played for Minnesota in the early 1980s and also eight years in the NHL including with the North Stars. The Florida Panthers drafted Nick 19^th overall in 2010 and have to be impressed with his play in leading the 11-4-1 Gophers back to national prominence. Minnesota has home games against Minnesota State (3-10-1) tonight and tomorrow night.

Burnsville native Mark Osiecki, head hockey coach at Ohio State since 2010, has the Buckeyes off to a 10-3-1 start including a sweep last weekend over Michigan.

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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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