This time Jordan Taylor and Jon Leuer made sure their performances were much different than in the last meeting between Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Last night in Madison the Badgers beat the Gophers 68-60 in a Big Ten opening game for two nationally ranked teams.  That win ended a three game losing streak to Minnesota including last year’s game in Minneapolis when the Gophers won 68-52 and Minnesota natives Taylor and Leuer were a combined 3 of 20 on field goals and produced nine total points.

Taylor scored 22 last night and Leuer had 16.  A third Minnesotan, sophomore center Jared Berggren, had eight points and the trio accounted for 46 of the Badgers’ 68 points.

Taylor, a junior point guard from Bloomington, was too much for Gophers defenders Al Nolen and Devoe Joseph most of the game.  With almost flawless ball handling, good shooting and superior judgment (one turnover), he scored and directed the Badgers so well he was easily the best player on the court.

When the Gophers trailed only 59-58 in the last two minutes, it was Taylor who made a three point play that put the Badgers ahead 62-58 and on their way to a comfortable final margin.  “I thought the key was Jordan Taylor,” Gophers coach Tubby Smith said on his WCCO Radio post-game show.  “He just dominated the game, especially at the offensive end.  He just controlled the tempo and the flow.”

Leuer, a senior forward from Orono, had missed nine games last season with a wrist injury before he came back to play against the Gophers in Minneapolis.  He was rusty but much better last night including showing mobility and ball handling at 6-10.

That athleticism is at least partially attributable to playing guard as a youngster. Leuer’s dad, Mike, said that in high school Jon “grew about 10 inches in 18 months.”   Mike Leuer said a sports physiologist predicted the growth spurt.  “It worked out very nice for him,” Leuer said.

Jon Leuer was Wisconsin’s leading rebounder with nine, but it was the Gophers who had rebounding bragging rights in this game, holding a 42-24 edge.  The rebounds helped the Gophers score inside but Smith said the Gophers “should have dominated even more” in the only scheduled game between the two teams this season.

One of the game’s smallest players, the muscular 6-1 Taylor, was the most dominant last night.

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The NHL’s Winter Classic, previously held in three other American cities, will be played in Pittsburgh on Saturday and the annual New Year’s Day outdoor game could be headed to Minnesota in 2012.

“We’ve let the NHL know that this would be the ideal host area,” said Minnesota Wild executive Bill Robertson.  “We would like to host as soon as possible.”

The Wild have pitched the NHL on hosting the classic in past years and it seems likely this hockey-crazed state will one day win approval and perhaps soon.  Buffalo, Chicago and Boston are American cities who have already hosted games in outdoor stadiums while large TV audiences watched the telecasts.

The NHL office is responsible for not only deciding the host city for the game, but also covers expenses and retains profits.  Robertson said the Wild are ready to host in “2012, 2013 or beyond.”

He wouldn’t disclose a preferred game site but acknowledged Wild officials have talked with decision makers at TCF Bank Stadium and Target Field.  As the host area, he said the Wild would expand activities beyond what other American NHL cities have done.

The Wild’s vision is to include games involving boys and girls teams and college teams during the days leading up to the Winter Classic.  “This would be a great way to showcase all the history and programs, a celebration of the sport,” Robertson said.

Robertson said the public is welcome to contact the NHL office to show support for bringing the Winter Classic to Minnesota.  League officials are expected to announce the January 1, 2012 city this spring.

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The Winter Classic could come here just six months after the NHL Entry Draft that will be at Xcel Energy Center June 24 and 25.

The Wild have holiday home games tonight, Friday and Sunday against the Sharks, Predators and Coyotes.  All three are likely sellouts although some tickets remained as of Monday.

The Gophers need to upgrade their nonconference basketball schedule.  The list of teams isn’t a good enough value for season ticket holders and not a single 2010 nonconference game sold out at Williams Arena, while most, or all, Big Ten games will.  Not only that, but the Gopher players often appeared disinterested with a group of opponents that included Eastern Kentucky, Akron and South Dakota State.

The Gophers played one team with a marquee name at home, Virginia.  The nonconference home schedule should include at least three opponents who create anticipation and excitement.  Coach Tubby Smith is a natural for games against Kentucky, the school where he coached championship teams before coming here, and also versus Louisville and coach Rick Pitino who was his mentor at Kentucky.  And how about an annual rivalry game against Iowa State where former Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg is in his first season as Cyclones head coach?

The Wolves’ Kevin Love has 20 games (out of 32) this season where he’s had 15+ points and 15+ rebounds, more than anyone else in the NBA.  He leads the league in rebounding at 15.5 rebounds per game.

Teammate Darko Milicic is averaging NBA career highs in points, 9.1, and blocks, 2.4.

The Wolves are at home both tonight against the Nuggets and on Saturday versus the Nets, then play their one and only game in Boston on Monday night against Kevin Garnett and the Celtics.

Lynx fans have reason to be interested in the Connecticut women’s basketball team beyond the Huskies’ record games winning streak.  Two-time college player of the year Maya Moore is likely to be the No. 1 pick in the next WNBA draft and the Lynx own that draft choice.

Yesterday was the last day for fan voting in the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year balloting.  Voting took place in four college football divisions including Division II where one of the five finalists is University of Minnesota Duluth national championship coach Bob Nielson.  St. Thomas’ Glenn Caruso and Bethel’s Steve Johnson are two of the five finalists in Division III.

The winner in each division receives a Liberty Mutual Coach-of-the-Year trophy, plus $50,000 to donate to the charity of his choice and $20,000 to donate to his school’s alumni association. A selection committee of national media and members of the College Football Hall of Fame determines winners along with fan balloting.  Winners will be announced on the Internet January 10. www.coachoftheyear.com.

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