February Awards

Player of the Month


Player of the Month candidates were all Player of the Day sometime during the month of February. There is no obvious, dominant choice like Ricky Rubio last month, not to say that Rubio has continued to play well for the Wolves. But the choice is Rubio's teammate and last year's Player of the Year....

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves. He has continued to lead the Wolves in getting better and better. I thought improvement would be winning 33 percent of the time. But, no, the Wolves are above .500 and beating quality teams on the road. Then there's his win in the 3-point shooting contest at the All-Star game, and 17 points in the All-Star game itself. Love is clearly 1 of the top 10 players in the NBA, and is back ahead of Rubio in the Player of the Year sweepstakes.

Team of the Month

It is tempting to pick the Timberwolves but, hey, they're a .500 team! Surely there's better out there. I'll take....

St. Thomas women. They completed the regular season + MIAC playoffs at 26-1, and they'll host 1st and 2nd round action in the NCAA D3 tournament this Friday and Saturday. They seem to have the potential of duplicating what the St. Thomas men did last year. So far they're more dominant. But the going gets a lot tougher from here on out.

Coach of the Month

Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. There are lots of good candidates including Ruth Sinn of our Team of the Month. And yet the work Adelman has done with the Wolves is nothing short of miraculous. Yes, they've got Rubio and Derrick Williams and J.J. Barea this year. But they've also still got Love and Michael Beasley and Luke Ridnour and others of the same pieces that Kurt Rambis pushed around the chess board so unsuccessfully the past 2 years. Yes, coaching matters in the NBA.

Game of the Month

Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58. So, somebody is not unbeatable after all. In fairness, of course, the Royals have had injuries. Nia and Sydney Coffey have missed games, and Nia's back in fact continues to be a problem. And Mikaala Shackleford is out for the duration, I think. And with Wayzata peaking at just the right time--the Hopkins upset was followed by a rout of #3 Edina--section 6AAAA suddenly seems competitive.

February All-Stars

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves
James Ellisor, Bemidji State men
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian boys

Second Team

Siyani Chambers, Hopkins boys

Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata girls
Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle girls
Tia Elbert, Tartan girls
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls

Third Team

Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women

Isaiah Zierden, Benilde boys

Aimee Pelzer, Upsala girls
Taylor Hall, Bethel men
Will DeBerg, St. Thoman men

Fourth Team

Bobby Fong, St. Olaf men

Katybeth Biewen, Edina girls

Madison Guebert, Eastview girls

Michael Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves

Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves

Coach of the Month Runners-Up

1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
3. Matt Bowen, Bemidji State men
4. Dave Montbriand, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys
5. Jeff Westlund, Bethel men

6. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
7 (tie). Dave Thorson, DeLaSalle boys
     Faith Johnson Patterson, DeLaSalle girls
9. Mike Leaf, Winona State
10. Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men

Team of the Month

1. St. Thomas women
2. Bemidji State men
3. St. Thomas men

4. Wayzata girls
5. Minnesota Timberwolves

6. Moorhead State men

7. Eastview boys

8. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys

9. Gustavus men
10. Benilde-St. Margaret's boys

Game of the Month

1. Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58
2. Moorhead State men 90 Winona State 72
3. Benilde boys 60 DeLaSalle 59
4. Minnesota Timberwolves 92 Philadelphia 76ers 91

5. Bethel men 68 Gustavus men 52

6 (tie). Winona State men 84 St. Cloud State 74 (regular season) and Winona State 63 St. Cloud State 54 (NSIC playoffs)

8 (tie). St. Thomas men 75 Augsburg 72 (regular season) and St. Thomas 66 Gustavus 62 (OT) (MIAC final)

10 (tie). Some more great high school games:
Benilde-St. Margaret's boys 67 Spring Lake Park 65
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys 73 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 66 (OT)

Upsala girls 82 Parkers Prairie 78 (OT)