In the preseason USA Today Coaches’ Poll, nine of the 11 Big Ten schools received at least one vote and two schools rank among the top 10. The Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC are the only conferences to feature multiple top-10 teams.  Ohio State ranks No. 6, Penn State 8 and Iowa 21 in the 25 team listing.  Michigan Sate, Illinois, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan and the Gophers received at least one vote in the poll.

Within nine months Minneapolis will have two new outdoor stadiums, TCF Bank Stadium and Target Field, and it’s possible both will host winter hockey games in the near future.  Speculation is TCF Bank Stadium could be the site for a game involving the Gophers, while the Wild might host an NHL game at Target Field.

Timberwolves president Chris Wright told Sports Headliners that both new president of basketball operations David Kahn and new coach Kurt Rambis are “incredible assets” to the franchise’s business operation.  He said during Kahn’s first 30 days on the job earlier this year he attended 20 breakfasts and 15 lunches with “our stakeholders,” season ticket holders, sponsors and others who support the Wolves.  Kahn and Rambis (named coach last week) have impressed with their intelligence and forthrightness.

Wolves’ CEO Rob Moor said Kahn talks daily with Ricky Rubio’s agent, Dan Fegan.  Moor said he’s heard that the reception Rubio’s representatives are receiving from companies regarding potential endorsement deals is positive.  Endorsement money is seen as potentially helping to buy out Rubio’s contract with his Spanish team and allowing him to join the Wolves.

Cory Joseph, the prep guard from Las Vegas, has been in Minneapolis this summer visiting brother and Gopher Devoe Joseph.  Joseph, who will be a senior next season, has been pursued aggressively by Louisville and other elite basketball schools, according to https://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/labels/Cory%20Joseph.html .

Former Wild goalie Manny Fernandez, 34, who played last season with Boston, remains an unsigned free agent.  Last season he played in only 28 games.

Despite the success of past major tournaments like this month’s PGA Championship and also the 3M Championship for senior players, an annual PGA tournament might find support hard to come by here.  The PGA’s biggest names like Tiger Woods don’t play in some of the PGA tournaments so an annual event wouldn’t have nearly the star power of past PGA and U.S. Opens at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Friends and family are concerned and wishing the best for long time prep football coach and advocate Don Swanson who has cancer.  https://www.mshsca.org/Football/.

Jockey Scott Stevens, who got career win No. 4,000 while riding recently at Canterbury Park, has a long history of success at the Shakopee race track.  Stevens was second at Canterbury in wins 20 years ago, then had three straight years as the track’s top winner among jockeys.

For the sixth consecutive season, the Concordia University- St. Paul women’s volleyball team has been picked by NSIC coaches to win the league championship. Winners of the 2007 and 2008 NCAA titles, the Golden Bears received all 13 of the possible first place votes (coaches can’t vote for their own team). The Golden Bears return All-American senior and setter Maggie McNamara, the coaches’ choice for Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

 

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Ron Gardenhire is in his eighth year managing the Twins but 2009, at this stage of the season with 45 games remaining, is the most frustrating, according to remarks he made yesterday morning on his KSTP radio show.

“Well, I think right now it is because Andy (pitching coach Rick Anderson) and I are scratching our heads trying to figure out consistency with the starting pitching,” he said.  “It’s been hit and miss.  You’re going with expectations.  Sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t.

“But the great thing about it is that.. we have a chance (to win the division).  We’re still within striking distance. …We could make a run and have some fun and that’s what we’re just clinging to. …There’s still an opportunity here for us to catch some people if we could just figure out some way to pitch.”

The Twins are five games under .500 with a 56-61 record.  The team has struggled to play .500 or better all season and to find a lengthy winning streak.   All the starting pitchers have been inconsistent and two, Glen Perkins and Kevin Slowey, who were in the five man rotation earlier in the year are not pitching now because of injuries.

Gardenhire said the record should be over .500 right but the Twins didn’t do the things that would have won games to put the team in that position.  “I think there’s a run in this team,” he said.  “We just gotta get the pitching and some consistency…”

The Twins are six games behind first place Detroit in the Central Division.  After yesterday’s 7-4 loss to Cleveland, the Twins have lost five consecutive series and two straight at home.  Starting pitcher Scott Baker threw a two hit shutout Friday night but on Saturday rookie starter Anthony Swarzak went only four innings and yesterday Nick Blackburn couldn’t make his way through three innings.  Blackburn has pitched a combined four innings in his last two starts and given up 12 hits and 12 earned runs (27.00 ERA).

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A visitor asked Gophers associate head basketball coach Ron Jirsa about next season’s team and heard a positive response.  “The sky’s the limit,” he said.  “I believe in our coach.”

The coach, of course, is Tubby Smith.  In his second season with Minnesota he had the Gophers back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005.

Minnesota has nine players expected to return from last year’s 22-11 team, 9-9 in the Big Ten Conference.  The season before, the Gophers were 20-14 and 8-10.

Jirsa likes the program’s approach of becoming a “little” better each year, hopefully moving toward a championship level.  No one is forecasting a conference title for next season, not with Michigan State and Purdue expected to be among the country’s best teams, but the Gophers are a potential top 25 team.

Earlier this off-season ESPN’s Andy Katz ranked the Gophers No. 19 for next year (Kansas No. 1, Michigan State No. 2 and Purdue No. 6). https://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=4262039 Rivals.com listed Minnesota No. 24 in April rankings for next year (Purdue No. 4, Michigan State No. 5). https://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=933183

Jirsa said the Gophers don’t expect to lose any players between now and their opening practice in October because of grades.  The coaching staff encourages academic work including summer school classes and graduation.

The concern about having an intact roster is with junior college transfer Trevor Mbakwe. A power forward who seems like the prescription to fill the team’s need for a strong rebounder and inside scorer, Mbakwe is thought to be a likely starter if available.  Problem is a woman alleges Mbakwe attacked her earlier this year in Florida.  A trial later this month regarding a felony aggravated battery charge will further address the allegation.

The Gophers, even without Mbakwe, could be formidable if they can improve their offense.  Minnesota struggled to score at times last season, averaging only 61.6          points as a team in conference games.  The leading scorer, guard Lawrence Westbrook, averaged 12.6 points per game and no other teammate averaged double figures.

Westbrook is one of five returning starters, along with four other reserves who contributed to last year’s success that often was built on a hustling defense and a deep bench. “We might have been the only ones in the country platooning (separate units at times),” Jirsa said.

The team will only be deeper with a freshmen threesome of point guard Justin Cobbs, and forwards Royce White and Rodney Williams.  Cobbs impressed during summer league play and Jirsa said White’s physical strength and “dedication” in the weight room earned his admiration.  Jirsa said no decision would be made on redshirting any of the freshmen until November but there’s speculation that sitting out a season could particularly benefit Williams, a player with a slight build (6-7, 210) but gifted athleticism.

Whatever the look of the final roster, the Gophers will have depth and defense.  Playing in the Big Ten, a conference that likely will be among the best two or three in the nation, the Gophers will need better scoring and consistent rebounding to continue the yearly improvement Jirsa talked about.  With a more mature team and deeper talent, it looks like a good bet.

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