When Golden Gophers freshman guard Cam Christie, who averaged 11.3 points per game last season, announced this spring he was exploring interest in being drafted by the NBA, Minnesota fans proclaimed this a too soon endeavor. The opinion from this keyboard was the smooth shooting 6-foot-5 Christie could be worthy of a second-round selection in the June 26 and 27 NBA Draft, and it was logical to declare his interest in turning pro.
Now the breaking news: Mock drafts this from FanSided and The Athletic have the NBA champion Celtics taking the 18-year-old on the 30th and last pick of the first round. Yahoo can top that, predicting he will be selected by the Timberwolves with their No. 27 spot in the first round.
“That wouldn’t surprise me,” a former Big Ten coach told Sports Headliners. “He’s a good offensive player.”
Christie was second on the team in scoring to Dawson Garcia’s 17.6 points per game. Christie made .403 percent of his field goals, .393 of three pointers while playing in 33 games and being named to the All-Big Ten Freshman team.
As Christie has advanced through the pre-draft evaluation process, he has been a fast riser among prospects. “He’s a scoring threat and a guy that’s going to get better,” the authority quoted above said, not wanting his name published.
At less than 200 pounds, Christie needs to add muscle as he matures and that will help him defensively where he has the overall athleticism to defend successfully. But it’s his height, fluid shooting stroke, shot making skill at various distances and ability to drive to the basket that present an intriguing offensive package.
Given his youth and inexperience, Christie at best might play five or 10 minutes per game as a rookie. “He is not going to set the league on fire,” the source said.
That authority believes the Wolves need to help themselves in the offseason with additional scoring. He pointed out that when adequate production wasn’t there from Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels, the Wolves often had scoring problems. A bad offensive night from Towns, the team’s second leading scorer after Edwards, was particularly troublesome.
Management will have to figure out in the offseason how to produce more consistent offense, whether that comes from development of players on the current roster, acquisition of experienced scorers or via the draft.
Another obvious need is point-guard where starter Mike Conley is 36 years old. He played at a high level in the 2023-2024 breakthrough season for the Wolves but fewer minutes and susceptibility to injuries hangs over the future.
The Wolves, if they want to prioritize point guard in the first round, could target Marquette senior All-American Tyler Kolek. No guarantee he will be available at No. 27, but the 6-foot-1, 197-pound Rhode Island native is not projected to be a top 15 to 18 pick. He brings Conley-like qualities to the NBA including decision making, poise and pick and roll efficiency. He’s unselfish, tough and can make shots and passes under physical and mental duress.
The Wolves have the No. 37 selection in the second round and could further address their guard-wing needs as discussed with Christie and Kolek. A surprise availability for Minnesota might be uber-athletic scorer Terrence Shannon from Illinois. The 6-6, 219-pound Shannon can shoot outside, is a terrific slasher and has all the skills to be superb defensively. His off-court legal problems have been cleared up but would suspicious teams back off his first-round talent and let him slide into the second round?
That’s a long shot of Shannon being available at No.37. But raise your hand if you saw Christie being projected days before the draft as a first rounder?
Worth Noting
The Twins, 41-32 and 4.5 games behind the Guardians, have won eight of their last 10 games. Minnesota has a 39.6 percent chance of winning the AL Central and 78.7 percent likelihood of making the playoffs, per FanGraphs.
With Twins supporters still annoyed about the club not spending money last season to retain pitching ace Sonny Gray, ownership could juice positive feelings with ticket buyers if they acquire a solid pitcher or position player prior to the July 30 trade deadline.
Baseball’s better teams? Minnesota is a combined 1-16 against the Dodgers, Guardians, Orioles and Yankees. The lone victory coming over the Dodgers.
Twins great Joe Mauer will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum July 21 in Cooperstown, New York but sadly neither of the two men who taught him so much about baseball while growing up in St. Paul will be present. Grandpa Jake Mauer died in 2020, while Mauer’s dad, Jake Jr., passed in 2023.
It won’t surprise authorities familiar with corporate sponsorships if hometown Target doesn’t renew naming rights deals with Target Center and Target Field when they expire. Priorities and cultures change over the years.
Before the Twins’ baseball stadium was named, this writer’s idea was: Wheaties Field.
Athlon Sports College Football magazine, an early arrival on newsstands, names Golden Gophers senior tackle Aireontae Ersery to its second team All-American offense. Phil Steele publications has the 6-6, 325 pound Ersery on its All-American third team.
Ersery, who Athlon lists on its All-Big Ten first team, started all 13 games for Minnesota in his junior season. The AP named him first team All-Big Ten.
Gopher kicker Dragan Kesich, who is on the Phil Steele All-American fourth team, is first team All-Big for Athlon. The magazine, which rates the Minnesota offensive line the fourth best in the Big Ten, ranks the Gophers No. 55 in the nation, predicts they will finish 12th in the Big Ten and projects a Guaranteed Rate Bowl matchup in Phoenix against Texas Tech.
Hazeltine National Golf Club, which hosts the U.S. Amateur August 12-18, has fulfilled the vision of more than 60 years ago that club founder Totton Heffelfinger and his colleagues had to bring the biggest of golf events to this area. Hazeltine has hosted every premier tournament of the PGA and USGA. It’s the only facility in the country to twice host the Ryder Cup (2016 and 2029).