Kevin Noreen, the state’s 2010 Mr. Basketball, hopes to make a decision on his college choice by week’s end, according to his Minnesota Transitions coach, John Sherman. Noreen is visiting Oregon, Stanford and Washington this week. Those schools are under consideration along with Arkansas, Boston College and possibly Northwestern, Sherman said.
In its college football issue now selling on newsstands, Athlon Sports ranked the best schools to coach at from No. 1 Texas through No. 120 Eastern Michigan. Athlon considered various factors such as proximity to the best high school players and facilities. After Texas the next 10 schools are USC, Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida Sate, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Penn Sate. Minnesota is No. 53.
Gophers linebacker Sam Maresh, a highly publicized in-state recruit two years ago and someone counted on to play this fall, left Minnesota recently because of academics. Whether Maresh will eventually return to the Gophers isn’t known and coach Tim Brewster wants Maresh to do what is right for him.
“Obviously I love Sam,” Brewster said. “The only thing I am concerned about is his success as a human being. …”
Former Vikings and Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon has been tutoring Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez who was a rookie last season.
The June issue of Inc. magazine has named the Jets organization as one of the Top 20 Small Company Workplaces in the country.
When the Twins go on the road later this month for three consecutive series against National League teams the absence of the designated hitter will restrict plate appearances by 39-year-old Jim Thome. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said during his KSTP Radio Show on Sunday that Thome can’t play first base because of a bad back.
It’s interesting that the Nationals consider No. 1 draft pick Bryce Harper, 17, too valuable as a hitter to continue playing catcher but there is no plan by the Twins to switch catcher and three time batting champ Joe Mauer to another position.
Of the 27 players on the Minnesota Wild roster, eight were selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, including Owen Nolan, the only player taken as the No. 1 overall pick (1990, Quebec Nordiques). Five Wild players were selected in the seventh round, while five others made it to the NHL after going undrafted. This year’s draft is June 25-26 in Los Angeles.
Randy Shaver’s charity golf tournament was held on Monday and the KARE 11 sportscaster reported via email that the annual event has generated over $4 million for cancer research since its inception in 1995. This year’s tournament will raise about $220,000.
The 39th annual Tapemark Charity Pro-Am tournament will be played tomorrow through Sunday at Southview Country Club. The longevity of the tournament and monies raised for charity is a testament to the commitment of the Klas family that has also generously supported other causes in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Jim Holden will be selling copies of Tennis in the Northland for $10 each at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Center this morning and at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in south Minneapolis this afternoon. The former Northfield tennis coach has written a comprehensive history of boys’ high school tennis in Minnesota.