Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale said last week that Al Jefferson, who in his first season with the team averaged 21 points per game despite being the focus of other teams’ defenses, proved to be a really “unique” player at scoring despite double and triple teaming.  “That guy can score in a shoe box,” McHale said at his annual season ending news conference.

Jefferson, 23, who just finished his fourth NBA season, averaged 11.1 rebounds per game, ranking fifth in the NBA.  Former Timberwolf Kevin Garnett averaged 20.8 points and 10.4 rebounds in his fourth season.

McHale said the Wolves will retain the key players on their roster and see what happens next season.  After finishing with a 22-60 record, McHale said the Wolves are capable of improving by 19 to 20 wins next season.  Essential, he said, will be for the team to win more close games than they lose, something that didn’t happen last season as the Wolves missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season and tied with Memphis for the third worst record in the league.

The team has five restricted free agents and probably won’t sign all of them. The five are Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, Kirk Snyder and Chris Richard.  McHale had particular praise for Gomes, the team’s starting power forward who is likely to return with a new contract.  Decisions on restricted free agents will have to be made after the NBA draft on June 26, McHale said.

Rookie forward Corey Brewer was a disappointment to some fans because he wasn’t able to become a regular starter and he made 37 percent of his shots, averaging 5.8 points per game.  McHale said Brewer lost confidence in his shot but that Brewer is an “unbelievable worker” and that the former Florida star “has the heart of a champion.”

A questioner referred to Randy Wittman’s record as an NBA coach as “abysmal.”  Wittman’s three-plus seasons coaching record with Cleveland and the Wolves is 96-192.  “I think Randy is growing as a coach,” McHale said.  “I think that’s what you’ve got to do.”

Someone else asked about the Wolves’ inefficiency at defending opponents on the perimeter, away from the basket.  McHale, who has headed the team’s basketball operations since 1995, said it’s an issue that’s concerned him for “12 or 13 years.”

Former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton’s activities include coaching freshman and sophomore lacrosse at Eden Prairie High School.

Football coach Tim Brewster and several of his players will be at a news conference today (Wednesday) to unveil the Gophers’ new uniforms.

After Sunday’s game and going back to last season, Twins pitcher Scott Baker has 12 consecutive starts allowing three runs or less.  In those starts his record is 5-4, with a 3.42 ERA.  Baker, 2-0 this season with a 3.51 ERA, is perhaps the team’s best starter, although Livan Hernandez, 3-0 with a 3.55 ERA, has been effective, too.

Also on Sunday, Brendan Harris became just the third Twins player to hit a home run this season. It was the Twins’ 19^th game of the year. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that’s the furthest a team has gone in a season with just two players hitting a home run since 1984 when the Cleveland Indians took 23 games before a third player homered.

Among the interesting angles about the recently announced 2008 Big Ten/ACC Challenge is the Minnesota versus Virginia game and the Sampson family.  Incoming Gopher freshman Ralph Sampson III is expected to be a starter just like his dad was as a first year player for the Cavaliers before becoming an All-American. The Minnesota-Virginia game is December 2 at Williams Arena.  The feature game among the two conferences will be North Carolina-Michigan State from Ford Field in Detroit on December 2.   A lot of media think Purdue will be the Big Ten’s best team next season and the Boilermakers host Duke on December 2.

Don Shelby of WCCO TV will emcee the 34^th annual Mr. and Miss Basketball awards banquet on Sunday at the Minneapolis Marriott West in St. Louis Park.  The five boys’ finalists are Jared Berggren of Princeton (Wisconsin), Michael Floyd of Cretin-Derham Hall (Notre Dame); Cody Schilling of Ellsworth (Augustana in Sioux Falls); Jordan Taylor of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (Wisconsin); and Anthony Tucker of Minnetonka (Iowa).

The girls’ finalists are Courtney Boylan of Chaska (Michigan); Kiara Buford of St. Paul Central (Minnesota); Brianna Mastey of Becker (Minnesota); Brittnye McSparron of Eastview (Drake); and Kamille Wahlin of Crookston (Iowa).  The banquet begins at 5 p.m. and tickets are $30 each.  For more information, call Ken Lien, 952-653-4356.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced recently that six MIAC football student-athletes are part of the 2008 NFF Hampshire Honor Society comprised of college football players from all divisions who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. Augsburg’s Alan Mueller, Jason Weber, and John Welty, Gustavus’ Jared Sieling, Saint John’s John Cloeter, St. Olaf’s Matt Penz were recognized with the honor. A total of 441 football student-athletes from 227 schools in all NCAA and NAIA divisions were named to the Hampshire Honor Society, an increase of more than 25 percent from the inaugural class in 2007. To qualify, student-athletes must be a starter or significant substitute in their last year of eligibility, have a minimum 3.2 cumulative grade-point average (4.0 scale), and meet all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.

Presumably the Minnesota Wild didn’t leave Marian Gaborik in Denver yesterday.  The more irrational among Wild fans might have voted Gaborik off the team plane on Sunday after he produced just one point in the playoff series won by Colorado three games to two.  Thank the Lord sports is not a democracy.

Gaborik’s playoff production can only be described as a bust.  The 26-year-old forward, among the NHL’s fastest skaters, had made 2007-08 a career season, achieving personal records in goals, assists and points.  Yet an NHL source had told Sports Headliners prior to the series with the Avs that he thought goal scoring would be a problem.  Despite the productive play of Brian Rolston (two goals, four assists) and Mikko Koivu (four goals, one assist), it was.

The Wild scored 12 total goals in the series.  Without an effective Gaborik producing anywhere near his norm, the Wild did a lot of skating and attacking but not much goal scoring.  The Avs’ effort led by the efficient play of defensemen Kurt Sauer and Adam Foote controlled Gaborik, crowding him and minimizing his chances to score and set up teammates.

But this isn’t all about Gaborik who apparently lost confidence as the series developed.  Other Wild players might have put goals in the net, too.  A major reason why they didn’t was the spectacular play of Avs’ goalie Jose Theodore.  He not only stopped shot after shot, but often there was no rebound available for the Wild to go after.

This was the Wild’s second consecutive year in the Stanley Cup playoffs.  Although the Wild lost in five games to Anaheim last year, Gaborik led the team in goals with three and tied for the lead in assists with four.  Also, the Wild wouldn’t have won the franchise’s first division title this season without Gaborik whose 83 points were way ahead of any teammate (Pierre-Marc Bouchard was second at 63).

His speed is spectacular, a gift that separates him from most other players, and at 26 he has the potential to improve.  That improvement can include more confidence and better playoff performances.  Franchise’s that aspire to championships don’t give up on their most talented players because some stretches go south instead of north.

Gaborik, who ranked seventh in NHL goal scoring this season, will be a free agent in another year.  Wild fans, even the irrational, better hope he’s sitting at the front of the team plane for a long time.