Last night’s NBA lottery left the Timberwolves with the No. 3 pick in the June 26 NBA draft and on the outside looking in regarding the consensus first two choices, guard Derrick Rose and forward Michael Beasley.  Better lottery luck no doubt would have left Wolves coach Randy Wittman feeling better.

Back in April, Wittman heard the news along with others inside and outside the organization that Kevin McHale thinks the Wolves are capable of winning up to 20 more games next season.  The statement by the Wolves vice president surprised the local basketball world and put Wittman in even a hotter box than this past season when the team finished 22-60, the third worst record in the NBA. That brought Wittman’s career NBA coaching record to 96-192.  His record in Cleveland was 62-102 in two seasons.  He is 34-90 in about one and one-half seasons with the Wolves.

Wittman hasn’t been surrounded by extraordinary talent in his head coaching assignments.  He won’t be next season either.  The Wolves are young and trying to develop a winning nucleus, competing in the Western Conference against several teams that are much further advanced in both abilities and experience.

With declining interest in the team and an absence from the playoffs since 2004, the Wolves management and ownership need a team that looks like it’s improving.  If next year’s model doesn’t fit the profile, it’s a duh to wonder if Wittman won’t get the blame and a pink slip.

Up to a 20 game improvement?  In franchise history the biggest improvement was the 1996-97 season when the Wolves won 14 games more than the year before.  That team had soon to be super star Kevin Garnett, in his second NBA season, plus a sensational rookie point guard in Stephon Marbury, and a versatile veteran forward in Tom Gugliotta who could score, rebound and pass.

The last time the Wolves lost at least 60 games in a season was 1994-95 (21-61 record).  In the 1995 draft the Wolves had the No. 5 pick and chose Garnett. The next season the team went 26-56, winning five more games even after adding Garnett.

Over the years, of course, the Wolves have often drafted poorly.  No matter who they come up with picking at No. 2 this year, the odds are long that there will be a 20 game improvement in wins next season.

Let’s make it a 10 game upgrade and cross our fingers.  I think Wittman will breathe easier.

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When the Gopher football team begins practice in August no new player will draw more attention than quarterback MarQueis Gray from Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.  Gray might have the hottest high school reputation of any Gopher quarterback recruit in 50 years, dating back to 1958 when Sandy Stephens arrived here from Uniontown, Pennsylvania after turning down schools like Ohio State to play for Minnesota.

Gray was selected last January for the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio.  He completed three of seven passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.              He also rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown.  He was ranked by rivals.com as the No. 3 “dual threat” quarterback in the country and the No. 1 recruit in Indiana.

Gopher coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners that Gray is adept at throwing and running.  “He’s a true quarterback who is very athletic,” Brewster said.

Neither Brewster, Gray or anyone else, can know how soon he will be playing on game days for the Gophers. Quarterback Adam Weber was a third-team freshman All-America and freshman All-Big Ten selection by The Sporting News last season. He started all 12 games, passed for 2,895 yards and 24 touchdowns, setting school records for pass completions, attempts, yards and touchdown passes.

Gray’s most immediate opportunity could be to take over as the No. 2 quarterback. Brewster said spring practice ended without any of Weber’s backups claiming the job.

Gray’s challenge is learning the Gophers’ complex spread offense and Brewster said “we won’t put him out there until he’s ready.”  Although Brewster said Gray ran a spread offense in high school, the difference between there and the Gopher system is “day and night.”  He also said Weber, who was a redshirt freshman last season, not a true freshman, could be the first to explain in detail what an “unbelievable amount of information” is involved with the Gopher offense and what a challenge it is for an inexperienced quarterback.

A red shirt season is a possibility for Gray.  Yet the Gophers were fortunate last season that despite a lot of pounding from opposing players, Weber didn’t miss any games.  Gray could be the alternative if Weber is hurt.

“We want to bring the young guy in and let him compete, and gauge where he’s at, particularly as a thinker,” Brewster said. “Once he assimilates, you are truly going to see a magnificent athlete.”

Besides his athleticism, there’s something else that excites the coach.  Gray told Brewster his priority is to become a “good teammate.”

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Star Tribune Vikings writer Kevin Seifert will be leaving the newspaper as of Friday.  He’s accepted a position with espn.com.

Manager Ron Gardenhire is concerned about his pitchers being injured when the Twins play interleague games.  Because of the designated hitter rule in the American League, the only experience his pitchers normally have in hitting and running the bases are in games played at National League parks.  None of the Twins’ pitchers were injured during last weekend’s series at Colorado.

Twins pitcher Joe Nathan talking late last week about the possibility the American League Central Division champion may only finish 12 games over .500: “It’s possible. I mean you look at it right now, it’s very possible.”

As of this morning, Chicago led the division four games over .500.  The Twins, 23-22, are the only other team playing over .500 baseball.

Two baseball players local fans ask about but won’t be coming this way to join the Twins’ roster are home run king Barry Bonds and former Twin Jacques Jones.  Bonds is unemployed and Jones is in the Florida Marlins’ minor league system.

Bloomington Jefferson’s Moses Alipate, who has verbally committed to the Gophers’ recruiting class of 2009, is rated by scout.com as the 14^th best prep quarterback in the country.  Earlier this spring Michigan was hoping to sign Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, considered by many the nation’s best prep quarterback for the class of 2008.  Instead he signed with Ohio State but Michigan now has commitments from two four-star quarterbacks for 2009, according to rivals.com, plus four-star wide receiver Bryce McNeal from Minneapolis (Breck School).

Because Big Brown won the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, Canterbury Park’s attendance could double on Saturday, June 7 for the Belmont Stakes.  Local horse racing fans (devotees and the casual) will be at Canterbury to wager on the Belmont Stakes from Elmont, New York where Big Brown will attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

NBA dates to put on the calendar include May 27-June 2, NBA pre-draft camp; June 5, first game of NBA finals; June 16, draft withdrawl date for early entrants; June 26, NBA draft; July 1, free agent negotiation period begins; July 9, first day to sign free agent contracts; July 11-20, NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Minnesota Thunder’s announcement last week that the local USL team will play its remaining home schedule at the National Sports Center in Blaine doesn’t mean the management won’t continue to consider a new soccer-only stadium in St. Paul.  Thunder president Manny Lagos told Sports Headliners that long range the franchise will look at the possibility and is even now reviewing sites, costs, etc.

The Thunder’s decision to leave Griffin Stadium in St. Paul two games into the home schedule surprised many observers but Lagos said the club had been considering moving out of the municipal football stadium since last fall.  Reality is that the other 10 teams in the USL play in soccer stadiums and the NSC, while not built for soccer, is a better fit than Griffin.

Lagos is excited about the removal of the track at the NSC, meaning that fans will be much closer to the field than the previous distance of about 80 feet.  He said capacity will be about 8,500 and easily expandable to over 12,000.  With a favorable lease, he’s hopeful the team can make money this season.

The Thunder, who plays its first home game at the NSC on Saturday beginning at 7:35 p.m. against Miami FC, has a four year lease to host future home schedules there.

Four MIAC men’s golf student-athletes have been named Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars for Division III by the Golf Coaches Association of America.  The four All-America Scholars from the MIAC are Saint John’s University junior Joe Daly, Gustavus Adolphus College senior Jordan Hawkinson, Gustavus Adolphus College senior Mark Stuckey, and University of St. Thomas senior John Treacy.

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