EA Sports announced yesterday that Minnesota Timberwolves rookie forward Kevin Love has been chosen for the cover of the newly named EA SPORTS™ college basketball videogame NCAA® Basketball 09 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, and the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems.
Gophers’ wide receiver Eric Decker leads the Big Ten in receptions with 16. Quarterback Adam Weber is second in total offense at 287 yards per game.
Iowa’s Karl Klug, the Big Ten Conference defensive player of the week for his nine tackles, two sacks and forcing a fumble against Florida International, is a defensive end from Caledonia, Minnesota.
Marc Ryan, Gopher associate athletics director, told Sports Headliners that about 10,000 tickets have already been sold for the men’s Midwest first and second round NCAA basketball games at the Metrodome next March. A local committee, with University and civic officials, has made a bid to host a men’s Final Four at the dome in the 2013-2016 period. Ryan said a seating configuration of 70,000 will be required.
Invitations have been sent to an October 2 reception at East Cliff to honor Harvey Mackay as a recipient of the University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Achievement award. The award is given to distinguished alumni and Mackay’s many accomplishments include being a New York Times best selling author. Mackay is also a former Gopher golfer. East Cliff is the official residence of University presidents.
Vikings defensive end Kenechi Udeze, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia, will serve as the Honorary Viking and sound the Gjallarhorn at Sunday’s home game against Indianapolis.
With one sack, E.J. Henderson will rank fifth all-time in sacks by a Vikings linebacker. Strong safety Darren Sharper leads all active NFL players in interceptions with 53.
Former Packers Ryan Longwell and Sharper heard the boos from Green Bay fans on Monday night at Lambeau Field. Longwell said: “Sharper came up to me on the bench after a couple of my kicks when they were booing so loud and he says, ‘At least I talk trash. They had a reason to boo me. I don’t know why they’re booing you so loud.'”
Relief pitcher Matt Guerrier was the losing pitcher yesterday in Kansas City’s 3-2 10th inning win against the Twins. Twins’ bullpen pitchers have been charged with the losses in eight of the team’s last 11 defeats. Twins’ starter Francisco Liriano pitched eight innings for the first time since July 28, 2006. He gave up two earned runs and lowered his ERA to 1.58 since his recall from Triple A Rochester on August 1.
The MIAC led all NCAA Division III conferences in football attendance in 2007, with the nine teams averaging 3,594 fans per game. Total attendance was a Division III-best 176,129 fans. For the seventh straight season, Saint John’s was first among Division III programs, averaging a school best 8,769 fans per game with total attendance of 52,614. Concordia College-Moorhead was second in the nation with an average of 5,441 fans per game.