Washburn High School four-star running back Jeff Jones is still verbally committed to the Gophers but there is no guarantee yet he will play for Minnesota, and Iowa State is a school of interest, too, according to Millers’ coach Giovan Jenkins.
“I would consider it a soft verbal,” Jenkins said about the Gophers. “He (Jones) went to coach Kill and told him he committed too early.”
The Washburn junior first verbally committed to Minnesota coach Jerry Kill last year but since then realized he wants more time to decide on the college he will enroll at next year. Jenkins told Sports Headliners on Saturday that Jeff’s father is “getting out of jail” and wants to be part of the recruiting process, so that is also a factor.
Jenkins believes Iowa State is a “soft” No. 2 behind the Gophers on the list of possible choices. “He likes the staff and proximity (of Ames) to Minneapolis,” Jenkins said.
In addition to Minnesota and Iowa State, Jones has offers from Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan State, Syracuse and Wisconsin. Although Wisconsin has a great tradition of running backs, Jenkins believes Jones is likely to choose Minnesota if he decides on a Big Ten school.
Rivals.com labels Jones a four-star prospect and ranks him No. 17 among running backs in the class of 2014. Jenkins said Jones is a “once-in-a lifetime talent.”
The 6-foot, 190 pound prep is the first four-star running back to commit to Kill since he started coaching at Minnesota in 2011.
Jenkins described Jones as “big, strong, (with) excellent vision, great burst, very explosive — kind of a one-stop shop.” But the coach said Jones has to determine how close he will come to fulfilling his potential. If the desire and hard work are present, Jenkins projects Jones as a 220 pound runner in college. “If he works hard, he could be the best at that level, too,” Jenkins said.
Jones has been a starter for Washburn since ninth grade and a major contributor to the Millers’ success. In today’s world of transfers, Jones has been a target of other high schools. “He gets approached every year,” Jenkins said.
Jones lives in the Washburn district and likes playing for the Millers. He heard from former Miller David Gilreath that he regretted leaving Washburn for Robbinsdale Armstrong, according to Jenkins. Gilreath is now in the NFL with the Steelers after a college career at Wisconsin.
“Everything he’s got (Jones), he’s got from Washburn,” Jenkins said. “He is a loyal kid.”
Worth Noting
Washburn coach Giovan Jenkins has two other players he expects will have college offers following summer camps, running back Raymonte Maynard and defensive end Clayton Burton. Maynard could end up at a MAC or WAC school, according to his coach, while he identifies Burton as a “BCS kid.”
Bruce Feldman, writing yesterday for Cbssports.com, put Gophers defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman No. 2 on his annual college football “Freaks” list that recognizes players for their extraordinary athleticism. Feldman wrote that Hageman can do a “360 dunk” and is the Big Ten’s most athletic defensive lineman. “Not only does he have the 36-inch vert, but he also has bench-pressed 465 pounds and clocked an electronically timed 10-yard sprint in 1.57 seconds. For comparison sake, no DT at this year’s NFL Combine jumped higher than 33 inches, and Terron Armstead, the offensive tackle who ran the blazing 4.71 40 at the combine, did a 1.64 in his 10.”
Former Vikings coach Bud Grant turned 86 on Monday. Rick Reilly, writing for Espn.com yesterday, ranked Grant No. 11 on his list of the 20 greatest NFL coaches ever.
The basketball Gophers are looking at Rivals.com four-star center Dominic Woodson who no longer is committed to Baylor for next season. Incoming Gophers freshman guard Daquan McNeil played with Woodson in 2011 at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vermont.
Quinton Hooker will be presented with the Mr. Basketball trophy on May 29 at an invitation only reception in Brooklyn Park. Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien will make the presentation. Hooker, a shooting guard, scored 2,147 career points and will attend North Dakota. He is the 39th recipient of the award recognizing the best boys senior player in the state.
Last night’s NBA Draft Lottery telecast prompted memories from years ago when league commissioner David Stern mistakenly referred to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the “Minnesota North Stars” on national TV.
The Gophers baseball team plays its opening game in the Big Ten Tournament today against Illinois at Target Field, a facility Minnesota used for one game last year and the entire 2011 season. How much of an advantage is that for the Gophers?
“None,” assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere told Sports Headliners. “The tournament is wide open. The league has improved so much the last five years. Teams one through six are so evenly matched.”
The Gophers, the No. 4 seed, have lost six of their last eight games. “We haven’t hit or caught the ball very well (lately),” Fornasiere said. “We’re second in the league in ERA but have struggled on offense all season. We’re second to the bottom in hitting (average) and home runs.”
Fornasiere predicted the Gophers “will play hard” and be in close games during the double elimination tournament. The Gophers’ pitchers in their first two games will be Tom Windle and DJ Snelten. Fornasiere expects Windle will be taken in the first or second round of next month’s MLB amateur draft while Snelten will be among the first nine players selected.
Next year’s Big Ten tournament will be in Omaha before returning to Target Field in 2015.
A respected baseball source who has been involved with and followed major league baseball e-mailed Sports Headliners after reading Monday’s column about the length of MLB games. He asked that his name not be used but wrote the following:
“MLB should demand that umpires enforce the rule of pitchers having to deliver the next pitch within 12 seconds of getting the ball back from the catcher with no runners on base, as it states in the rules. The umpires never enforce this. For example, (Jose) Valverde, the Tigers’ closer, takes about 30 seconds between every pitch, even with nobody on base.
“It’s a joke how umpires break up conferences on the mound: They walk slowly out to the mound, tell them their time is up and then jog back to the plate to make it seem like they are hustling and that will speed up the game — which it doesn’t.
“They also need to cut down on players stepping out of the box after every pitch. Remember (Chuck) Knoblauch stepping out after every pitch and readjusting his batting gloves?”
Expect an announcement soon by the city and Timberwolves regarding a $100 million renovation of Target Center.
Former Wayzata High School tennis player Karl Gregor is the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. He is an assistant at Tufts.