Posted February 25, 2011    

•Al Nolen

•Alexi Casilla

•NFL Power Poll

•Jerry Kill

•Jacques Lemaire

Depleted Guard Corps Sends U Spiraling 

There’s a mantra in college basketball that is slapping the Gophers directly in the face: “You win with good point guards.” 

The Gophers have none.  They have lost six of eight games since senior Al Nolen broke his right foot and became unavailable.  Minnesota most likely would have another couple wins during that stretch if junior guard Devoe Joseph hadn’t transferred out of the program in January. 

It’s likely, too, the Gophers would have better than a 6-9 Big Ten record and more than one win in their last seven games if Justin Cobbs, a freshman point guard in 2009-2010, hadn’t transferred at the end of last season.  Without Nolen, Joseph and Cobbs, the Gophers are left with senior shooting guard Blake Hoffarber and freshman Maverick Ahanmisi to play point guard.  Hoffarber doesn’t have the quickness to play the position and Ahanmisi is too inexperienced and often makes poor decisions.  

The Gophers miss Nolen’s ability to penetrate and pass to open teammates.  At times he had a dependable outside shot, too.  Joseph was a combo guard but a better choice than Hoffarber.  He had some ability to penetrate and was the team’s best outside shooter other than Hoffarber.   

The Gophers now have a lineup that has minimal offensive skills, with a lack of ball handling, passing and shooting.  Either because the lineup has players playing out of position, or inexperienced players on the floor, Minnesota has too many turnovers, some leading directly to dunks by the other team.  (See Wednesday night’s second half against Michigan State and a 53-48 loss). 

In six of the last seven games the Gophers have scored 63 points or less.  With the absence of a point guard and minimal offensive abilities, the Gophers are likely to lose at least two of their last three regular season conference games.  The guess here is losses to Michigan (tomorrow at Williams Arena) and at Northwestern on March 2, with a win over Penn State in Minneapolis March 6.  

Forget about a deep Big Ten tournament run like last year when the Gophers made the finals and Joseph was named to the all-tourney team.  Unless Nolen resumes playing in March, this team could be one-and-done in the NIT.

 

Forget about a deep Big Ten tournament run like last year when the Gophers made the finals and Joseph was named to the all-tourney team.  Unless Nolen resumes playing in March, this team could be one-and-done in the NIT.

Worth Noting 

Gophers coach Tubby Smith and the athletic department continue to search for a lead donor for a new practice facility.   

Former Gophers golfer and New York Times best selling author Harvey Mackay has a new book coming out this fall: The Mackay MBA of Sales.  The book will be subtitled “Lessons from the Street.” 

The Sanford Health sign on Target Center visible from Target Field remains in place despite last year’s concern by the Twins.  Is Sanford Health a naming rights possibility to replace the Target name on the Minneapolis arena? 

Alexi Casilla, an inconsistent middle infielder in the past, will have to be more reliable in the field and at bat to win and keep a starting job at shortstop or second base.  He and newcomer Tsuyoshi Nishioka are the leading contenders for those positions.  Who plays shortstop will at least partially be decided on arm strength.  

The first Twins TV game from spring training on FOX Sports North is March 14 against Florida with a 12:05 p.m. start Minneapolis time.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer is on the cover of PlayStation’s MLB 11 that comes out next month. 

The Gophers baseball team, which opens its home schedule on April 1 at Target Field, was picked to finish first in a poll conducted by Baseball America.  Three Gophers, first baseman Nick O’Shea and pitchers Scott Matyas and T.J. Oakes, were named to Baseball America’s preseason all-conference team.  Oakes was also selected as the preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. 

The February 14 issue of Sporting News Magazine has the Vikings ranked No. 26 in its 32 team NFL power poll.  That’s last among NFC North teams with the Packers No. 1, Bears No. 15 and Lions No. 16.  

The same issue ranks the 2011 Gophers football recruiting class No. 10 among 11 Big Ten teams. 

KSTP TV and GopherHole.com reported that Mankato West junior quarterback Phil Nelson has verbally committed to the Gophers for 2012.

 

Notes Plus 

New Gophers coach Jerry Kill has made a positive impression since being hired in December, winning praise from high school coaches, business leaders and media. 

Kill and his staff will participate in the Minnesota Football Clinic, March 31-April 2.  The clinic is a partnership between the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Gophers.  More clinic information is available on the association's website. 

Kill lost a recruiter with a national reputation this week when running backs coach Thomas Hammock left for Wisconsin.  

Coach Jacques Lemaire’s New Jersey Devils have won eight straight games, the longest win streak in the NHL.  No word on whether the former Wild head coach, 65, will return to lead the Devils next season. 

The Wild has no games tomorrow and Sunday, the only two-game break during a busy 17 day period.  The Wild is on national TV Monday with a Versus game against Chicago at Xcel Energy Center.

As of yesterday morning Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom’s 1.23 goals against average and .955 save percentage were the best in the NHL since the All-Star break (late January) among goalies with more than one start.

The NHL trade deadline is Monday afternoon, 2 p.m. our time.

Michigan senior Whitney Taney, the former Edina prep champion, won her third career Big Ten Athlete of the Week tennis award earlier this month.  

Timberwolves center Darko Milicic ranks third in the NBA in blocked shots per game, 2.2. 

Timberwolves president Chris Wright is the honorary chairperson for Minnesota FoodShare's 2011 March Campaign.  Each March, Minnesota FoodShare conducts a drive to raise more than half the food distributed annually through 300 food shelves across the state. 

Gustavus head men's basketball coach Mark Hanson became the 65th coach in NCAA Division III history to reach 400 wins when the Gusties defeated Saint Mary's last Saturday.  After a win over St. Olaf this week, his all-time record is 401-176.  He is the 31st active coach to achieve 400 wins.  It’s believed that Hanson is the 14th fastest coach to reach 400 victories in Division III history.  He is the sixth MIAC coach to earn 400 wins. 

 

  Chris Wright
 

 Mark Hanson