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Mbakwe, White Losses Change U Outlook

Posted on November 5, 2009February 7, 2012 by David Shama

The announcement earlier this week that junior forward Trevor Mbakwe will not play for the Gophers basketball team until his pending legal matter has been resolved means Minnesota is less capable of contending for the Big Ten championship.  According to earlier news reports, a woman alleges Mbakwe attacked her earlier this year in Florida.  A trial is anticipated regarding a felony aggravated battery charge to further address the allegation.

Mbakwe is a junior college transfer who will be allowed to continue practicing with the team but not play in games, according to an announcement made by athletics director Joel Maturi.  That means Mbakwe won’t be able to fill the role of rebounder, inside defender and scorer needed to make the Gophers a better team.

The road to the Big Ten title goes through Michigan State, the defending conference champion and a preseason top five team nationally. The Spartans rough house teams on the boards and the Gophers, not a strong rebounding team last year, will miss Mbakwe.  He was one of the best rebounding junior college players in the country last year playing for Miami Dade College.

The need for rebounding and inside defense and scoring is potentially a larger problem now with news of Royce White’s indefinite suspension for violation of team rules.  White’s maturity and judgment dating back to high school has previously been questioned, making for speculation about his career contributions to the Gophers.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith didn’t say on Tuesday how long White will be suspended, possibly two to six games.  It’s apparently up to Smith to decide, just as it is with another suspension, that of senior guard Devron Bostick.

The Gophers, who start the season tonight with a home exhibition game against the University of Minnesota Duluth, will try filling the power forward position with players other than Mbakwe and White.  The problem, though, is no one else on the roster matches the power and mold of those two at about 6-8, 250 pounds each.  Both could be among the most physical and strongest post players in the Big Ten.

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Worth Noting

Posted on November 5, 2009February 7, 2012 by David Shama

The Gophers, who were 22-11 last season, can improve by avoiding “scoring droughts” and not “giving up easy baskets,” according to senior guard Lawrence Westbrook who was the only Minnesota player to average in double figures during 2008-09.

Gophers sophomore Devoe Joseph said he will have playing time at both point and shooting guard.

The 2010 WNBA Draft Lottery will be held in New York via conference call today starting at 1 p.m. The Lynx have two of the three positions in the lottery and the best chance of landing the number one overall selection. At 14-20, the Lynx finished with the third-worst record in the WNBA last season, behind Sacramento and New York. Because of a 2008 trade, the Lynx own New York’s first round pick in the draft next April.

The Gophers had a school record 17 penalties in last week’s win over Michigan State.  Offensive right tackle Jeff Wills had five of those penalties, including a personal foul.  Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said players and coaches scrutinize the penalties and also use officials in practice to improve game results. “We go through every single penalty that’s called against us with our team, as a team,” he said.

Gophers senior tight end Nick Tow-Arnett caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Adam Weber against Michigan State and helped replace the lost production from wide receiver Eric Decker who is out for the season because of his injured left foot.  “Nobody can replace Deck,” Tow-Arnett said.  “Just working with Web over the summer I think we kind of got comfortable where when you’re out there I know what he’s going to do.  Just having that timing and everything helps a lot.”

Tow-Arnett acknowledged that the Gophers have had problems in the past winning consecutive games against quality opponents.  “That’s one of those things if we want to take this program to the next step we gotta start putting those wins back to back,” he said. “Getting a big win and then just continuing.  We can’t have a big win and then have a let down the next week.”

Linebacker Sam Maresh, the 2008 graduate from Champlin Park High School who couldn’t compete for the Gophers last fall because of open heart surgery, is redshirting this season and contributing in practices as a scout team player.  “He’s going to be a heck of a player for us,” said Brewster.

A plus for fans who want to see Joe Mauer remain with the Twins is that his agent Ron Shapiro has a positive reputation, and years ago negotiated a deal that kept Kirby Puckett with Minnesota.

Sports memorabilia collectors take note: the Twins are having a moving sale on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Items in the sale include bobbleheads, publications, artwork, Metrodome signage, jerseys, clothing, memorabilia, collectables and much more.  Visit www.twinsbaseball.com.

Wild left wing Andrew Brunette was tied as of yesterday for the NHL lead with five power-play goals this season.

Former North Star Mike Modano came off the Dallas injury list earlier this week and is expected to face the Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday.

Alexandria native Matt Hemingway was recently named the United States Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Week.  The 18-year-old has a 1.92 goals against average and .943 save percentage for Cedar Rapids.

Coach Don Lucia’s Gophers hockey team plays in Madison tomorrow night and Saturday evening against Wisconsin.  During the past three seasons 12 of the 13 games have been decided by two goals or less. There have been four ties, five one-goal games and three two-goal margins. Gophers goalie Alex Kangas played both games when Minnesota swept Alaska Anchorage last weekend.  He stopped 53 of 55 shots for the weekend while allowing one goal in each game.

Eight MIAC men’s soccer players and six MIAC women’s soccer players earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District recognition.  On the men’s soccer first team are Sean Kennedy, St. Thomas midfielder; Alex Hildebrandt, Augsburg defender; Ross Hamilton, Carleton defender; Elliot Amundson, St. Thomas forward.  Second team: Mads Schmidt, Concordia goalkeeper; Marco Riboli, Concordia midfielder; Robert Carlton, Carleton defender; Tim Willis, Carleton forward.  On the women’s first team are Alison Dittmer, Gustavus defender; Erika Swenson, Concordia defender; Whitney Holman, Augsburg defender; Samantha Johnson, Concordia forward. Third team: Tess Hanson, St. Thomas defender; Kelsey Speer, Macalester defender.

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Brewster: U Preparation for MSU Special

Posted on November 2, 2009February 7, 2012 by David Shama

Tim Brewster has been the head coach at Minnesota for three years and involved with coaching for 20 previous seasons but the Gophers preparation during practice last week for the Michigan State game was special, he told Sports Headliners yesterday.

Minnesota, playing without wide receiver Eric Decker, defeated the Spartans 42-34 at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday to end a two game Big Ten Conference losing streak.   “The story is our players and how they responded (having) for two years to lose our best player,” Brewster said.  “This was the most prepared I have seen a team in 23 years of coaching.  It’s a tremendous credit to the kids.”

Decker, the Gophers record setting receiver who will have surgery on his injured left foot later this week, will miss the last part of the season just as he did a year ago with an injured left ankle.  But the players and coaches took inspiration from losing Decker and were motivated to improve their prospects for a bowl game as they prepared last week for Michigan State, a team that had lost four games by a total of 15 points.

Among Brewster’s coaching mantras is that how a team plays on Saturdays is how it prepares during the week. “The coaching staff did a phenomenal job,” Brewster said regarding the Michigan State game.  “Jedd Fisch (offensive coordinator) did a great job.  I was thrilled with our defense.”

The Gophers improved to a 5-4 overall record and moved within one game of bowl eligibility.  The Gophers, who had been averaging 292.8 yards per game in total offense, had 505 against the Spartans.  The defense played physical, aggressive football and made timely deflections of Michigan State passes.  The defense held Michigan State to a fourth quarter field goal after the Spartans had first down on the Minnesota one yard line and an opportunity to take a 38-35 lead.

Gophers quarterback Adam Weber has been frequently criticized in recent weeks but he passed for 416 yards and five touchdowns.  “He was absolutely spectacular,” Brewster said.  “He played an extremely complete game.  He did what great players do (responding to criticism).”

The Gophers led for most of the game but when the Spartans (4-5) narrowed the margin or even went ahead as they did at the end of the third quarter (31-28), Minnesota responded.  The Gophers have come back three times in the second half to win games this season.

“This was a team that was going to find a way to win,” Brewster said.  “It’s a belief in each other.  We talk about it being a 60 minute fight.”

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