David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

DiVincenzo: Wolves to Try & ‘Sneak One Game Off’ in Denver

Posted on April 14, 2026April 14, 2026 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

The NBA Western Conference No. 6 seeded Timberwolves (regular season record 49-33) open their playoff adventure at Denver Saturday against a No. 3 seeded Nuggets team (54-28) that is favored to win the best of seven games series. Adding to the “mile high” optimism in Denver is that during the regular season the Nuggets won three of four matchups against the Wolves.

The first two playoff games are in Denver and veteran Wolves guard Dante DiVincenzo has a prediction. “…Going on the road those first two games, I think, you know, we’ll be really connected. Try to get in there and sneak one game off.”

Defense will be key for the Wolves gaining a split in Denver and for winning the series. The Nuggets have the league’s highest scoring offense, 122.1 points per game. In the four regular season games Denver scored 127, 123, and 142 points in its wins, while the Nuggets totaled 108 in a March loss to Minnesota.

Denver center Nikola Jokic averaged 27.7 during the season and was a top performer in rebounds and assists. This past season the Wolves did okay defensively against the Nuggets when center Rudy Gobert was on the floor, but things went south when he wasn’t playing.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves player — Anthony Edwards photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves

When they play up to their potential, Gobert, guard Anthony Edwards and forward Jaden McDaniels are three of the better defensive players in the NBA. Not only on defense but all around the Wolves played inconsistently during the season but in the last two years have been a strong playoff team reaching the Western Conference Finals.

Edwards had the No. 6 selling player jersey during the NBA season. The top five were Steph Curry (Warriors), Luka Doncic (Lakers), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) and LeBron James (Lakers). Results were based on sales from NBAStore.com, Fanatics.com and Fanatics partner sites.

Wild owner Craig Leipold is more than impressed with new St. Paul mayor Kaohly Her. He told Sports Headliners she has been a “workaholic” lobbying at the State Legislature trying to obtain approval for $200 million for renovations of city owned downtown Grand Casino Arena and Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

If the state approves the $200 million it will be part of a $600 million total that also includes $162.5 million commitments each from the city and Wild. Most of the money will be allocated to upgrading Grand Casino Arena which opened in 2000.

The city and Wild have made past appeals to the legislature without success. The efforts by Her, though, are encouraging to Leipold. “So, I’ve never been as optimistic as I am right now,” he said.

Improvements at the arena will include creation of large communal areas where fans can gather to visit and watch the game, grab and go concession areas with no standing in line to pay, small and local business vendors selling products—and addressing that troublesome bathrooms issue.

“The bathrooms, oh, gracious me,” Leipold said. “Our bathroom lines are so long it’s embarrassing. …If you’re a fan coming to our games, you know exactly what I am talking about.”

Once funding is finalized the arena renovation will likely be done over a period Leipold refers to as “three really good summers.” Renovation during hockey season will only happen if it doesn’t interfere with the fan experience. The Wild will play all their games at their arena, with no intent to play elsewhere during the renovation period.

Leipold recently became a minority owner of the Twins. He likes baseball but there was more motivation than that behind his investment. “I believe in the business of sports,” he said.

As an entrepreneur, his stance is the valuations of sports franchises will steadily increase. After this season baseball owners and players will address a new labor agreement. There is prevailing thought a salary cap will be instituted and Leipold describes this as a “great time to invest in the Twins.”

Would Leipold be interested in buying majority ownership of the Twins from the Pohlad family? He said his understanding is that the Pohlads are committed to continuing their long-term ownership. “I am very happy where I am at.”

Former University of Minnesota and Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz had a profound reputation for staying in touch with former players and willingness to help when needed. That’s the kind of memory Pete Najarian has of Holtz who passed away in March at the age of 89.

Najarian was a two-time captain of Holtz’s 1984 and 1985 teams. He spoke with Holtz when the coaching legend was in hospice and the “two talked about everything under the sun.”

Not that long ago the two were living in separate cities in Florida and would drive to an agreed-upon destination to spend time together. It was a pattern of connection established over the years. “He invited me to about every event you can imagine,” Najarian told Sports Headliners.

Najarian, because of his long hair and moustache, tested Holtz’s temperament when he played for him. But that didn’t get in the way of the coach’s admiration for the All-Big Ten linebacker’s discipline and commitment to playing football.

Holtz only coached the Gophers for two seasons before moving on to Notre Dame, but he put in place a resurrected program that gave promise to glory days ahead. “Not any doubt in my mind he would have brought us to the Rose Bowl,” said Najarian who used to impersonate his coach’s voice on the Gopher practice field.

Najarian also has a great relationship with former Nebraska football coaching legend Tom Osborne, 89. Osborne tried to bring the former Minneapolis Central High School player to Nebraska. They have stayed in touch over the years including last month when Osborne hosted Najarian at the Nebraska spring game.

“This is my greatest regret,” Osborne says when introducing Najarian to people, referring to his not being able to sell the former NFL player and world of finance guru on coming to Lincoln.

Like a “second dad” is how Najarian refers to the former national championship coach. “As generous a guy as I’ve ever met,” he said.

Former Gophers basketball coach Jim Dutcher, whose 1982 team won the Big Ten championship, turns 93 on Friday.

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Wild Owner: Team Will Get New Contract with Quinn Hughes

Posted on April 12, 2026April 12, 2026 by David Shama

The playoffs start next Saturday for the Minnesota Wild but that doesn’t mean there’s been no discussion about a contract extension for Quinn Hughes. Owner Craig Leipold and GM Bill Guerin have talked about making it happen.

The skilled defenseman, acquired during the season by the Wild from the Canucks, has helped elevate the club to a place among the elite teams in the NHL. “Quinn Hughes is a massive difference maker,” Leipold told Sports Headliners.

Hughes, who set a team record this season for most points by a defenseman (76), is in the fifth season of a six-year $47,100,000 deal. The 26-year-old, a past Norris Award winner recognizing the best defenseman in the NHL, is likely to excel for many more seasons and if he becomes a free agent after next season, he will be among the most coveted players in recent league history.

Hughes is also a workhorse, averaging a league best of over 27 minutes per game on the ice. He was tops in that category for the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic team last winter.

Leipold sees Hughes’ long-term future in a Wild sweater. “He’s going to be our no. 1 goal…to get him signed and we will.”

Wild owner Craig Leipold — Craig Leipold

The next contract, of course, will include a large increase in compensation and perhaps more than six years in length. But the potential terms don’t seem to discourage the Wild’s owner who is willing to be patient in negotiations. “We’ll take it as long as he wants,” said Leipold who has owned Minnesota’s NHL team since 2008.

Leipold spoke about how Hughes enjoys playing for his new team and is a fan of his in-season home, Minnesota. Regarding prospects for a future signing of the Michigan native, Leipold said he “can’t imagine why he wouldn’t” do a new deal.

In the phone interview with Sports Headliners last Friday, Leipold praised the talent on the team including Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber and his goalie tandem (Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt). “Yes, this is our best team (in franchise history),” Leipold said.

That franchise history dates back to the 2000-2001 season, but Leipold said no team has been as deep in talent as this one. He sees four quality lines where “everybody can score.” The defense is the best ever and the goalies form a quality rotation.

Ironically, though, the Wild plays in the Central Division against the NHL’s No. 1 ranked team, the Avalanche, and also the Stars, considered no worse than the third best. The Wild opens the playoffs against the Stars in Dallas on Saturday.

“We’re playing the two best teams in the National Hockey league. It’s going to be a tough one,” Leipold said about the prospect of getting by the Stars but then having to play the Avalanche.

The Wild and Stars split their season series with two wins each. The last Thursday night 5-4 loss in Dallas was frustrating.

“We know we can play with them,” Leipold said. “We should have won that game. You’re ahead by two (goals twice in the game). That’s happened too many times this year. In fact, this has happened at two (goal leads) throughout the league. A two-goal lead is no longer that safe.

“We have to play with more intensity. I think we have to be more defensively minded. And I think every game…is going to be a tossup against them. So, we’re going to have to get the edge.”

Leipold calls it “very unfortunate” that the Wild play in perhaps the NHL’s best division but said the positive is the competition “prepares you” for the playoffs.

The Wild hasn’t advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2015 and that’s a factor in odds makers predicting the Stars will win the series.

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Stay Tuned on Niko Medved, Gophers Basketball Recruiting

Posted on April 8, 2026April 8, 2026 by David Shama

There’s a buzz, including with potential recruits, around Niko Medved’s University of Minnesota basketball program. Don’t be surprised at the program’s success during the transfer portal period that started yesterday and ends April 21.

It’s believed Medved will have a program high of over $7 million to pay players for next season. This is a combined pot of athletic department revenue share money and dollars from donors for Name, Image and Likeness.

Athletic departments in the Big Ten and elsewhere don’t disclose NIL budgets to pay players for activities such as TV commercials, social media endorsements and personal appearances. However, it’s believed the Gophers NIL budget for the coming year could be at least $3.5 million, with a similar amount coming from the U athletic department. Bottom line is Medved will have more money to work with than his first season and word is his budgets from the two sources put Minnesota in the middle range among the Big Ten’s 18 men’s basketball programs.

Niko Medved, Gophers hoops coach, photo by David Shama — Niko Medved

A lot of fans, particularly older generations, bemoan the recent development of paying players in several different sports including men’s basketball and football. But the truth is this allows the Gophers to generally recruit higher level talent than in the past. The Gophers are financially competitive with Big Ten rivals and superior to mid-major programs ranging from Appalachian State to Wichita State.

Hired in March of 2025, Medved showed coaching and culture building skills that suggest promise of making the Gophers a conference contender. The likeable and principled Minnesota native is a big hit with fans including program donors.

Just as important, the players enjoy the program. Evidence of such are his starters with remaining eligibility who are committed to new compensation deals and playing for the 2026-2027 team.

What Medved is trying to do now is fill out the roster around guard Isaac Asuma, and forwards Bobby Durkin, Grayson Grove and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson. It could be that transfers will include former Orono High guard Nolan Groves (Texas Tech) and guard Kyan Evans, who played for Medved at Colorado State prior to joining North Carolina.

Underline this prediction: in coming seasons the Gopher roster will include European players. Talent from overseas is becoming more prevalent in college basketball and Medved is a savvy recruiter with skills that include identifying under the radar talent.

Illinois’ roster included six European players this past season. The Illini made their way to the Final Four this spring. In an early top 25 teams for next season listing by The Athletic’s C.J. Moore, Illinois is No. 1.

The Gophers’ momentum in recruiting success and help for next season started months ago with a three-man recruiting class that 247Sports ranks No. 9 in the Big Ten. The talent meter will be going up with the 2026 freshmen class of four-star small forward Nolen Anderson (Wayzata) and two three-stars, center Chadrack Mpoyi (Crean Lutheran, Irvine, Calif.) and point guard Cedric Tomes (East Ridge).

Worth Noting

With its money and prestige, the Big Ten will be at the forefront of power teams in college football and basketball. Indiana won the national championship in football earlier this year and Michigan earned the national title in men’s basketball earlier this week.

In Moore’s top 25 for next year, he has Michigan No. 2 with Michigan State, Nebraska and Iowa also highly ranked.

Gophers departing senior Cade Tyson, the team’s leading scorer, will participate in the 72nd-annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, April 15-18 in Portsmouth, Virginia. Tyson is one of 64 men’s basketball seniors selected for the event, which is a showcase for pro basketball scouts.

Twins right-hander Taj Bradley is among the hottest pitchers in baseball with a 2-0 record and 1.08 ERA. With 22 strikeouts in 16.2 innings, only six other pitchers have whiffed more batters.

Bradley, in his first full season with the Twins, has won two of the club’s five games and could be part of a high quality big three starting staff next season if Minnesota doesn’t trade Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez recovers from arm surgery.

In what figures to be a playoff atmosphere tomorrow night in Dallas, the Stars host the Wild in what is likely to be a preview of a post season matchup of Central Division power houses. The Wild has won two of the previous three games this season and home ice in the playoffs is likely on the line.

Left wing Matt Boldy (2-2=4) and right-wing Vladimir Tarasenko (1-3=4) lead the Wild with four points each in the series. Left wing Kirill Kaprizov has three points (1-2=3).

The University of St. Thomas hires quality coaches, and it looks like the Tommies hit the bullseye with Mandy Pearson as the new women’s basketball coach. She won Coach of the Year awards during stretches at Minnesota Duluth and St. Mary’s (Minnesota)—two challenging places to win. She was a first team All-American at Concordia College (Minnesota).

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