There’s a Minnesota connection to the San Diego State basketball program that has stirred national attention with a surprising 21-1 record and top 10 national ranking.  University of Minnesota alum Brian Dutcher is assistant head coach of the Aztecs who won 20 consecutive games before losing last week to Brigham Young in Provo.

Dutcher, 51, grew up in Bloomington and had a 24 hours, seven days a week college basketball tutor named “Dad.”  Jim Dutcher was the Gophers’ head coach from 1975 until 1986 and his achievements included the 1982 Big Ten title.

During a visit to San Diego, a writer asked Brian about Dad’s impact on his career.  He could have responded with coach talk about X’s and O’s but said his father taught him to “treat people right.”

The Dutchers are quality folks, and a commitment to coaching with dignity is a characteristic that helped Brian bond with Aztecs head coach Steve Fisher.  The two have been together for more than 20 years, first at the University of Michigan and now San Diego State.

When Brian’s father coached the Gophers there weren’t on-court theatrics like berating game officials or players.  Jim had a steady approach to his job, not too high or low regardless of the circumstances.  Brian used similar words to describe Fisher.  “They’re both real gentlemen,” he said.

Brian has father’s demeanor, although in his role as Fisher’s top assistant he plays “good cop, bad cop” with the players.   He makes assessments of what the players and Fisher need.  “We all react to coach,” Brian said.  “He sets the tone.”

A willingness to continue learning from Fisher and others is part of how Dutcher still approaches basketball after all these years that included being around his dad at Minnesota, three years as an assistant at South Dakota State and 10 seasons at Michigan.  Looking for input, he regularly sends his father “four or five tapes” of San Diego State games.  “You’re always open to suggestions, even from fans,” Dutcher said.

Fans are giving the Aztecs a lot of approval these days.  Dutcher said the team will finish its home schedule having sold out all but one of its games.  Not surprising since the Aztecs have been rated as high as No. 4 nationally and last year’s team was 25-9 and played in the NCAA tournament.

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San Diego State returned all five starters from last season’s team and Dutcher said he knew “we would be good” but didn’t foresee a 20-0 start.  Even the great “Fab Five” team at Michigan coached by Fisher and Dutcher never started 19-0, although that group did earn a No. 1 national ranking.

 

Dutcher, known as an outstanding recruiter who still talks weekly with former “Fab Five” star Juwan Howard, compared the Aztecs with two of the best Gophers teams ever.  He said San Diego State has senior leadership like his father’s 1982 Big Ten champs.  The Aztecs are a physical team, too, similar to the 1997 Minnesota Final Four team.

 

Often the most talked about Aztec is 6-7, 225-pound forward Kawhi Leonard, a physical but athletic senior and likely No. 1 NBA draft choice.  “He’s got the biggest hands I’ve seen since Chris Webber,” Dutcher said, comparing Leonard to the former Michigan superstar and “Fab Five” member.

 

Like the 1997 Gophers, the Aztecs have balance in various basketball skills, along with team depth and respect for one another.  “This is as unselfish of a team as we’ve had,” Dutcher said.

 

The Aztecs will get another shot at Brigham Young, the team that gave them their only loss, and next time (February 26) the game will be in San Diego.  Both schools are in pursuit of the Mountain West Conference title.  The league doesn’t receive the national attention of the Big Ten and other conferences but San Diego State could beat any team in America.

 

Dutcher and the Aztecs hope for a No. 1 seed in the 2011 NCAA tournament.  And this year they want to be closer to home than in 2010 when the selection committee sent them packing for an opening game (and loss) all the way to Providence, Rhode Island.  Good for frequent flyer miles, but not much else.

 

A first round assignment closer to San Diego will require less energy and provide more fan support.  “I think the less travel, the easier it is,” Dutcher said.

 

Not that Dutcher is thinking much about the tournament.  The night this Minnesotan saw him in San Diego the Aztecs were about to play Air Force and he said: “Tonight’s game is the only game that matters to me.”

 

Spoken like a coach’s son.

 

 

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Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners that Justin Morneau is “scheduled to start hitting” this week as he continues rehabilitation from the concussion that forced him to miss half of the 2010 season.

St. Peter said the Twins’ home run leader and first baseman has made “tremendous” progress in his rehabilitation.  Morneau’s recovery has been slow so the likelihood of hitting baseballs this week is a major step, but decisions regarding what activities and how much time he spends doing them will be made with caution leading up to spring training next month and continuing during the weeks while the Twins are in camp.  St. Peter said Morneau is a “critical part of our club” and the goal is to have him ready for the season opener on April 1.

Morneau is expected to wear a state-of-the-art protective helmet not only while batting, but also playing first base and as a base runner.  Twins fans will hold their collective breaths the first few times he’s involved in impact plays.

“Yeah, I think those are going to be the key moments,” St. Peter said.  “The first time he needs to dive back into a base. The first time he has a play at first base, or needs to dive for a baseball, or…let alone hitting.  Those are things Justin hasn’t experienced yet.”

Morneau expressed concern last year about Target Field being a difficult ballpark to hit home runs.  St. Peter said manager Ron Gardenhire and general manager Bill Smith had “lots of input” in determining the original dimensions of the playing field, and during the last offseason there was discussion about modifying the distances from home plate to the fences.

But the decision was to not change those distances and the Twins again hope to win more home games in their park than any other team in the American League.  That total was 58 wins and St. Peter referenced the victories when asked about why there won’t be any changes to make the ballpark more home run friendly.

“It was one factor,” he said. “We certainly liked the way our ballpark played.  We think it was advantageous for our pitching staff.  Make no mistake, it’s a difficult park from a home run perspective, but it’s also a park we can use to our advantage in terms of doubles, triples.

“I think it was one of the reasons you saw Gardy really push for us (during the offseason) to be a little more athletic, and the two spots I think we’re particularly focused on right there are up the middle, shortstop and second base.  It’s our hope that the Alexi Casillas and the Tsuyoshi Nishiokas (both middle infielders) and Denard Spans of the world are going to be on the base and running around when those big hitters come up.”

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