EDIT 7-8-13: Lizzie Odegaard is leaving Cretin to play for Minnetonka.
As has been long rumored, 6-3 freshman sensation Jasmyn Martin will not return to Bloomington Kennedy in the fall. It has now been reported that she will be playing for 3-time defending state champion Hopkins.
Martin is of course a world-class volleyball player as well as basketball player, and it just so happens that Hopkins has an all-America volleyball setter in Samantha Seliger Swenson, rated as the #1 sophomore (class of 2015) last year in the state of Minnesota by Breakdown Sports USA. She will be a junior this coming year, as Martin enters her 9th grade season. Hopkins was 27-5 last year, 5-3 in the Lake Conference. Eden Prairie won the Lake Conference title at 7-1 and defeated Hopkins in the section final to earn a trip to the state tournament.
Turning to Hopkins girls basketball, Martin joins a star-studded roster. Hopkins of course lost Nia Coffey, Mikaala Shackleford, Taylor Anderson and Erin O'Toole to graduation--all 4 going D1, though Anderson doing so in track and field rather than in hoops.
But the cupboard remains fully stocked. Here's a guess as to the Hopkins lineup come this fall.
F- Jasmyn Martin--6-3 freshman, 9 ppg with 6 rebounds at Kennedy last year, rated #1 in her class
PF- Molly O'Toole--5-10 senior, rated #26 in her class
SG/SF- T.T. Starks--5-9 junior, #2 in her class, scored 6 ppg a year ago
PG- Viria Livingston--5-7 junior, rated #15 but as high as #3 before sitting out Jan.-July with a knee
SG- Nia Hollie--5-10 sophomore, rated #3 in her class, scored 9 ppg
Bench
C- Liz Bulver--sophomore, rated #27 in her class
F- Ashley Omete--5-11 junior #66
G- Ashley Bates--5-7 sophomore #12
G- Kaezha Wubben--5-7 sophomore #34
G- Deanna Winston--5-4 freshman #13
G- Evelyn Knox--5-6 sophomore #36
G- Sierra Bagstad--5-9 sophomore #86
Hopkins' bench could probably win a couple of sections. Its full roster would seem to be utterly incapable of NOT winning a 4th straight state title. I mean, Martin moves them from heavily favored to prohibitive.
Other Transfers
A whole bunch of transfers are rumored. The ones that have been confirmed are:
Lindsay Malecha from Lakeville North to Hill-Murray
Brooke Heggie from Crookston to Alexandria
Kiara Russell from Bloomington Kennedy to Osseo
Aejah Lockett from Simley to DeLaSalle
Among the rumors are additional girls to DeLaSalle.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Another Gopher 2014 Verbal: Rangie Bessard, Houston, TX
Here's what the Alvin Sun said about the Minnesota Gopher women's latest recruit. This was at the conclusion of a summer 2013 event.
"Rangie Bessard, 6-1 forward, Houston Elite White (Manvel HS)
Bessard continues to improve and over the weekend she showed a consistent mid-range game. She’s hard to handle in the paint, she can score easily and rebounds on both ends. She’s also knocking down the three with regularity, even capping things off with a couple of four-point plays. She is currently being recruited by Texas Tech, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Oregon State, Southern Mississippi and Texas Southern."
Someday Gopher fans are likely to look back on 2014 as a watershed year for the Gopher women. 2014 is now a huge group as recruiting classes go--6 girls.
And it's notable by the fact that only 2 of the recruits are Minnesotans. 6 of 8 women on the roster as of today are from Minnesota. Only 3 of 8 in the incoming classes of 2013 and 2014 are Minnesotans. 5 of 8 are from Texas (3) and Ohio (2).
And basically coach Pam Borton whiffed on what is regarded as one of the greatest graduating classes in Minnesota history, "the Mighty 2013s." And only Carlie Wagner among the 3 current Minnesota verbals is regarded as a "catch."
Why Ohio and Texas? Well, associate head coach Curtis Loyd's hometown in Dallas, TX, and he was associate head coach at Akron U. in Ohio for 2 years from 2009-2010. Assistant coaches Ted Riverso and Kelly Roysland have no known connection to either state.
Right now the 2016-2017 depth chart looks like this:
C- Zahui Sweden (Sr), Buckingham Ohio (Jr)
PF- Stapleton Ohio (Jr), Bessard TX (Jr)
SF- McDaniel TX (Sr)
PG- Coughlin MN (Jr), Hedstrom MN (Sr)
SG- Wagner MN (Jr), Jacob TX (Jr)
The 4 "bigs" average 6-3.5 so it looks like the Gophers are also getting bigger.
With the addition of Bessard, the Gophers have 1 scholarship left to give to a 2014 if they should choose to do so. It is notable that 1 of 2 offers that are known to be "out there" is also a 6-1 forward, Cayla McMorris, of Park Center. On paper she is almost a carbon copy of Bessard. The other is even taller at 6-2 but is more of a perimeter type player, Tonoia Wade of Bloomington Kennedy.
Minnesota is known also to have an offer out to Nia Hollie, Hopkins, a 5-10 sophomore guard (class of 2016; she would be a freshman in college in 2017). No other offers are known. Among the 2015s, the #1-rated Minnesotan is Sam Trammel, Eden Prairie, 6-2, post; #2 is T.T. Starks, Hopkins, 5-9, 4 position player; #3 is Maddie Guebert, Eastview, a 5-9 scoring guard. Among the 2016s Hollie is #3. Jamie Ruden, Rochester John Marshall, a 6-2 post/power forward is #1; and Courtney Frederickson, Minnetonka, a 6-1 forward, is #2. It is perhaps a moot point, however, to wonder which (other than Hollie) the Gophers are recruiting.
"Rangie Bessard, 6-1 forward, Houston Elite White (Manvel HS)
Bessard continues to improve and over the weekend she showed a consistent mid-range game. She’s hard to handle in the paint, she can score easily and rebounds on both ends. She’s also knocking down the three with regularity, even capping things off with a couple of four-point plays. She is currently being recruited by Texas Tech, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Oregon State, Southern Mississippi and Texas Southern."
Someday Gopher fans are likely to look back on 2014 as a watershed year for the Gopher women. 2014 is now a huge group as recruiting classes go--6 girls.
And it's notable by the fact that only 2 of the recruits are Minnesotans. 6 of 8 women on the roster as of today are from Minnesota. Only 3 of 8 in the incoming classes of 2013 and 2014 are Minnesotans. 5 of 8 are from Texas (3) and Ohio (2).
And basically coach Pam Borton whiffed on what is regarded as one of the greatest graduating classes in Minnesota history, "the Mighty 2013s." And only Carlie Wagner among the 3 current Minnesota verbals is regarded as a "catch."
Why Ohio and Texas? Well, associate head coach Curtis Loyd's hometown in Dallas, TX, and he was associate head coach at Akron U. in Ohio for 2 years from 2009-2010. Assistant coaches Ted Riverso and Kelly Roysland have no known connection to either state.
Right now the 2016-2017 depth chart looks like this:
C- Zahui Sweden (Sr), Buckingham Ohio (Jr)
PF- Stapleton Ohio (Jr), Bessard TX (Jr)
SF- McDaniel TX (Sr)
PG- Coughlin MN (Jr), Hedstrom MN (Sr)
SG- Wagner MN (Jr), Jacob TX (Jr)
The 4 "bigs" average 6-3.5 so it looks like the Gophers are also getting bigger.
With the addition of Bessard, the Gophers have 1 scholarship left to give to a 2014 if they should choose to do so. It is notable that 1 of 2 offers that are known to be "out there" is also a 6-1 forward, Cayla McMorris, of Park Center. On paper she is almost a carbon copy of Bessard. The other is even taller at 6-2 but is more of a perimeter type player, Tonoia Wade of Bloomington Kennedy.
Minnesota is known also to have an offer out to Nia Hollie, Hopkins, a 5-10 sophomore guard (class of 2016; she would be a freshman in college in 2017). No other offers are known. Among the 2015s, the #1-rated Minnesotan is Sam Trammel, Eden Prairie, 6-2, post; #2 is T.T. Starks, Hopkins, 5-9, 4 position player; #3 is Maddie Guebert, Eastview, a 5-9 scoring guard. Among the 2016s Hollie is #3. Jamie Ruden, Rochester John Marshall, a 6-2 post/power forward is #1; and Courtney Frederickson, Minnetonka, a 6-1 forward, is #2. It is perhaps a moot point, however, to wonder which (other than Hollie) the Gophers are recruiting.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
The Lynx at Half Way
You probably don't remember that I picked the Lynx to finish 2nd to the L.A. Sparks in the West and to lose to the Sparks in the division semis.
It's too early to say I'm wrong, but the Lynx have just had 1 hell of a 1st half to their season, winning 14 of 17 games, 1 more than at this time in both 2011, when they won the WNBA title, and in 2012, when they didn't.
And the Lynx are not just 1, not just 2 games better than L.A. at this point, they're 2-and-a-half better, 3 in the loss column. They're 2 ahead of the 2nd best team in the league, which right now is the Chicago Sky at 12-5.
So the Lynx and L.A. aren't the only or even the major surprises in the WNBA so far. Almost everybody is a surprise, beginning with Rookie of the Year candidates Brittney Griner and Ellena Della Donna. Griner, the favorite initially, is now running a distant 2nd to Della Donna in the Rookie race. And not only that, Della Donna, who is scoring a league 3rd best 18 ppg, has led the Sky to that gaudy 12-5 record, compared to last year's 14-20, good for 5th in the East and a seat on the outside looking in at the post-season.
Griner, meanhile, is scoring 14 ppg and Phoenix is off to a shocking 9-9 start, despite the fact that Diana Taurasi is leading the league in scoring at 22 ppg in her return from an injury that kept her out of play a year ago. (I had them 23-11, just 1 game behind the Lynx.)
Also surprising, in the East, are Connecticut and Indiana, whom I had had 1st and 2nd. They're 4th and 6th. Indiana is after all the WNBA champion but are 8-9 at the halfway point. Connecticut is a shocking 6-12 despite Tina Charles having yet another MVP caliber season at 18 points and 9 boards.
But the biggest surprise is L.A. Of course, they're 12-6, just a half-game short of the 2nd best record in the league, so I guess they're doin' OK. I mean, they gave the Lynx 2 of their 3 losses, and they were routs, 87-59 and 96-66. But they lost almost as big at Minnesota, 88-64. They're just 8-5 vs. the West. In 2 of their last 3 games before the All-Star break, they lost to Phoenix and Seattle at home.
And that brings us to the Lynx. They're playin' great.
Maya Moore leads the team in scoring, as I said she would, with 16 ppg. I said on the other hand that Lindsey Whalen's game might begin to slip at age 31. Quite the opposite. Her scoring average is way up to 16 ppg, she's averaging 5 assists and she's shooting 49 percent. Seimone Augustus' scoring average has dropped to 15 ppg, but she's shooting 52 percent. Rebekah Brunson hasn't slipped a white, averaging 10 points and 9 boards. And Monica Wright has become the super-sub that Candace Wiggins used to be.
And so the primary goal of the 2nd half of the season would seem to be quite achievable. Hold the home court for the playoffs. Of course that didn't guarantee success a year ago and it doesn't guarantee success in 2013. Still, would you rather have the home ice against L.A. (average score 88-64) or play 'em on the road (average score 62-92)?
I would have said the same thing a year ago, but I'll say it again anyway. The Sparks are the only team that stands in the way of the Lynx and another WNBA title. What if the 2 played on a neutral court?
As a team, the Lynx are out-scoring their opponents 83-74. The Sparks are out-scoring theirs 83-75. One for the Lynx.
The Lynx are out-shooting their opponents 46 percent to 40, the Sparks 47-41. One for L.A.
The Lynx are out-rebounded their opponents by a whopping 39-33.5. L.A. is even at 34-all. Another one for the Lynx.
And the Lynx are turning the ball over 12 times per game, their opponents 14. L.A. is averaging 14 turnovers, their opponents 16. So that's a draw.
In the post, L.A. has a big advantage with Candace Parker. At the small forward, the Lynx have the advantage with Maya Moore. At the point, I'll take Lindsey over former Lynx Lindsey Harding. Each has 5 assists per game, but Whalen is out-scoring Harding 16-12 and out-shooting her 49 percent to 46. At the off guard it's Seimone over Kristi Tolliver though her scoring edge is just 15-14 and both are all-stars. But Seimone is shooting 52 percent and Tolliver 47.
At the big forward again there's a pair of all-stars in Brunson (10 points 9 boards 47 percent) and Nneka Ogumwike (14 points 7 boards 58 percent). Gotta be Nneka.
But a slight edge at the 2 guards and a big edge in Maya Moore means the Lynx win on a neutral court. But, of course, they won't be playing on a neutral court, the Lynx will have the home court advantage.
But that brings us to Maya Moore. She leads the Lynx in scoring. She led the 4 Lynx in the all-star game with 14 (Seimone had 12 Brunson 11 and Lindsey 8). But in the last 3 games before the all-star game she didn't score more than 14 points. In 3 games against L.A. she's scored 21 points on 8-of-27 shooting.
I said in my pre-season post that Maya Moore was the key to the Lynx contending, much less winning, the 2014 WNBA title. I still think that's so. They'll need a more consistent performance from Maya. In the meantime, of course, it doesn't hurt that Lindsey, Rebekah and Seimone are also playing like all-stars.
Revised Playoff Forecast
Eastern Division
#1 Atlanta 2 Washington 0
#2 Chicago 2 Indiana 1
Atlanta 2 Chicago 1. Chicago's chances rest entirely on Elena Della Donna's successful recovery from a concussion suffering in the final game before the all-star break.
Western Division
Minnesota 2 San Antonio 0
L.A. 2 Phoenix 0
Minnesota 2 L.A. 1. Minnesota's win depends on maintaining the home court advantage over the Sparks.
Finals
Minnesota 3 Atlanta 1. Minnesota's win depends on Maya Moore playing like the Maya Moore of the Olympics and the all-star game, and not the Maya Moore who seems to defer to Seimone as a Lynx.
It's too early to say I'm wrong, but the Lynx have just had 1 hell of a 1st half to their season, winning 14 of 17 games, 1 more than at this time in both 2011, when they won the WNBA title, and in 2012, when they didn't.
And the Lynx are not just 1, not just 2 games better than L.A. at this point, they're 2-and-a-half better, 3 in the loss column. They're 2 ahead of the 2nd best team in the league, which right now is the Chicago Sky at 12-5.
So the Lynx and L.A. aren't the only or even the major surprises in the WNBA so far. Almost everybody is a surprise, beginning with Rookie of the Year candidates Brittney Griner and Ellena Della Donna. Griner, the favorite initially, is now running a distant 2nd to Della Donna in the Rookie race. And not only that, Della Donna, who is scoring a league 3rd best 18 ppg, has led the Sky to that gaudy 12-5 record, compared to last year's 14-20, good for 5th in the East and a seat on the outside looking in at the post-season.
Griner, meanhile, is scoring 14 ppg and Phoenix is off to a shocking 9-9 start, despite the fact that Diana Taurasi is leading the league in scoring at 22 ppg in her return from an injury that kept her out of play a year ago. (I had them 23-11, just 1 game behind the Lynx.)
Also surprising, in the East, are Connecticut and Indiana, whom I had had 1st and 2nd. They're 4th and 6th. Indiana is after all the WNBA champion but are 8-9 at the halfway point. Connecticut is a shocking 6-12 despite Tina Charles having yet another MVP caliber season at 18 points and 9 boards.
But the biggest surprise is L.A. Of course, they're 12-6, just a half-game short of the 2nd best record in the league, so I guess they're doin' OK. I mean, they gave the Lynx 2 of their 3 losses, and they were routs, 87-59 and 96-66. But they lost almost as big at Minnesota, 88-64. They're just 8-5 vs. the West. In 2 of their last 3 games before the All-Star break, they lost to Phoenix and Seattle at home.
And that brings us to the Lynx. They're playin' great.
Maya Moore leads the team in scoring, as I said she would, with 16 ppg. I said on the other hand that Lindsey Whalen's game might begin to slip at age 31. Quite the opposite. Her scoring average is way up to 16 ppg, she's averaging 5 assists and she's shooting 49 percent. Seimone Augustus' scoring average has dropped to 15 ppg, but she's shooting 52 percent. Rebekah Brunson hasn't slipped a white, averaging 10 points and 9 boards. And Monica Wright has become the super-sub that Candace Wiggins used to be.
And so the primary goal of the 2nd half of the season would seem to be quite achievable. Hold the home court for the playoffs. Of course that didn't guarantee success a year ago and it doesn't guarantee success in 2013. Still, would you rather have the home ice against L.A. (average score 88-64) or play 'em on the road (average score 62-92)?
I would have said the same thing a year ago, but I'll say it again anyway. The Sparks are the only team that stands in the way of the Lynx and another WNBA title. What if the 2 played on a neutral court?
As a team, the Lynx are out-scoring their opponents 83-74. The Sparks are out-scoring theirs 83-75. One for the Lynx.
The Lynx are out-shooting their opponents 46 percent to 40, the Sparks 47-41. One for L.A.
The Lynx are out-rebounded their opponents by a whopping 39-33.5. L.A. is even at 34-all. Another one for the Lynx.
And the Lynx are turning the ball over 12 times per game, their opponents 14. L.A. is averaging 14 turnovers, their opponents 16. So that's a draw.
In the post, L.A. has a big advantage with Candace Parker. At the small forward, the Lynx have the advantage with Maya Moore. At the point, I'll take Lindsey over former Lynx Lindsey Harding. Each has 5 assists per game, but Whalen is out-scoring Harding 16-12 and out-shooting her 49 percent to 46. At the off guard it's Seimone over Kristi Tolliver though her scoring edge is just 15-14 and both are all-stars. But Seimone is shooting 52 percent and Tolliver 47.
At the big forward again there's a pair of all-stars in Brunson (10 points 9 boards 47 percent) and Nneka Ogumwike (14 points 7 boards 58 percent). Gotta be Nneka.
But a slight edge at the 2 guards and a big edge in Maya Moore means the Lynx win on a neutral court. But, of course, they won't be playing on a neutral court, the Lynx will have the home court advantage.
But that brings us to Maya Moore. She leads the Lynx in scoring. She led the 4 Lynx in the all-star game with 14 (Seimone had 12 Brunson 11 and Lindsey 8). But in the last 3 games before the all-star game she didn't score more than 14 points. In 3 games against L.A. she's scored 21 points on 8-of-27 shooting.
I said in my pre-season post that Maya Moore was the key to the Lynx contending, much less winning, the 2014 WNBA title. I still think that's so. They'll need a more consistent performance from Maya. In the meantime, of course, it doesn't hurt that Lindsey, Rebekah and Seimone are also playing like all-stars.
Revised Playoff Forecast
Eastern Division
#1 Atlanta 2 Washington 0
#2 Chicago 2 Indiana 1
Atlanta 2 Chicago 1. Chicago's chances rest entirely on Elena Della Donna's successful recovery from a concussion suffering in the final game before the all-star break.
Western Division
Minnesota 2 San Antonio 0
L.A. 2 Phoenix 0
Minnesota 2 L.A. 1. Minnesota's win depends on maintaining the home court advantage over the Sparks.
Finals
Minnesota 3 Atlanta 1. Minnesota's win depends on Maya Moore playing like the Maya Moore of the Olympics and the all-star game, and not the Maya Moore who seems to defer to Seimone as a Lynx.
Friday, July 26, 2013
UPDATE Greatest Athletes of Minneapolis
Yahoo and facebook have now picked the top 10 greatest athletes of Minneapolis. They are:
Rod Carew--whom I said they should and would pick
Cris Carter--whom I left off both of my lists. I thought they would pick Jared Allen over Carter, and they did not.
Kevin Garnett--whom I said they would pick
Harmon Killebrew--whom I said they should and would pick
Joe Mauer--whom I said they should and would pick
Randy Moss--ugh!
Alan Page--whom I left off both of my lists, but he's a good pick nevertheless
Adrian Peterson--whom I said they should and would pick
Kirby Puckett--whom I said they should and would pick
Fran Tarkenton--whom I said they would pick
So I said they would pick Jared Allen, Tom Lehman and George Mikan and they did not. They picked Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Alan Page in their place.
I said they should pick Vern Gagne, Moose Goheen, Kevin McHale, Mikan, Bronko Nagurski and Lindsay Whalen and they did not. They picked Carter, Garnett, Mauer, Moss, Page and Tarkenton in their place.
Bottom line is their list is even worse than it had to be, I mean, Randy Moss? If they wanted somebody I didn't pick, they could at least have gone for Neal Broten.
Now the question is, Who are users of Yahoo and facebook going to elect as the single greatest athlete ever from Minneapolis? I would think Kirby would be a shoo-in, but we'll see. Maybe Randy Moss!? Or, seriously, I guess Adrian Peterson would be a threat, if only because the youngest generation, who didn't see Puckett, has seen AP.
Personally I think George Mikan is the right choice.
----------
Yahoo Sports and facebook are running a joint promotion called Greatest Athletes by City. They pick what they call the 10 greatest athletes of various cities, and then regular folks get to vote for 1 as the single greatest or "most beloved" or whatever athlete from that city. They've now posted their picks for 11 cities including, most notably, Boston and Chicago.
Boston's top 10 includes 4 former Celtics, 3 former Red Sox, 2 former Bruins and Tom Brady. So, yes, only professional athletes need apply. My personal choice for Boston's greatest athlete, among those 10, would be Bobby Orr ahead of Ted Williams and Yaz and Tom Brady and Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Boston has a pretty good list.
Chicago, too. My choice would reluctantly be Michael Jordan. I say reluctantly not because I have anything against Michael, but it's hard not to vote for Dick Butkus or Sweetness, Walter Payton, or Ernie Banks. The top 10 included 3 Bears, 3 Cubs, 2 Black Hawks, 1 White Sox and 1 Bull.
Not only are the lists limited to pros but they're pretty much limited to athletes that people living today have seen. So there's no old-timers like Tris Speaker or Joe Cronin in Boston, or Frank Chance in Chicago, nor are there any college players like George Mikan of DePaul (in Chicago) or Doug Flutie of Boston College.
So that brings us to Minneapolis. That's what's been promised, the best athletes of Minneapolis. What they mean, obviously, is the best of the Twins, Vikings, North Stars and Wild, and Timberwolves...and maybe the Lakers if that's not too long ago.
That's unfortunate, I mean that there's no room on these lists for old timers combined with the fact that it's pros only. Minneapolis, unlike many major cities, has a major university within its boundaries. In Illinois it's Champaign, not Chicago (though there is Northwestern), in Michigan it's Ann Arbor and East Lansing, not Detroit, in Ohio it's Columbus, not Cincinnati or Cleveland.
So here's who I think they'll pick, and then here's who I think they should pick.
Will Pick
Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings
Rod Carew, Minnesota Twins
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
Harmon Killebrew, Minnesota Twins
Tom Lehman, golfer
Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins
Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings
Should Pick
Carew
Killebrew
Mikan
Peterson
Puckett
plus Vern Gagne, U of M and professional wrestler
Moose Goheen, ice hockey player
Kevin McHale, U of M
Bronko Nagurski, U of M
Lindsay Whalen, U of M and Minnesota Lynx
First I like old-timers, and especially guys like Moose Goheen, the best ice hockey player the state has ever produced (with apologies to #2, Neal Broten) and Bronko Nagurski, the best football player (apologies to Heisman Trophy winner Bruce Smith).
Second, since the U of M is located squarely in Minneapolis, I would make U athletes eligible for this list--especially Vern Gagne, the best wrestler ever (apologies to Jesse Ventura) and Kevin McHale, the best male basketball player at least based on his pro career.
And third, would it kill 'em to have a woman on the list? Lindsay Whalen has to be on the list, and here I'm not even appealing to her U career but as the leader of the Lynx WNBA champs of 2011.
It was very tough leaving Broten, Mauer and Tarkenton off the list, and also golfer Patty Berg, one of the top 10 women golfers of all-time with a much-better career than Tom Lehman.
Rod Carew--whom I said they should and would pick
Cris Carter--whom I left off both of my lists. I thought they would pick Jared Allen over Carter, and they did not.
Kevin Garnett--whom I said they would pick
Harmon Killebrew--whom I said they should and would pick
Joe Mauer--whom I said they should and would pick
Randy Moss--ugh!
Alan Page--whom I left off both of my lists, but he's a good pick nevertheless
Adrian Peterson--whom I said they should and would pick
Kirby Puckett--whom I said they should and would pick
Fran Tarkenton--whom I said they would pick
So I said they would pick Jared Allen, Tom Lehman and George Mikan and they did not. They picked Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Alan Page in their place.
I said they should pick Vern Gagne, Moose Goheen, Kevin McHale, Mikan, Bronko Nagurski and Lindsay Whalen and they did not. They picked Carter, Garnett, Mauer, Moss, Page and Tarkenton in their place.
Bottom line is their list is even worse than it had to be, I mean, Randy Moss? If they wanted somebody I didn't pick, they could at least have gone for Neal Broten.
Now the question is, Who are users of Yahoo and facebook going to elect as the single greatest athlete ever from Minneapolis? I would think Kirby would be a shoo-in, but we'll see. Maybe Randy Moss!? Or, seriously, I guess Adrian Peterson would be a threat, if only because the youngest generation, who didn't see Puckett, has seen AP.
Personally I think George Mikan is the right choice.
----------
Yahoo Sports and facebook are running a joint promotion called Greatest Athletes by City. They pick what they call the 10 greatest athletes of various cities, and then regular folks get to vote for 1 as the single greatest or "most beloved" or whatever athlete from that city. They've now posted their picks for 11 cities including, most notably, Boston and Chicago.
Boston's top 10 includes 4 former Celtics, 3 former Red Sox, 2 former Bruins and Tom Brady. So, yes, only professional athletes need apply. My personal choice for Boston's greatest athlete, among those 10, would be Bobby Orr ahead of Ted Williams and Yaz and Tom Brady and Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Boston has a pretty good list.
Chicago, too. My choice would reluctantly be Michael Jordan. I say reluctantly not because I have anything against Michael, but it's hard not to vote for Dick Butkus or Sweetness, Walter Payton, or Ernie Banks. The top 10 included 3 Bears, 3 Cubs, 2 Black Hawks, 1 White Sox and 1 Bull.
Not only are the lists limited to pros but they're pretty much limited to athletes that people living today have seen. So there's no old-timers like Tris Speaker or Joe Cronin in Boston, or Frank Chance in Chicago, nor are there any college players like George Mikan of DePaul (in Chicago) or Doug Flutie of Boston College.
So that brings us to Minneapolis. That's what's been promised, the best athletes of Minneapolis. What they mean, obviously, is the best of the Twins, Vikings, North Stars and Wild, and Timberwolves...and maybe the Lakers if that's not too long ago.
That's unfortunate, I mean that there's no room on these lists for old timers combined with the fact that it's pros only. Minneapolis, unlike many major cities, has a major university within its boundaries. In Illinois it's Champaign, not Chicago (though there is Northwestern), in Michigan it's Ann Arbor and East Lansing, not Detroit, in Ohio it's Columbus, not Cincinnati or Cleveland.
So here's who I think they'll pick, and then here's who I think they should pick.
Will Pick
Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings
Rod Carew, Minnesota Twins
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
Harmon Killebrew, Minnesota Twins
Tom Lehman, golfer
Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins
Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings
Should Pick
Carew
Killebrew
Mikan
Peterson
Puckett
plus Vern Gagne, U of M and professional wrestler
Moose Goheen, ice hockey player
Kevin McHale, U of M
Bronko Nagurski, U of M
Lindsay Whalen, U of M and Minnesota Lynx
First I like old-timers, and especially guys like Moose Goheen, the best ice hockey player the state has ever produced (with apologies to #2, Neal Broten) and Bronko Nagurski, the best football player (apologies to Heisman Trophy winner Bruce Smith).
Second, since the U of M is located squarely in Minneapolis, I would make U athletes eligible for this list--especially Vern Gagne, the best wrestler ever (apologies to Jesse Ventura) and Kevin McHale, the best male basketball player at least based on his pro career.
And third, would it kill 'em to have a woman on the list? Lindsay Whalen has to be on the list, and here I'm not even appealing to her U career but as the leader of the Lynx WNBA champs of 2011.
It was very tough leaving Broten, Mauer and Tarkenton off the list, and also golfer Patty Berg, one of the top 10 women golfers of all-time with a much-better career than Tom Lehman.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
T-Wolves Sign Chase Budinger, Kevin Martin
The Timberwolves and new president Flip Saunders are half-way there. The perennial gap at the 2 spot would seem to have been filled as the signings of Chase Budinger and Kevin Martin.
Now, re-signing Nikola Pekovic or otherwise filling the center spot would seem to be job #2. Anything else after that would seem to be gravy.
Budinger was of course a Timberwolf last year, but missed 3/4 of the season with an injury. He scored 9.4 points (his career average) in 23 games. The question with Budinger is whether 9 ppg represents his upper limit. In 4 years in the NBA he has scored 9, 10, 10 and 9 points per game in 20, 22, 22 and 22 minutes while shooting 44, 42, 44 and 41 percent from the field. At 6-7, he can play the small forward as well as the off guard spot so more than 20 minutes are probably available if he can up that shooting percentage a little bit.
But of course Kevin Martin will have something to say about that. Martin seems likely to take the starting 2 spot though he was 6th man for the Oklahoma City Thunder last year. In 11 years in the NBA he has scored 17 ppg on 44 percent shooting in 31 minutes. He's taken 12 shots per game (1 every 2.6 minutes) (Budinger by contrast takes 8 shots per game or 1 every 2.5 minutes. Budinger has also averaged 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover, while Martin has had 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 turnovers. So the fact is they are very nearly the same player; Martin has simply had more minutes and more opportunity to establish himself.)
The NBA is nothing if not deferent to its stars and its older players, so Martin will start and play the 2, while Budinger will come off the bench and play the 2 and the 3. Of course, Shabazz Muhammad will have something to say about that. And if Shabazz and Budinger are the only 3s, then Budinger could end up starting. But Derrick Williams will be in the mix at the 3, too, unless Flip moves him for a real 3, which could happen.
But if nothing happens except Pek is re-signed, the re-signing of Budinger and the signing of Martin makes this a most promised T-Wolves roster even with the current mix of forwards.
Now, re-signing Nikola Pekovic or otherwise filling the center spot would seem to be job #2. Anything else after that would seem to be gravy.
Budinger was of course a Timberwolf last year, but missed 3/4 of the season with an injury. He scored 9.4 points (his career average) in 23 games. The question with Budinger is whether 9 ppg represents his upper limit. In 4 years in the NBA he has scored 9, 10, 10 and 9 points per game in 20, 22, 22 and 22 minutes while shooting 44, 42, 44 and 41 percent from the field. At 6-7, he can play the small forward as well as the off guard spot so more than 20 minutes are probably available if he can up that shooting percentage a little bit.
But of course Kevin Martin will have something to say about that. Martin seems likely to take the starting 2 spot though he was 6th man for the Oklahoma City Thunder last year. In 11 years in the NBA he has scored 17 ppg on 44 percent shooting in 31 minutes. He's taken 12 shots per game (1 every 2.6 minutes) (Budinger by contrast takes 8 shots per game or 1 every 2.5 minutes. Budinger has also averaged 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover, while Martin has had 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 turnovers. So the fact is they are very nearly the same player; Martin has simply had more minutes and more opportunity to establish himself.)
The NBA is nothing if not deferent to its stars and its older players, so Martin will start and play the 2, while Budinger will come off the bench and play the 2 and the 3. Of course, Shabazz Muhammad will have something to say about that. And if Shabazz and Budinger are the only 3s, then Budinger could end up starting. But Derrick Williams will be in the mix at the 3, too, unless Flip moves him for a real 3, which could happen.
But if nothing happens except Pek is re-signed, the re-signing of Budinger and the signing of Martin makes this a most promised T-Wolves roster even with the current mix of forwards.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
NBA Draft Goes South
What's Plan B?
For a lot of people, the NBA draft went south right outta the gate, when the Cleveland Cavaliers picked Tony Bennett with the 1st overall pick. Not that Tony Bennett. This one will be bringing his heart from Las Vegas to Cleveland, where Cavs fans hope he'll want to leave it after the 3 years of his rookie contract are done. We'll see how that goes.
But, there's hardly a draft observer who didn't say the Cavs would go big--meaning either Maryland's Alex Len, 7-1, or 7-footer Nerlens Noel of Kentucky. And almost nobody didn't say the Noel and Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore were the 2 top players in the pool in terms of long-term upside potential.
Well, there was 1 who said the Cavs would not go big, but I said they'd pick Georgetown forward Otto Porter, who ended up going to Washington at #3. But, no, the Cavs grabbed Bennett, and the next 6 teams in line suddenly were all going, "Holy sh*t! What's Plan B? I forget!" And based on what happened next, they weren't that hot on the 2 allegedly best players in the pool and were hoping like crazy that Cleveland and Orlando would get 'em off the table so they wouldn't end up getting stuck with 'em.
But Orlando at #2 went with Indiana guard Victor Oladipo, who went from about #100 to #2 since the start of the college season. Washington took Porter. And with Len and Noel still available, Charlotte had little choice but to go big. But they grabbed another Hoosier, Cody Zeller, who, unlike Len and Noel, has the mobility to play the big forward spot.
So, after 5 picks, the 2 best players in the pool (McLemore and Noel) and the 2 guys who figured to be #1 (Len and Noel) were all 3 still cooling their heels in the green room. But they fell no further and the reluctant recipients of the big 3 were Phoenix (Len at #5), New Orleams (Noel at #6) and Sacramento (McLemore at #7). But then, adding insult to injury, N'Awlins immediately moved Noel to Philadelphia for a dish of jelly beans.
Flip's Picks
But the fact is that all of this had absolutely nothing to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the Wolves and Flip Saunders the draft was humming along, exactly according to plan. It went out of order, to be sure, but by the 7th pick the top 7 were gone and the pool contained exactly the players Flip thought it would.
But that is when the draft went south for Flip Saunders and the Minnesota Timberwolves, when the Detroit Pistons grabbed the guy that everybody knew Flip coveted--6-5 shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of Georgia. Given what transpired later in the evening, you know that Flip called the Pistons on the phone and offered them a couple of draft picks for the rights to KCP. The Pistons presumably said no.
Now it was Flip's turn to go to Plan B. He picked a guy he didn't want, Trey Burke, but who he figured would have the best trade value, then found a trade partner (Utah) who had a pair of 1st round picks remaining (#14 and #21). So far, so good, I guess.
But the fact is he coulda picked the guy I had at #8, C.J. McCollum, 6-3, shooting guard, from Lehigh. Time will tell whether McCollum might have been a better fit. If he proves to be the 2nd coming of Stephon Curry, you'll know that Flip screwed the pooch. OK, C.J. is just 6-3 and Flip wanted some size. But Flip also wanted a shooting guard and McCollum is a shooting guard, whereas the Wolves' ultimate pick at #14 is not.
I mean, 2-for-1 looks good on paper, sure. But by the time the teams got down to #14 there wasn't a shooting guard in sight. Utah picked Shabazz Muhammad, 6-6, from UCLA, who is listed as a guard on the draft tallies but has really never played guard in his life. He's a small forward. Sergey Karasev, a 6-8 Russian picked at #19 by Cleveland, is listed as a guard, but he hasn't proven that he can play the 2. He's a small forward. And Tony Snell, 6-7 from New Mexico, is listed as a guard but has really been a small forward all his life.
If the idea was to find a shooting guard, #14 wasn't a very auspicious spot to do it, and that was easily foreseeable by the time the draft had wound its way to #9.
Shabazz Muhammad
OK, but now you've got the 14th pick and you gotta make lemonade. So, in Shabazz Muhammad the Wolves have ended up with a guy who is not (yet) a shooting guard and who has fallen from #1 in his class to #14 while Victor Oladipo went almost exactly in the opposite direction. Why? What happened? Well, he's a scorer, they say. And he better be, because he does not do anything else on the court. He does not pass the ball (less than 1 assist per game). He dogs it on defense--he had just 2.5 defensive rebounds per game, less than 1 steal and just 4 blocked shots all year. And, actually, he's not that great of a scorer, he needed a lot of shots to score 18 ppg in his 1st and only season at UCLA. He shot 44 percent from the field, and 38 percent on the 3. Over the last 3 games of the season, as UCLA's season unraveled (losing its final game to massively disappointing Minnesota), he shot 15-of-42 (36 percent) and 0-for-9 for 3 points. With 1.6 turnovers per game, his A/T ratio was 0.5.
And now it turns out that he (and his dad) had lied about his age for his entire life, just so he would look better in the basketball evaluations. 19, they said, but now we know he's 20. Which means there's less upside, less development, less improvement that's likely to occur.
If Flip hadn't rescued the guy, who knows how far he might have fallen.
And, again, he's not a guard, as far as we know. That's what they call him, but that's a wish, not a fact.
Gorgui Dieng
So with the 2nd pick at #21 Flip went big. And luckily there was some big talent on the board around #21, unlike scoring guards at #14. Immediately after Flip picked Dieng, the Nets took Mason Plumlee. Between the 2, I woulda preferred Plumlee.
Plumlee 6-10, 235, 23 years 17 ppg 10 rebounds 1.5 blocks
Dieng 6-11, 245, 23 years 10 ppg 9 rebounds 2.5 blocks
Another way to go, however, was this: Once you find yourself at #14 with no shooting guards available, and if you want a 2 and a big, just go ahead and go big at #14. Immediately after the Shabazz pick at #14, Milwaukee picked 6-9 Giannis Antetokuonmpo from Greece and Boston picked 7-footer Lucas Noguiera from Brazil. Of the 2, Noguiera is both the better prospect and the bigger of the 2 at 7-feet even. He's also bigger than either Plumlee or Dieng, and younger at 20 years, and he's got a massive 7-foot-5 wingspan.
Take Noguiera at #14 and at #21, well, you still don't have a real shooting guard available. So pick somebody you can trade, just like we did at #9!
Summary
So, personally, I think Flip blew it. I'm not a Shabazz fan and while I've got nothin' against Dieng, I like Plumlee better.
So the better play was 1) just take C.J. McCollum at #9 and be done with it.
Or 2) Go big at #14 with Noguiera and do some more trading at #21.
Or 3) take Karasev at #14 and Plumlee at #21.
As it is, I think it's fair to say that neither Shabazz nor Dieng is going to be much of a factor in 2014. We'll find out this weekend whether Nikola Pekovic is going to explore the free agent route or not, and just how much more rebuilding Flip is going to have to do. Trust me, there is more roster management to come. Has to be since the draft didn't plug any of the Wolves' obvious holes. But the Flip Saunders era hasn't started well. Maybe it's our fault (the media, the fans) for ever thinking that this draft would actually matter. But that still doesn't mean Flip didn't make the least of it.
For a lot of people, the NBA draft went south right outta the gate, when the Cleveland Cavaliers picked Tony Bennett with the 1st overall pick. Not that Tony Bennett. This one will be bringing his heart from Las Vegas to Cleveland, where Cavs fans hope he'll want to leave it after the 3 years of his rookie contract are done. We'll see how that goes.
But, there's hardly a draft observer who didn't say the Cavs would go big--meaning either Maryland's Alex Len, 7-1, or 7-footer Nerlens Noel of Kentucky. And almost nobody didn't say the Noel and Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore were the 2 top players in the pool in terms of long-term upside potential.
Well, there was 1 who said the Cavs would not go big, but I said they'd pick Georgetown forward Otto Porter, who ended up going to Washington at #3. But, no, the Cavs grabbed Bennett, and the next 6 teams in line suddenly were all going, "Holy sh*t! What's Plan B? I forget!" And based on what happened next, they weren't that hot on the 2 allegedly best players in the pool and were hoping like crazy that Cleveland and Orlando would get 'em off the table so they wouldn't end up getting stuck with 'em.
But Orlando at #2 went with Indiana guard Victor Oladipo, who went from about #100 to #2 since the start of the college season. Washington took Porter. And with Len and Noel still available, Charlotte had little choice but to go big. But they grabbed another Hoosier, Cody Zeller, who, unlike Len and Noel, has the mobility to play the big forward spot.
So, after 5 picks, the 2 best players in the pool (McLemore and Noel) and the 2 guys who figured to be #1 (Len and Noel) were all 3 still cooling their heels in the green room. But they fell no further and the reluctant recipients of the big 3 were Phoenix (Len at #5), New Orleams (Noel at #6) and Sacramento (McLemore at #7). But then, adding insult to injury, N'Awlins immediately moved Noel to Philadelphia for a dish of jelly beans.
Flip's Picks
But the fact is that all of this had absolutely nothing to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the Wolves and Flip Saunders the draft was humming along, exactly according to plan. It went out of order, to be sure, but by the 7th pick the top 7 were gone and the pool contained exactly the players Flip thought it would.
But that is when the draft went south for Flip Saunders and the Minnesota Timberwolves, when the Detroit Pistons grabbed the guy that everybody knew Flip coveted--6-5 shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of Georgia. Given what transpired later in the evening, you know that Flip called the Pistons on the phone and offered them a couple of draft picks for the rights to KCP. The Pistons presumably said no.
Now it was Flip's turn to go to Plan B. He picked a guy he didn't want, Trey Burke, but who he figured would have the best trade value, then found a trade partner (Utah) who had a pair of 1st round picks remaining (#14 and #21). So far, so good, I guess.
But the fact is he coulda picked the guy I had at #8, C.J. McCollum, 6-3, shooting guard, from Lehigh. Time will tell whether McCollum might have been a better fit. If he proves to be the 2nd coming of Stephon Curry, you'll know that Flip screwed the pooch. OK, C.J. is just 6-3 and Flip wanted some size. But Flip also wanted a shooting guard and McCollum is a shooting guard, whereas the Wolves' ultimate pick at #14 is not.
I mean, 2-for-1 looks good on paper, sure. But by the time the teams got down to #14 there wasn't a shooting guard in sight. Utah picked Shabazz Muhammad, 6-6, from UCLA, who is listed as a guard on the draft tallies but has really never played guard in his life. He's a small forward. Sergey Karasev, a 6-8 Russian picked at #19 by Cleveland, is listed as a guard, but he hasn't proven that he can play the 2. He's a small forward. And Tony Snell, 6-7 from New Mexico, is listed as a guard but has really been a small forward all his life.
If the idea was to find a shooting guard, #14 wasn't a very auspicious spot to do it, and that was easily foreseeable by the time the draft had wound its way to #9.
Shabazz Muhammad
OK, but now you've got the 14th pick and you gotta make lemonade. So, in Shabazz Muhammad the Wolves have ended up with a guy who is not (yet) a shooting guard and who has fallen from #1 in his class to #14 while Victor Oladipo went almost exactly in the opposite direction. Why? What happened? Well, he's a scorer, they say. And he better be, because he does not do anything else on the court. He does not pass the ball (less than 1 assist per game). He dogs it on defense--he had just 2.5 defensive rebounds per game, less than 1 steal and just 4 blocked shots all year. And, actually, he's not that great of a scorer, he needed a lot of shots to score 18 ppg in his 1st and only season at UCLA. He shot 44 percent from the field, and 38 percent on the 3. Over the last 3 games of the season, as UCLA's season unraveled (losing its final game to massively disappointing Minnesota), he shot 15-of-42 (36 percent) and 0-for-9 for 3 points. With 1.6 turnovers per game, his A/T ratio was 0.5.
And now it turns out that he (and his dad) had lied about his age for his entire life, just so he would look better in the basketball evaluations. 19, they said, but now we know he's 20. Which means there's less upside, less development, less improvement that's likely to occur.
If Flip hadn't rescued the guy, who knows how far he might have fallen.
And, again, he's not a guard, as far as we know. That's what they call him, but that's a wish, not a fact.
Gorgui Dieng
So with the 2nd pick at #21 Flip went big. And luckily there was some big talent on the board around #21, unlike scoring guards at #14. Immediately after Flip picked Dieng, the Nets took Mason Plumlee. Between the 2, I woulda preferred Plumlee.
Plumlee 6-10, 235, 23 years 17 ppg 10 rebounds 1.5 blocks
Dieng 6-11, 245, 23 years 10 ppg 9 rebounds 2.5 blocks
Another way to go, however, was this: Once you find yourself at #14 with no shooting guards available, and if you want a 2 and a big, just go ahead and go big at #14. Immediately after the Shabazz pick at #14, Milwaukee picked 6-9 Giannis Antetokuonmpo from Greece and Boston picked 7-footer Lucas Noguiera from Brazil. Of the 2, Noguiera is both the better prospect and the bigger of the 2 at 7-feet even. He's also bigger than either Plumlee or Dieng, and younger at 20 years, and he's got a massive 7-foot-5 wingspan.
Take Noguiera at #14 and at #21, well, you still don't have a real shooting guard available. So pick somebody you can trade, just like we did at #9!
Summary
So, personally, I think Flip blew it. I'm not a Shabazz fan and while I've got nothin' against Dieng, I like Plumlee better.
So the better play was 1) just take C.J. McCollum at #9 and be done with it.
Or 2) Go big at #14 with Noguiera and do some more trading at #21.
Or 3) take Karasev at #14 and Plumlee at #21.
As it is, I think it's fair to say that neither Shabazz nor Dieng is going to be much of a factor in 2014. We'll find out this weekend whether Nikola Pekovic is going to explore the free agent route or not, and just how much more rebuilding Flip is going to have to do. Trust me, there is more roster management to come. Has to be since the draft didn't plug any of the Wolves' obvious holes. But the Flip Saunders era hasn't started well. Maybe it's our fault (the media, the fans) for ever thinking that this draft would actually matter. But that still doesn't mean Flip didn't make the least of it.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Newly Edited re. Tory Jacob and Additional Offers
The MN Gophers have received a verbal commitment from Tory Jacob of Irvine, TX, McArthur, a 5-10 guard who scored 20 ppg with 8 rebounds while her team went 24-9 in 2012-2013.
She describes herself in the Dallas Morning News as a player who likes to pass the ball and attack the rim. She was said at 1 time to be looking at Southern Illinois, Memphis, Cincinnati, Michigan State, North Texas, Texas State, Mississippi or New Mexico.
The class of 2014 now includes Carlie Wagner and Grace Coughlin, Minnesota guards; Ohio posts Josie Buckingham and Terra Stapleton; and Texas guard Tory Jacobs. The incoming class this fall includes Joanna Hedstrom, also a MN guard; and forward/wing Stabresa McDaniel, also from TX.
The Gophers have reportedly (published report) offered Nia Hollie, a 2016 guard from Hopkins. There are unpublished reports that 2014s Cayla McMorris and Tonoia Wade have Gopher offers but have not yet made a decision.
There is also an unconfirmed report that Kenisha Bell has verballed Marquette.
She describes herself in the Dallas Morning News as a player who likes to pass the ball and attack the rim. She was said at 1 time to be looking at Southern Illinois, Memphis, Cincinnati, Michigan State, North Texas, Texas State, Mississippi or New Mexico.
The class of 2014 now includes Carlie Wagner and Grace Coughlin, Minnesota guards; Ohio posts Josie Buckingham and Terra Stapleton; and Texas guard Tory Jacobs. The incoming class this fall includes Joanna Hedstrom, also a MN guard; and forward/wing Stabresa McDaniel, also from TX.
The Gophers have reportedly (published report) offered Nia Hollie, a 2016 guard from Hopkins. There are unpublished reports that 2014s Cayla McMorris and Tonoia Wade have Gopher offers but have not yet made a decision.
There is also an unconfirmed report that Kenisha Bell has verballed Marquette.
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