Here’s a prediction on the Gophers’ starting lineup for next season:  guards Al Nolen and Devoe Joseph, center Ralph Sampson III, and forwards Blake Hoffarber and Trevor Mbakwe.  If Mbakwe isn’t available because of his legal situation, then Rodney Williams starts.

The Gophers host Virginia on Monday, November 29 in the opening game of the 12^th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.  The other challenge games are November 30 and December 1.

The Gophers haven’t announced their schedule for next season but season ticket holders paid for tickets last month.

Congratulations to Jay Pivec on being named the new men’s basketball coach at Dakota County Technical College.  He will be starting the basketball program at the Rosemount-based school after making a national reputation for excellence at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

“Hiring Jay to lead our new basketball program was the obvious choice,” said Cam Stoltz, DCTC’s athletic coordinator.  “He has an unsurpassed track record of mentoring his players and pointing them in the right direction. …”

The University of Minnesota Athletic Department sent out a mass email offering two-game home ticket packages for Gophers football.  The Maroon package consists of the South Dakota and Northwestern games while the Gold package offers Northern Illinois and Penn State.

The Big Ten Network will provide live coverage of the news conferences next Monday for all 11 Big Ten football coaches.  Programming begins at 9 a.m. Minneapolis time as the network previews the upcoming Big Ten football season.

The Wild might have been able to trade backup goalie Josh Harding during another offseason when there weren’t so many NHL goalies available.  But a league source told Sports Headliners the team was interested in keeping Harding, too, to see what kind of a beginning to the season starting goalie Niklas Backstrom experiences.

Harding, 26, played in 25 games last season and had nine wins, the second highest totals of his career.  Backstrom, 32, has played better in the past than he did last season.

The 6th annual Cully’s Kids Celebrity Weekend fundraiser held July 16-17 in Fargo generated over $385,000.  The Cullen Children’s Foundation was founded in 2003 by Moorhead native and Wild center Matt Cullen.  The foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial resources to organizations that support children’s healthcare needs.

Concordia University, St. Paul has seven 2010 inductees for its Athletics Hall of Fame. They are: Renae (Brehmer) Fox (women’s basketball), Dennis Hilken (football/baseball/basketball), Scott Hollingsworth (baseball), John Hunter ( football/baseball), David Johnson (baseball), Roger Lind (baseball/football) and Howard Patten (basketball/track & field/golf).

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Adam Weber has impressed former roommate Eric Decker this summer with his preparation for the upcoming season.

“He’s hungry this year,” Decker said of the Gophers senior quarterback.  “I can see it …in his work ethic and his eyes, that he really wants it this year.  I was down in his room and he’s got some good goals set in mind as far as how he wants to lead this team, how he wants to go out as a Golden Gopher. …He’s gonna get what he deserves.”

Decker, who was Weber’s favorite receiver in past seasons before being drafted last spring by Denver, believes that Weber is determined to work through adversity to be successful.  Last season the school-record setting quarterback struggled along with the rest of the offense.

Weber found himself playing in a new offense for a new coordinator.  His offensive line and receivers faltered more often than anyone in Dinkytown wanted.  “He’s got a lot of criticism but he keeps his head up and he’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Decker said.  “You want to be friends with him, you want to follow him because he does things the right way.  …I think it will work out for him this year.”

Decker made a reputation at Minnesota for not only being a sure-handed wide receiver but also having an exemplary attitude.  That attitude was part of what attracted  Denver to draft him on the third round.  It appears that sooner or later Denver is looking for leadership from players like Decker and rookie quarterback Tim Tebow, guys who will be warriors on the field, role models off.

“My teammates so far realize they love the game,” Decker said.  “They’re giving all they’ve got on the field, and then off the field they’re just down to earth simple people that give back and do the right thing.”

Decker said he’s physically recovered now from the left foot injury that made him miss five games in 2009.  He and other Denver players are scheduled to start practice next week.

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Former Timberwolves 2005 first round draft choice Rashad McCants, who didn’t play basketball last season, was supposed to be part of Cleveland’s NBA Summer League tryout team that finished play earlier this week.  However, McCants was a no-show, apparently because he spent time with his ailing mother, according to https://www.cavstheblog.com/?p=2668.

McCants’ life out of basketball is the subject of a not too flattering feature in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine.  The article, which explores why McCants can’t find an NBA job, quotes former Wolves coach and executive Kevin McHale and also former teammate Kevin Love.

McHale describes the 6-4 shooting guard as a talented player with a “high basketball IQ.”  He also says McCants wasn’t enough of a team guy during his four seasons in Minneapolis.

“Rashad has a me-against-the-world attitude,” Love says in the story.  “You have to get past that if you want to help yourself.”

The Wolves traded McCants to Sacramento in February of 2009.  Those close to the Wolves have characterized McCants as moody.  He certainly wasn’t smiling when I was around him.

In the magazine story McCants defends his demeanor and says just because he isn’t “chipper” doesn’t mean he’s a “bad guy.”  His lack of job offers, though, indicates that NBA employers are cautious about him.

At almost 26 and after being without an NBA home last season, the clock is ticking for McCants.  He’s a difficult to defend scorer who sometimes earns points quickly with a pretty jump shot that can be accurate for three pointers and shots closer to the basket.  He’s also capable of slashing to the hoop and finishing with dunks.  That kind of athleticism translates to defensive potential too.

His best NBA stats were during 2007-08 including an average of 14.9 points per game.  He also averaged career highs in minutes per game at 26.9 and made .407 percent of his three point field goals.

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