Wouldn’t it be interesting if former Gopher assistant basketball coach Jimmy Williams ends up as an assistant to new Kentucky coach Billy Gillespie? Williams resigned as an assistant at Oklahoma State last week and speculation was he would join former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith’s staff at Minnesota. A source told Sports Headliners last weekend that Williams won’t be hired here.
There’s been no official announcement yet but the Gopher home football games with Bowling Green, September 1, and Purdue, September 22, will be 7 p.m. kickoffs.
Don’t write off the possibility of a comeback season by Troy Williamson this fall. The Vikings’ 2005 No. 1 draft choice had a better rookie year than he did last season when injury held him back, plus he’s expected to benefit from the coaching of new wide receivers coach George Stewart.
The Wild will host a rally on Sunday from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Rice Park in downtown St. Paul. There will be live music from Martin Zellar, food and beverage, free face painting and appearances by celebrities including team owner Bob Naegele, Jr. and Brad Bombardir, a member of the 2003 Wild playoff team. The event will take place prior to game three of the Wild’s Western Conference quarterfinal series against Anaheim at 7 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center.
Here’s the TV schedule for the Wild-Anaheim playoff series: tonight, KSTC, 9:30 p.m.; Sunday, FSN North, 7 p.m.; Tuesday, KSTC, 8 p.m. If games five, six or seven are necessary in the best of seven series the TV schedule will be: Thursday, FSN North, 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 21, TBD; Monday, April 23, KSTC, 9 p.m. Because of FCC licensing restrictions that limit broadcasting to the metro market, KSTC games will not be available outstate on satellite or cable systems.
Although dinner and program tickets are sold out, program-only seats remain for the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s annual celebration event featuring Tony Dungy as a speaker. Association volunteer president Denny Schulstad said a record attendance of over 4,000 is expected for the May 8 event at Mariucci Arena. For ticket information call 612-624-2345, or www.northrop.umn.edu