Summer is unofficially here and that means Gopher football is just around the corner. The Vikings are having some OTAs, the Gophers will be hosting some camps very soon and before you know it August will be here with fall camp leading up to the Labor Day trip to Vegas (for the Gophers, not me, unless loyal readers chip in to send me to the game!).

• Rashad Vaughn, playing for Net Gain Sports had a great tournament in Dallas leading Net Gain to the championship. This from Rivals.com correspondent Eric Bossi, "(Vaughn) really put himself on the map with his performance over the weekend and he cemented his place among the top wing prospects in his class with a masterful performance of his own during Aaron Harrison's eruption. While Harrison was going off for the Houston Defenders, Vaughn pumped in 27 of his own during Net Gain's one-point semifinal win."
• I enjoyed this article from Chip Scoggins on the retirement of Gopher soccer coach, Mikki Denney Wright. Denney Wright left her dream job, the one she had been working towards for years, to be home with her children.
• GopherSports.com looks at all of the former Gophers playing in the NHL and how they fared this past season.
• HockeysFuture.com looks at the top 10 drafted NCAA Forwards and there are three Gophers in the top six! Nick Bjugstad needs to come back to lead the Gophers to an NCAA title next year!
• GopherSports.com is featuring "Timeline Tuesday" where they will remember a significant moment in Gopher sports history. Yesterday they remembered the Willie Burton led Gophers who upset Syracuse and advanced to the Elite Eight in 1990.

Phil Steele is widely known amongst college football fans for his preseason analysis. This week Steele released his all-conference teams and his Big Ten teams do not paint an pretty picture for state of the Gopher football program. Steele doesn't do the usual 1st and 2nd team, he actually does deeper with FOUR levels of All-Big Ten caliber players. All together he names 100 individual players (I'm excluding special teams) out of the 264 Big Ten starters (22 starters x 12 teams). That equates to 38% of the Big Ten being named to one of Steele's top four teams.

Your Minnesota Gophers managed one player to make that cut. One player in the top 38% of the Big Ten! Troy Stoudermire, who basically didn't play last year, was honored as a 4th team corner back. Even Indiana, who might be worse than we are, had four players make the cut as the team with the next fewest players.

So with this information and this man's prediction it got me thinking about a couple points. The first is that this roster is still lacking in talent. We may feel as though this year is going to be better and we could take a couple steps forward, but we still have LONG way to go. Secondly I wonder who is on the short list of players who by the end of the season might earn a spot on the top four Big Ten lines.

The lack of overall talent and depth of talent is concerning but it should also be noted that we had a lot of youth playing last year and we have a handful of JUCO players who will be starting this year. The offensive line was kind of a mess and in flux much of last year. The receivers are young and the defensive line was terribly young (particularly at end). All of that to say that there isn't a whole lot of proven success to go on when looking ahead to next season. But I do believe we have a number of kids who can make a nice jump this season to earn a little more respect amongst their Big Ten piers.

QB - MarQueis Gray - our primary offensive weapon and freak of nature certainly could catapult himself into the conversation of the top four quarterbacks in the conference. Steele lists Denard Robinson, Braxton Miller, Taylor Martinez and Nathan Scheelhaase as his top four. Outside of Robinson I believe Gray could outperform any of those other guys. Staying healthy and improving his completion % while leading a more potent offense could make his name more widely known in Big Ten circles. Likelihood of jumping into the top four? Better than most on the roster but it is such a high profile position and he's playing for a team that will likely finish with just a couple Big Ten wins so it may be tough.

OL - Ed Olson and Tommy Olson could make make headway in 2012 and establish themselves as two of better linemen in the conference. Ed had a promising freshman season that didn't translate into a standout sophomore campaign. He absolutely is talented but needs to take some steps forward in production and leadership along the line as a junior. Tommy has some nastiness to him and started a few games as a true freshman. Also very talented with great size, in his sophomore year he could start to make a name for himself. The Olson brothers could anchor the left side of the line for the Gopher offense and establish themselves among the Big Ten's best. Likelihood? I think there is a good chance that one of them earns some post-season honors, I'd put money on Tommie over Ed but not by much. Jimmy Gjere if healthy could also make a name for himself as could Josh Campion. This entire group has some upside, I really am expecting an additional year under this coaching staff will make this unit much better.

DT - Ra'Shede Hageman will be given the opportunity this year to play a lot and showcase some talent. He was cursed early in his career by the Brewster hype machine but that is a couple years in the rear-view mirror. The fact still remains that Hageman is very athletic and talented. He was playing much better near the end of the season and is poised for a big junior year. I do not expect Hageman will be in the conversation for first or second team but if we are listing out four all-conference teams at the end of the year I think he could very well fit. Likelihood? Not all that strong but there is a chance.

OLB - Keanon Cooper might be my top choice if I had to pick one guy to have a break-out season. As a junior he put up nice numbers and I'm expecting great numbers in 2013. Will it be enough to crack the list of Steele's top 16 linebackers? I think he very well could. I expect nearly all of his stats to increase, particularly sacks and possibly interceptions. I love his athleticism and size and I think he'll greatly benefit from not changing coordinators (again). A second year in a system will see him in the right place at the right times and he will make big plays. Likelihood? I'm high on him, but that really doesn't mean much of anything.

S - Brock Vereen had a pretty good second half to his sophomore season. He has since been moved to safety, which was a position of dramatic need, and I he could have a very nice year. He is a huge question mark and adding him to this list might be a stretch, but he is talented and if other pieces of the defense fall into place then he could be in position to make a number of plays from safety. His success will be dependent on getting some pass rush and on the corners being able to provide some decent coverage but if he is allowed to help over the top, he can really shine in that role. Likelihood is admittedly slim.

The rest? Outside of Gray, this list is incredibly subjective. My list of five or six guys could be 100% different from yours. I think the pool of Big Ten running backs is just too deep for any of our backs to crack this list. I like our young receivers but they are young and very unproven. Our defensive ends got better throughout 2011 but I don't see any of them as game-changing type players. I like some of our JUCO guys but I have nothing to base a prediction on one of them being one of the best at their position in the Big Ten. I could buy an argument for DCT, anyone on the OL (particularly Gjere) and Mike Rallis who probably belongs on the list but I left him off.

You tell me who I missed or who you think could make the jump this year.

Williams and Mariucci Arenas will have new scoreboards and sound systems for next season. This is going to be a huge upgrade as the previous Williams Arena scoreboard was 20 years old.

This should be a nice enhancement to the experience. The increased replay capabilities (in HD) and updated sound systems should be outstanding.

As you probably know by now the Big Ten football schedules for 2015 and 2016 have been announced. From the Leaders Division we will now face Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue (missing Penn State, Illinois and Indiana).

The Big Ten schedule is always going to be challenging.

• There is NO WAY that Sid is managing his own Twitter account. Unfathomable.
• Deadspin took a look at the readability and reading level of a number of sports writers from around the country. Interesting read. If you are scoring at home, my last couple posts have a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 9.8 and 11.5, both well above the sports page average. Jeffrick scores an 11.4 and 8.6 on his last couple posts. JDMill gives a great effort and we really appreciate his contributions :). I used "unfathomable" twice now in this post, solely for the explicit purpose of boosting my readability score (syllables count). If this were an Iowa blog I would clearly need to lower the readability level for the sake of my audience.
  
• Big Ten Powerhouse looks at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and gives the Big Ten a decisive win.
• Interesting human interest story about a chunk of the USC football team taking a mission trip to Haiti.
• Gopher athletes also excel at giving back to the community. It is all part of being a Gopher.
• ESPN1500 takes a very high level view of the Gopher football roster post-spring, pre-fall.

The 2014 and 2015 classes of kids from the state of Minnesota (or near) is looking like they are extremely talented classes. This 2014 class should rival, if not exceed, the talented 2009 class of Rodney Williams, Royce White, Trent Lockett, Mike Bruesewitz, Mike Broghammer, Sam Dower and others. And the 2015 class will two or three (or four) kids who are all going to be in the conversation for 4-stars and top 100 consideration.

This crop of soon to be sophomores and juniors and their decisions about where to play their college basketball is going to have a dramatic and lasting effect on Gopher basketball. I'm certain you will hear more about them in the next couple months as they begin to show their athleticism and skills in AAU tournaments around the country. There are several names that you need to keep a close eye on and all of them are basically in our backyard. There are very likely going to be offers made to kids from all over the country in these two classes but there is significant talent here and they are worth talking about because as mentioned, I believe that they can have a lasting impact on the program.

The Class of 2014

This current group of sophomores collectively has already received scholarship offers from Duke, Kansas, Ohio State, Baylor, Wisconsin, Iowa, Arizona, Marquette Minnesota and many others. A number of big-time coaches have already made their presence felt within our borders and you can expect that we will continue to see them in gyms around the metro in the coming years.

As things currently stand we only have 2 scholarships available for this class. Available scholarships, particularly ones that are a couple years out, are very fluid. Transfers are always a possibility which would free up an additional scholly. And the staff could hold on to one of their 2013 scholarships (we have four available) and carry that one over to 2014. This would not only balance out our allotment but also to put the needed scholarships towards a year of outstanding talent. My guess is that we will probably have 3, maybe 4, to use in 2014.

So who is available? I'm glad you asked. (after the jump)

Continue reading this post »

Gopher hoops is scheduled to play Florida State in next year's Big Ten / ACC Challenge. The game will be at Tallahassee and it is the second time the Gophers have made the trip to FSU in Tubby Smith's tenure as head coach.

Last season the Seminoles were a 25 win team, 12-4 in the ACC finishing just behind Duke and North Carolina, they were ACC Tournament Champs and earned a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota was not nearly that good and finished runner-up in the NIT. But 2012-13 will be different seasons for both squads.

The good news for Seminole fans is that they return their top scorer, the bad news is they are also graduating six seniors who contributed and accounted for 55.7% of their total points. It is much too early to be previewing the match-up as there are so many unanswered questions for both teams. Like how will Trevor Mbakwe fit back in with the Gopher squad we saw run through the NIT Tournament? How will Michael Snaer fare without the core of last year's seniors and his entire frontcourt. Florida State is bringing in a five-man recruiting class that included two 4-star kids and a couple of international players. How long will it take for these guys to contribute?

Both of these squads are in or very near most of the way too early top 25s for next year. This really should be an excellent match-up. For the Gophers if they can win this game I believe it will be a huge boost to their RPI. The guys at Tomahawk Nation are lamenting the opposite that this might kind of be a lose-lose for the Seminoles.

I have high expectations for next year's club and this should be a good test that hopefully translates into an RPI building win. Beat Florida State early while they are figuring things out then we root for the Seminoles to do well in the ACC. This will all come shortly after we take care of Duke in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in November!

A preliminary agreement has been reached between the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings for the use of TCF Bank Stadium while the new Wilf Stadium is being finished.

While some of the details have been hammered out, in other areas this agreement is just laying the framework for the rest to be ironed out at a later date. From the perspective of the University this agreement is significant for a couple of reasons. Facility upgrades and revenue.

One facility upgrade has been set and agreed upon. The Vikings will be paying for the installation of specialized heating coils under the playing surface. The installation of building permanent, additional seating is yet to be determined but in the meantime the Vikings will be paying for "temporary bleacher-style" seating in the western end zone plaza. The language in the press release leaves permanent seating as an open option stating, "Any new seating is subject to approval by the university’s building code division."

MNDailyGuy asked in a fan post about whether or not permanent, additional seating would be a good thing or not. Having someone else pay for the additional seating would be great! But right now I think that additional seating means thousands additional empty seats. If the Vikings want/need permanent seating and want to pay for it I don't think we tell them no. But I also am not losing any sleep over not getting a guarantee of additional, permanent seats.

In addition to the stated upgrades the University is going to get a very nice chunk of change for leasing their facility to the Vikings. The agreement states that the Vikings will pay the University $250,000 per game plus a share of concessions which is estimated to to be an additional $50,000. After 10 guaranteed home games that equates to $3,000,000 of additional revenue being put back into the Athletic Department budget.

Personally I think they should have requested more. With the Vikings average ticket price being just above $75 (2010 data). And the stadium capacity at TCF being just over 50,000. That equates to $3,750,000 just in ticket sales revenue. That is with ticket price data being a year old and not factoring in the additional seats at TCF. Plus when you add in the concession sales and suite revenue the Vikings are likely going to be bringing in north of $5,000,000 per game. The University will end up with approximately 6% of that revenue (in my back of the envelope calculations). And this is also using 2012 numbers, in 2015 you can be sure that ticket prices will be higher. Even just asking for $300,000 per game plus concessions would bring an additional $500,000 to the U.

But maybe that is just be being greedy. Getting a $3,000,000 bonus and not paying a dime in additional expenses is huge for the athletic department. The framework of the agreement has also been left open in regards to the duration of the lease. I think it is certain that the Viking's 2015 season will be played entirely at TCF but there is availability for the Vikings to play all or part of any season beginning in 2013. If we get lucky enough that construction requires the Vikings to be homeless before 2015, that is just additional money in the athletic department coffers.

My guess is that if the Vikings only play for 1 season at the Bank, then temporary seating will be the answer. But if they are required to play additional games or seasons on the U's campus then permanent seating will be discussed. We'll name it the Ziggy Wilf Family section.

full text of the University's press release after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

Finishing what I started here is a brief look at the Legends division.

LEGENDS DIVISION

Iowa Hawkeyes

2011 Recap: 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten paints a picture of being a middle of the road team, and they were. Considering six players from the 2011 Hawkeyes were drafted one might have expected more but consistency was an issue for Iowa particularly on the road. 6-1 at home is very nice but then you can't go 1-5 on the road if you want to play in a better bowl game.

Offense: Last year's worst rushing team in the Big Ten will struggle to dramatically improve that. Running backs have been dropping like flies in Iowa City and they lose 3/5 of their starting offensive line. But you may be surprised to learn that Iowa had the third best passing game in the Big Ten last year. Led by James Vandenberg's 3,000+ yards and 25 touchdowns, Iowa was quite successful through the air. Gone is leading receiver Marvin McNutt but Vandenberg is the most accomplished returning QB in the conference and he will be leading this offense along with a new offensive coordinator.

Defense: Defensively Iowa is replacing seven starters! Defensive line was the hardest hit with three departures to go along with two DBs and their starting MLB. The back seven should still have some talent and depth but

2012 vs. the Gophers: Well, the real question is can the Gophers retain Floyd for the third consecutive season? This year we have to travel to Iowa City where we haven't won since 1999! This will be the first game of the conference schedule and I think the Gophers should have some confidence that they can beat Iowa as they've done it two years in a row. This game might be a real springboard for the Gophers if they can pull out this one on the road.

Outlook: The Hawkeyes need to find a running back and they need to hope they have the horses along the defensive line. Outside of those major questions they need to learn to win on the road again where they are 3-7 over the last two years. They are in a division where pretty much everyone else looks to be better than they were in 2011 while Iowa finds itself in an unusual scenario of replacing both coordinators while at the same time replacing more than half of last year's starters. Kirk Ferentz has a history of producing good teams and I think he is a very good coach, but this will be an interesting year in Iowa City.

Michigan Wolverines

2011 Recap: Brady Hoke was able to finally take the talent that was at Michigan and turn it into wins. 10-2 on the regular season that was highlighted by a win over Ohio State (finally) and capped off by a trip to the BCS Sugar Bowl where they beat Virginia Tech. 2011 had to have surpassed most Wolverine fan's expectations. For the first half of the year Denard Robinson was at or near the top of every Heisman prediction and to go along with his impressive production the Wolverines finally had a defense that stopped (or at least slowed down) opponents. The #2 scoring offense and the #2 scoring defense lead to the 11-2 record.

Offense: Seven starters return including Denard Robinson, Taylor Lewan, Fitz Toussaint and several receivers. This unit was dangerous last year and should be every bit as dangerous this year. Robinson will likely be an early candidate for Big Ten POY and on shorts lists for Heisman consideration.

Defense: This unit loses only four starters with three of those losses coming on the defensive line. This side of the ball was a bit fortuitous last year recovering 20 fumbles (20!!) and finishing second in the conference in turnovers gained. But they don't need to be amazingly stout, they just need to slow down opponents while their offense does the scoring. This unit was better than expected last year and returns most of the unit so I can't imagine they'll be any worse.

2012 vs. the Gophers: This was the most embarrassing loss of the year for Minnesota. Well after the New Mexico State loss. And I guess after the North Dakota State loss. So most embarrassing Big Ten loss of the year. We never got off the plane in Ann Arbor and we got rolled 58-0. I'm not expecting a 59 point turnaround this year, but hopefully we can make it competitive. What I'm really looking for is a game where MarQueis Gray gets to showcase his unique talents facing off against a QB like Denard Robinson.

Outlook: Michigan probably lays claim to the most dangerous offense in the league and they should be in the race for the Legends division crown. Much depends on the health of Robinson and the consistency of the defense.

Michigan State Spartans

2011 Recap: The defending Legends division champs, Big Ten title runner-ups and winner over Georgia (take that SEC) in the Outback Bowl. Michigan State had an impressive year with the #1 defense in yards allowed to go with an efficient offense that scored 31 ppg.

Offense: Gone is Kirk Cousins (WB), BJ Cunningham (WR), Joel Foreman (OG), Brian Linthicum (TE) and Edwin Baker (RB). But they return 4/5 of their offensive line and Le'Veon Bell at running back. The running game should be strong. Andrew Maxwell is a junior who will be taking over for Kirk Cousins who started for Michigan State the past 9 seasons. Maxwell is a former four-star recruit who was brought in for exactly this moment. Unfortunately he hurt his knee and was unable to play in the spring game so his progress is still unknown. On the other end of his passes the Spartans need to find a few new receivers as well.

Defense: This is where the Spartans figure to dominate. Gone are only two starters from what was a top 10 defense nationally. Granted Jerel Worthy will not be easily replaced and Trent Robinson was drafted as well. But returning 9 starters is impressive. Five of those nine were either first or second team All-Big Ten at the end of last year. FIVE, with a few others receiving votes! This unit will be dominant.

2012 vs. the Gophers: Surprisingly the Gophers had opportunities to beat Michigan State last year and this is when our season started to turn around. In fact we have played well against MSU even in recent seasons. We get to host MSU but I think they are the class of the Big Ten and easily has the best defense in the league.

Outlook: I think MSU is the cream of the Big Ten this year. They have a couple of tough road games having to travel to Michigan and to Minnesota. The defacto Big Ten title game might be that October 20th battle at Michigan. Their biggest question mark is obviously at quarterback, if that gets answered this could be a special year for the Spartans.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

2011 Recap: It was a rough start to the Jerry Kill era. It is never easy to start your career with a trip to USC. But that was followed by a loss to New Mexico State and soon after a loss to North Dakota State. But the team we saw in weeks 8-12 was very different than the one we saw in 1-7. Eventually the Gophers came away with a couple of conference wins over Iowa (again!) and Illinois to build momentum for 2012.

Offense: The offense begins and ends with MarQueis Gray. The senior had a nice year as his first as the starter. He too improved throughout the season and gives Gopher fans hope for 2012. I have blogged at least a couple times about Kill's rebuilding process at his other stops and we can reasonably expect. Typically, offensively Kill's offenses improve their rushing yards and points and 3rd down conversions in year two. The passing game is relatively the same, at least at his previous two rebuilding stops. We certainly need to be a better rushing team, but who carries the load is yet to be determined. Gray should be a more accurate passer and he will be responsible for a huge chunk of our yardage but he will need help and that is big question mark for our offense.

Defense: Funny how I "feel" like we are returning basically everyone on the defense when technically we are losing five starters, including our starting tackles and starting safeties. Fortunately I feel pretty confident in our bevy of ends, our outside linebackers and our corners. I think this defense will be better than it was a year ago. A couple of well-placed JUCO defensive backs, Ra'Shede Hageman at tackle and the return of Troy Stoudermire should at the very least keep the talent level at or better than what it was in 2011. I'm looking for some improvement from our young ends and there needs to be more turnovers generated.

2012 vs. the Gophers: N/A

Outlook: I think Gopher fans are looking forward to a better team on the field. Gray is an exciting player who seems to be mature and ready to really lead the team this year. The defense returns a number of key players and should be more reliable. The question really becomes how much better will this team be and how many wins will that translate to? Given that their non-conference schedule is easier, they stand a chance at getting to bowl eligibility. They really just need to win 2 of their "more winable" games. Five to seven wins is a fair guess which would be an improvement and possibly result in a bowl game.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

2011 Recap: Nebraska faced a crazy difficult Big Ten schedule for their inaugural season. They missed Indiana, Illinois and Purdue in favor of Ohio State, Penn State and WIsconsin. The end result was a nice win over Michigan State but lopsided losses at Michigan and Wisconsin left with a third place finish in the division. Statistically they ran the ball very well but did a poor job stopping the run.

Offense: Rex Burkhead is one hell of a tough running back and he is one of the best in the Big Ten, he is the focal point of this offense. With that said the guy who might be able take this offense from good to great is Taylor Martinez, if he improves. He spent the spring working on footwork and mechanics, if he can develop into a more reliable passer this offense could be fairly explosive. The receivers are returning but they need to find new offensive tackles and a center.

Defense: On this side of the ball the Cornhuskers lose only a few guys but they lose some really talented players. Lavonte David and Alfonzo Dennard were both drafted and were both 1st team All-Big Ten. Jared Crick is equally as talented as those two but the Skurs didn't have him for much of the year anyway. This unit should still be stout against the run but whether or not they'll be able to stop the pass this year is yet to be determined. A good defense, probably not a great one.

2012 vs. the Gophers: This game in 2011 was the most embarrassing home loss for Minnesota. After physically pummeling us in the first half Nebraska was using us as a live scrimmage in the second. They were trying different plays and sets trying to simulate a live game. This year they are still more talented and likely more physical but I'd really like to see the Gophers put up a fight this time around. We do catch them a week before they face their heated rival, Iowa as they fight for the Heroes Game Trophy, maybe they'll be looking past us.

Outlook: Like every team in the Big Ten Nebraska is good, could be very good but they have some questions to answer. Good defense, great running game and if their quarterback proves to be capable of beating defenses with his arm they should take a big step forward.

Northwestern Wildcats

2011 Recap:After a rough start to the Big Ten season (0-4), NU got on a winning streak with four straight win (one being non-conference) before dropping their season finale to Michigan State. This was a team that could move the ball down the field behind the spread attack lead by Dan Persa, but they struggled to slow down opponents giving up over 400 yards of offense per game. The #1 passing offense in the league and the #12 passing defense. All of this was good enough for a bowl game.

Offense: As mentioned this unit could move the ball against anyone to the tune of 420 yards and 29 points per game. Unfortunately six seniors from this offense graduate including Dan Persa and first team All-Big Ten H-Back, Drake Dunsmore. Kain Colter is the likely replacement for Persa. He was the starting QB for three games last season, led the team in rushing and had 43 receptions. He will be the offensive focal point as Northwestern replaces a number of skill position players.

Defense: This unit returns seven starters and at least in the spring was ahead of the offense. The secondary gave up a ton of yards last season and lost three starters in the backfield, so that has to be the area of greatest concern for the defense. Redshirt freshman Deonte Gibson stood out in the spring game against the first team offense.

2012 vs. the Gophers: These games are typically close and usually result in a Northwestern win. This year it is at home and this is one of those games we need to win if bowl eligibility is to become a reality.

Outlook: Northwestern replaces a lot on both sides of the ball. I expect their offense to remain potent, though not likely to replicate the 420 yards per game they saw in 2011. I expect their defense to be in the bottom half of the conference with pass defense being the primary issue once again. Getting to a bowl and winning their first one might be too much to ask this year.

I'm going to lead with something not Gopher related. The Vikings stadium has cleared a second major hurdle and is getting dangerously close to becoming a reality. There are a number of differences between the House version and the Senate's but it doesn't appear to be insurmountable differences and they will all get worked out in conference committee today.

You should absolutely be regularly checking the Daily Norseman as they have been doing an outstanding job covering the whole thing.

I'm sure that many of us are also Vikings fans, at least those who are from here. A few years from now we are going to have some of the absolute best arenas in the country housing all of the local teams (with the Timberwolves being the lone exception). I have been to nearly 20 different MLB stadiums and Target Field is second to none of them. TCF Bank Stadium stands out amongst a crowd of NCAA stadiums that tend to be greater in tradition but also older. Excel Energy Center has remarkably been around for nearly 12 years and is still an elite NHL arena.

Now if only we could field some competitive teams to fill the seats in our facilities.

• Anthony Jacobs performed well enough at the rookie camp to earn himself a Vikings rookie contract and an invite to training camp. Da'Jon McKnight and Brandon Kirksey could still see a rookie contract offer but for now Jacobs is the only former Gopher to sign his name to an NFL contract.
• This story out of Ohio State is incredible and a must read.
• CBSSports.com has a profile on Tyus Jones and states that Minnesota really is still a viable landing spot for the Apple Valley point guard. I'm not holding my breath but a successful season this year would go a long way towards keeping him interested.
• GopherSports.com has a cool story on a junior long-jumper from Jamaica. Todea-Kay Willis committed to the Gophers without ever stepping foot in Minnesota and had to adjust to more than just a higher caliber of competition.
  

I'll be honest with you all, I've had nothing for a few weeks now. The blog has obviously been sparsely updated but I'm struggling to come up with anything to write about. I was unable to get over to any of the spring practices this year so it was hard to get excited about that. There is NOTHING going on in the recruiting world for Gopher fans. Football feels like it is months away (because it is) and basketball & hockey have promising seasons ahead but they are even further away. So this is me forcing myself to do something (anything). Often times it takes a post like this to get me back into the swing of things. Forcing myself to do some research, get prepared for next season and learn a bit sometimes gets the creative juices flowing (don't expect anything anymore creative than you've seen before, a zebra can't change its stripes!).

So...with that said I'd like to take a brief look at the other 11 teams in the Big Ten as we inch closer to the 2012 college football season.

LEADERS DIVISION

Illinois Fighting Illini

2011 Recap: This was one of the teams the Gophers actually beat last year! The Illini started the season 6-0 and it appeared as though Ron Zook's job was safe. Then came the six-game losing streak, the 2-6 Big Ten record and the Zooker was shown the door before Illinois' bowl game. This team racked up the "impressive" 6-0 record to start the season but then the wheels fell off.

Offense: Returns 6 starters, most notably Nathan Scheelhaase who is entering this third year as the program's starting QB. Steelchase may get some push from sophomore Reily O'Toole as the two of them starting splitting some time near the end of last season. But last season the junior to be completed 63% of his passes last year for over 2,000 yards and over 600 yards rushing. Neither was very good in the spring game but part of that was due to the offensive line being overwhelmed by the strong front seven of defense. The big loss on the offense will be wide receiver A.J. Jenkins who racked up 90 catches for over 1,200 yards as senior last year, which led to being a 1st round draft pick. The new coaching staff has been moving players around to get some WR depth.

Defense: On this side of the ball, Illinois looks to have a strong front seven headlined by defensive end Micheal Buchanon and linebacker Jonathan Brown.

2012 vs. the Gophers: We travel to Champaign in November. With the new coaching staff I think I'd much rather play Illinois earlier in the year. This is one team that we have had some success against over the last several years. We have won two in a row, three of the last four and even have a three-game win streak in Champaign. Their defense is solid, their offense might struggle to move the ball (especially early in the season). We are not in any position to be looking past any teams. We are not in any position to be overconfident against any Big Ten team. But this is a winable road game and if we are to get to six or seven wins this year, this might have to be one of them.

Outlook: Illinois is in transition with a new coaching staff but the good new for them is that they have a pretty solid defense returning seven starters. They are not going to contend for the Leaders title and they will be closer to their two conference wins last year than they will be to being above .500 in the league. Typically a new staff, implementing a new system takes some time to adjust but there is some talent to work with. They will be an interesting team and an intriguing match-up for the Gophers.

Indiana Hoosiers

2011 Recap: Hard to imagine but there is a worse football program in the Big Ten and it is the Indiana Hoosiers. 1-11 last year and 0-8 in the Big Ten was not what the new coaching staff was hoping for. But Kevin Wilson has hope for thinking 2012 will be better as the Hoosiers return 17 starters, the most in the Big Ten. Last year the offense struggled early but eventually a couple of true freshman emerged to offer a glimmer of hope. Overall the Hoosiers played 32 (16 true and 16 redshirt) throughout the season so there is reason for optimism that if these kids mature the Hoosiers could once again be relevant.

Offense: Tre Roberson and Stephen Houston are those two freshman. Roberson took over as quarterback mid-way through the season and showcased some game breaking speed while showing he may also be capable of passing the ball too. Running back, Houston really began getting more carries at the start of the Big Ten season and finished with three 100-yard games including 135 against Wisconsin. Houston will certainly be the team's feature back but the team needs to take strides in the passing game. Roberson is a threat with his legs but as a freshman in five starts he did throw just three touchdowns to six interceptions. Tight end Ted Bolser reportedly had a good spring and capped it off with six catches in the spring game. He looks like the security blanket in passing game for Roberson.

Defense: This unit was quite dreadful last year, imagine the Gopher defense then add 50 yards and six more points per game. They return nine starters but also have brought in five JUCOs to infuse some talent and competition. Incoming linebackers David Cooper and Jacarri Alexander are going to be counted on to pay immediate dividends.

2012 vs. the Gophers: Unfortunately we do not play the Hoosiers (I'm sure they are saying the same thing about us)

Outlook: This team may be much improved but they have a long ways to go. They were last in rushing yards allowed by over 50 yards per game. They were last in points allowed by nearly six points per game. In five of their Big Ten games they allowed 45 points or more. Their offense wasn't nearly as bad but they will need to see more consistency in 2012. I expect that they will be better but that will take from losing by an average of 24 points per game to a much smaller margin of losing. I would also expect that they will win a couple more non-conference games and possibly steal a Big Ten win.

Ohio State Buckeyes

2011 Recap: A 6-7 season is unheard of in Columbus. In the wake of the Jim Tressel scandal, with suspensions and a freshman quarterback the Buckeyes struggled and ended with a four-game losing streak and an overall losing season. Did anyone feel sorry for Buckeys fans? I don't think so. Defensively this team was OK finishing in the middle of the Big Ten in points and yards allowed. Rushing the ball was OK as the Buckeyes finished fourth in the league with just over 190 yards per game on the ground. But the passing game was awful. 13 touchdown passes to only 4 interceptions for the true freshman Braxton Miller isn't all that bad. But as a team Ohio State threw for 127 yards per game which was good enough for dead last in the Big Ten, just ahead of 11th place Minnesota. Enter Urban Meyer to help OSU forget about what was a forgettable 2011 season.

Offense: Looking for an area where you can expect Ohio State to improve? It will clearly be in the passing game. And if the spring game was any indication they will be much improved through the air. Miller threw for 258 yards on 24-31 passing and Michael Thomas may have emerged as a dangerous receiver after catching 12 balls for 131 yards. Nobody on last year's roster caught more than 14 balls on the season! Thomas is a four-star prep school recruit who is enrolled early and may become a boost to the passing game. Along with improving their passing game, Ohio State will need to replace both starting tackles and their starting center.

Defense: This unit was solid by say Gopher standards, sub-par by Buckeye standards. Luke Fickel will move from the interim head man to the co-defensive coordinator along with former Gopher defensive coordinator Everett Withers. Expect this unit to be much improved this year

2012 vs. the Gophers: We do not play the buckeyes, this is a good thing. I want to be in a place to be competitive with OSU but we are not there. And our schedule is tough enough with @Iowa, @Wis, Mich, @Neb and MSU.

Outlook: They'll be much better but they are still unable to participate in the Big Ten Title game.

Penn State Nittany Lions

2011 Recap: It was a pretty uneventful 2011 for Penn State wasn't it? OK so this was the season from hell for PSU fans. Possibly the one coach who was thought to truly be untouchable was brought down amidst the scandal and not too long after that Joe Paterno passed away. This was a season and an offseason that will never be forgotten. On the field Penn State was one of the lowest scoring offenses and also one of the lowest scoring defenses in the Big Ten. Now with a new coaching staff they will also have a number of new starters as they only return 5 on each side of the ball. This should be an interesting year for Penn State.

Offense: Returning their skill position players but losing 4/5 of their offensive line and starting tight end. This was the only offense to score fewer points per game than the Gophers. For the season the Nittany Lion quarterbacks threw 12 interceptions to 10 touchdowns. This position along with replacing the offensive line are two significant question marks heading into 2012. Silas Redd is certainly not a question mark for the Nittany Lion offense. The soon to be junior rushed for 1,200+ yards in 2011 and established himself as one of the better running backs in the Big Ten.

Defense: Another former Gopher defensive coordinator is leading an opposing defense. Ted Roof will nee to replace his entire secondary which graduated and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Devon Still. There are some very talented linebackers returning but there is some work to do around them.

2012 vs. the Gophers: We do not play the Nittany Lions. I think this would be the year to play them. We certainly would not be favored but assuming some modest improvement from the Gophers I think this game could be competitive. Especially if Penn State continues to struggle at quarterback.

Outlook: Replacing your secondary, replacing your offensive line, replacing your coaching staff and not having anyone emerge from a three-way battle at quarterback are all troubling for Penn State. Those are a lot of question marks to answer before September. They seem to have a favorable schedule and of course there is plenty of talent to reload at Penn State, but this will be an average year in Happy Valley.

Purdue Boilermakers

2011 Recap: It was really an up and down season for the Boilermakers. After losing to Rice the destroyed SE Missouri St. After losing to Notre Dame by 28 they dominated the Gophers. After getting dismantled by Wisconsin they rebounded with a win over Ohio State. But this was a younger team that is returning 15 starters. Overall this team was around the middle of the pack or slightly lower in all offensive and defensive categories. Eventually they finished .500 in the Big Ten and won their bowl game as they move toward bigger things in 2012. It was a solid year for a team who lost their starting QB to an ACL tear before the season began.

Offense: We have another quarterback competition! Rob Henry tore his ACL in August he is returning. Caleb TerBush stepped into the starting role and did a fine job last season. Robert Marve and Sean Robinson are also in the running. All four of these kids are fighting to be the starting QB. Most of the rest of the offense is also returning with the exception of two starters along the line who were both drafted and wide receiver Justin Siller. This was an offense that was well balanced and had some talent. They need to figure things out along the offensive line and be sure that continues to be a strength. And finally an answer at RB is needed after the late season ACL tear that sidelined Ralph Bolden.

Defense: Defensive tackle Kawann Short and corner back Ricardo Allen were both very good players who return to lead this defense. Both safeties have to be replaced and one linebacker also graduated, but the rest of the defense is returning. There needs to be some improvement but this defense could be very solid.

2012 vs. the Gophers: Sandwiched between a trip to Ohio State and a home game against Penn STate is a trip to Minnesota. Purdue beat up the Gophers last year. I don't feel that was truly "that" much better than Minnesota and this being a home game I think gives us a chance. We haven't shown anything where we should be favored or really very confident in a Big Ten game but Purdue is not yet in that upper echelon of the Big Ten that is significantly out of reach for Minnesota.

Outlook: With that said, Purdue has a chance to sneak into the Big Ten Title game out of the Leaders division. Ohio State isn't allowed to play. Wisconsin loses a ton of key starters from last year's team. Penn State has a number is issues. They get Wisconsin and Penn State at home and they avoid Michigan State and Nebraska. Things are lining up for the Boilermakers to have a unique season. Unfortunately they have ACL tears like the Twins have Tommy John surgeries, so the mission between now and September should be to stay healthy (duh right?).

Wisconsin Badgers

2011 Recap: Your Big Ten champs that were very close to playing in the BCS Title game were it not for two last second losses. The transfer in of Russell Wilson gave the Badgers a legitimate passing attack to go along with one of the best ground games in the country. It was a great regular season that was capped by a very entertaining Rose Bowl loss to Oregon. Most programs would be thrilled with their 2011 season but it really was so close to being more.

Offense: Gone is Russel Wilson, gone is Nick Toon and gone are three starters along your offensive line. So questions will abound at quarterback and offensive line. Assuming Montee Ball doesn't trespass at parties where he isn't wanted, he will be the Badger feature back and one of the best backs in the conference. As per usual there will be a host of dangerous backs who will carry the load when Ball needs a rest. James White and Melvin Gordon would likely be starting for many other Big Ten teams. But until a quarterback emerges teams will be focusing on stopping the run. This does not appear like it will be a balanced offense but its ground game should be very strong.

Defense: They return two outstanding linebackers but lose a lot of talent throughout the rest of the defense. Six starters return overall for a defense that was 3rd in yards allowed and 4th in points allowed. I would be surprised if this defense is as good as it was last year but I'm not expecting a major drop off.

2012 vs. the Gophers: The battle for the Axe has not been very entertaining the last couple years as the Badgers have dominated the line of scrimmage and muscled their way to big wins over the Gophers. This year should be closer as I don't believe Wisconsin will be as good and I believe we will be better. The gap hasn't closed enough where I'm expecting a win, but I am expecting a better game.

Outlook: The one thing we have yet to discuss with Wisconsin is their drastic coaching staff turnover. For the first time in years they are going to have new coordinators and the vast majority of Brett Bielema's staff moved on to other jobs. We are used to swapping coordinators every year but this is a new thing in Madison and it might be an adjustment. Wisconsin will be an interesting team to watch this year.

So there is very little being blogged here lately and I apologize for that. It is the dog-days of blogging. Basketball is over, spring football is over (not like we did much to cover that anyway), recruiting is quiet and we have a few months before anything starts happening with football. So with that said I want to know what you want to hear about.

We try to give opinions on Gopher topics. We give previews and reviews from our perspective, we analyze the state of the various Gopher programs as we see it and for some reason you read what we write (and we thank you for that :)). But I want to know what you want to see on the blog over the next several weeks. Do you want to start seeing football previews in May? Positional previews? Opponent previews? Recruiting roundups or predictions? Something non-Gopher related? Basketball or Hockey stuff? Baseball stuff? You tell us and either we'll try to write something or better yet go ahead and write something yourself. Put something in the FanPosts and if it is remotely well thought out or researched and we'll bump it to the front page.

Now a few Nuggets.

• The Viking's stadium bill is finally going to a vote. Be sure to check out Daily Norseman for all things Viking's stadium related, including this plea to contact your representatives. I really enjoy politics but I often find that I really hate politicians.
• Gopher Football has announced a couple start times. We will kick off the season at UNLV at 10:00 PM CST! Yes, get ready for a late night of Gopher football. On the bright side, if you wanted to head out to Vegas for the game you could leave Thursday morning and get there in plenty of time for the game. The game at Iowa will kick off at 11:00 AM and Northwestern (homecoming) will also be at 11:00 AM.
• Gophers offered Ohio running back, Chris Davis. We offered him quite a while ago, which is significant because Davis is coming off an ACL tear and we were the only major program to show some confidence in the kid at the time. Davis was at one point a highly sought after RB, this is the kind of kid I think we need to land.
  
• SB Minnesota picked up on a sweet quote from Jerry Kill at an event at Richfield High School.
• Don Lucia supports changing the helmet styles in college hockey and we still don't know what Nick Bjugstad will do next year.
  
• Maybe Bjugstad can make a Twitter announcement like this when he finally decides. Too funny.
• Learn the super-secret inside tactics of being an ace recruiter from Tim Brewster.

As many of you know, yesterday was the final game played at Siebert Field where the Gophers have played baseball since 1971. The Gophers beat St. Thomas 9-2 and improved to 27-20. Video below the other links has the stadium's final hit, a grand slam by Andy Henkemeyer.

Approximately 90 Gopher alums and their families came to the final Siebert Field game. Daughter of Siebert, Marilyn, threw out one of the ceremonial first pitches, along with former Gopher coach George Thomas and alum Terry Steinbach. Prior to the game, alums were allowed to take a few last swings at the storied facility, which housed the Gophers for the past 41 years.

It is the end of an era but there has to be some real excitement about the new facility set to be built!

• Dienhard of BTN has an interview up with Jerry Kill.
• MinnPost.com has a story on the end of the Siebert Field era.
• Ballpark Digest says goodbye.
• Pioneer Press says out with the old and in with the new.
• Gopher runner, Hassan Mead, breaks a school record and has qualified for Olympic Trials.
• On the Tennis team, Gopher freshman Leandro Toledo was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
• Some Badger news that is somewhat related to the Gophers. Freshman defenseman, Patrick Daly is leaving the Badgers and will play for St. Thomas. But their football team picked up a nice commitment from 4-star recruit Rob Wheelwright. Rob is the younger brother of former Gopher WR, Ernie Wheelwright.
• Former Gopher Mike Sherels is coming back to the Gopher program as an assistant coach. Sherels is a special assistant and head of alumni relations for football.
• This was on Yahoo's Dr. Saturday. A sweet Gopher ride.

According to Sid the Vikings have invited a handful of former Gophers to their rookie training camp. The good news for most of them is that they play positions that are a great need for the Vikings.

• Da'Jon McKnight (WR) - the Vikings need a lot of help at this position and McKnight is a kid who has NFL type athleticism. I believe he is an ideal practice squad kid. He is relatively new to football and has great size. Given a year to develop and acclimate I believe he is capable of contributing in the NFL.
  
• Kim Royston (S) - a huge position of need for the Vikings creates this opportunity for Royston. I'm not sure if he has the speed to play in the NFL but as a sure tackler and heady player he'll have a chance.
  
• Brandon Kirksey (DT) - Kevin Williams is aging and there is need for depth here. I like Kirksey and see him as another potential practice squad guy, but not likely to make the regular squad.
  
• Anthony Jacobs (DL) - Talent has never been a huge question for Jacobs but he is a long shot to contribute in the NFL.
  

Be sure to check out Daily Norseman Duane Bennett and Eric Lair are both heading to Green Bay trying to further their football careers. I would not be shocked to see Lair earn his way onto a roster, best of luck to both he and Bennett.

• Gopher baseball took 2 of 3 from Iowa, all 1-run games. The baseball team has gone 9-3 over their last 12 games and all three of those losses have been in extra innings.
• The final game to be played at Seibert Field will be tomorrow evening vs. St. Thomas.

Gary Tinsley's cause of death has been established. The young man died of an enlarged heart.

In a release, the medical examiner said Tinsley died naturally of cardiomegaly, which can be developed temporarily because of a stress on the body or because of a medical condition.

Hard to believe that someone in such peak physical condition could die of such natural causes like this. I'm not about to try and say what hasn't already been said many times over, but this is truly a sad and unfortunate story. The University is planning to award Tinsley's diploma posthumously next month.

• There is no good transition from the Tinsley story but moving on. There will be beer served at TCF Bank Stadium this year! The U of M is the first Big Ten school to sell alcohol to teh masses and it will be done with a beer garden which will shut down at the start of the second half of games. This should net the University an additional $2,000,000 in revenue.
• ESPN's Rittenberg got some time to interview Mr. Norwood Teague.
• Gopher baseball beat North Dakota St yesterday. That may not seem like a big deal but NDSU is actually pretty good this year and has often been in and out of the Mid-Maajor top 25.
• Gopher pitcher, T.J. Oakes was named as one of 50 finalists for the College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year watch list.
• MN Dailly profiles Troy Stoudermire.

The official announcement will be coming today.

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler will introduce Norwood Teague as the university’s next director of athletics during a news conference at 2:45 p.m. today, Monday, April 23 in the Murray Warmath Gopher locker room at TCF Bank Stadium, 2009 University Ave. S.E., Minneapolis.

Let us get to know Mr. Teague a little bit.

The Resume...

• 2006-2012 - VCU, Athletic Director
• 2001-2006 - University of North Carolina, Associate Athletic Director where he oversaw external operations such the Tar Heels’ multimedia property, marketing, and licensing
• 1999-2001 - Arizona State, general manager of the Sun Devil Sports Network
• 1998-1999 - University of North Carolina, headed up new programs for Vilcom Sports and The Tar Heel Sports Network
• 1993-1998 - University of Virginia, Director of Marketing, and then served as the Director of Operations for the Cavaliers’ men’s basketball program
• Masters in Sports Administration from Ohio University (1992)
• Undergrad degree from University of North Carolina in political science (1988)

The References...

Roy Williams -North Carolina basketball

"Norwood's enthusiasm and work ethic is what makes him so special. Because of that, I look for him to accomplish great things for VCU. He has an incredibly bright future."

Al Golden - Miami football

"I have known Norwood since our days working together at UVa. He did a fantastic job back then for the football program, and his work with the basketball program at VCU has drawn national recognition. I know he will continue to do terrific things in his career."

Billy Donovan - Florida basketball

"I have admired the job Norwood has done at VCU. The guy is a terrific AD, and his results are obvious. He has hired ultra successful coaches, not only with basketball, but other sports as well. He continue to raise the bar across the board at VCU."

Mary Jo Kane - co-chair of hiring committee

"One of the things that was most impressive about Shaka Smart is that [Teague] kept him there," Kane said. "[Teague] gets it when it comes to being in a very challenging environment and being successful. ... And winning here in football is a really tough environment."

and

"We asked tough questions. When he left the room, we all said, 'Wow, that was impressive,'" Kane said, adding later: "Football -- the lack of overseeing a big college football program where he was a decider, if you will -- is the most obvious gap in his profile. ... I can look anyone who cares about Gopher athletics in the eye and say, 'This will not be a problem.'"

My Comments

Obviously lacking a football program at VCU is the obvious hole in the resume. I don't know how concerned I am about this yet.

On the one hand he has shown tremendous success in many other critical areas of the job. He has a proven track record of hiring outstanding coaches, Shaka Smart being at the top of this list. He has experience with fund raising, marketing and broadcasting of athletics. Prior to his time at VCU he was working in high level athletic departments that did in fact have football programs so it isn't as though he has never understood the value of or what it takes to field a football team. Your previous jobs and the entirety of those experiences is what prepares you for a high level positions such as AD of a BCS level athletic department.

But then of course someone with a proven track record of fielding a quality football program would make this hire more comforting. Some might equate this to hiring a football coach with no previous head coaching or even coordinator experience. That is certainly an extreme exaggeration but you get the point.

Time will tell but those who have been a part of the process seem to be enamored with Mr. Teague.

We have a new athletic director. Norwood Teague is coming to us from Virginia Commonwealth. The bad news is that he has never headed up an athletic department with a football team. The good news is that when/if Tubby Smith leaves we might be the one school that could lure Shaka Smart away from VCU.

MUCH more to come on Teague later today but first, the Nugz.

• Star Tribune article on the hiring of Teague.
• Pioneer Press.
• Tom Pelissero at 1500 ESPN.
• Gopher Baseball lost 2 of 3 to Michigan State with both losses coming in extra innings. Tough series that could have really helped separate the Gophers from most of the Big Ten.
• Football's Spring Game was on Saturday and was a 3-0 offensive extravaganza.
• GopherSports.com recaps the spring game.
• Trent Lockett will not be coming to Minnesota.

MUST READ ALERT: MarQueis Gray is a different player than he was a year ago and it is obvious to anyone watching this spring. After watching himself last season, particularly the early games, he can understand why people were questioning his future a the Gopher's starting QB.

"When I look at the footage from last year from start to finish, I'm like, 'Oh my God, I was horrible,'" MarQueis Gray admitted Thursday after another polished and precise practice. "I see why everyone was second-guessing me. ... Missing open guys, missing reads, turning the ball over -- I thought, 'Oh, man, that's not what I'm capable of.'"

This offseason he has worked incredibly hard to better his game and prepare himself for 2012. He is aiming for 60% completions this year after barely completing 50% last year.

He has thrown thousands of passes since the season ended, with emphasis on smoothing out his mechanics, and now appears to be a much more effective passer.

His spiral is dramatically tighter, the rotation on the ball noticeably smoother. Gray's technique in 2011, his first season as a full-time quarterback in four years, frequently appeared hesitant, as though he was gingerly tossing the ball and hoping for the best. Today, he seems decisive, zipping the ball where he wants it to go.

"You can tell he's thrown the ball a lot. He's been accurate all spring," coach Jerry Kill said. "He's been on target most of the time, setting his feet [correctly]. We blitzed him, and he's been able to know where to go with the ball. You can tell he's much more comfortable about what he's doing than he was a year ago."

The Phil Miller article also goes into his maturation as a player, man and father. This is a great feature on Gray and a must read. Coach Kill knows this is Gray's team and he is going to need some help.

"MarQueis is good -- we've got to get everybody else to step it up around him."

• Phillip Nelson is also looking fairly comfortable throwing the ball around at spring practices. He was led to believe he will either be starting this fall, if he were to beat out Gray, or he'll redshirt and then be given four years to earn the starting job.
• John Rabe is becoming a favorite target in the passing game. This offense is really going to be interesting to watch this season.
• SB Nation has a list of the top 10 returning underclassmen. Trevor Mbakwe makes the list just outside of the top 10.
• Ohio State basketball is losing a couple of underclassmen to transfer. I wonder what kind of restrictions they had placed on them for potential new schools.
• The Jarrod Uthoff transfer and Bo Ryan's subsequent handling of it has been rather amusing.
• Marcus Fuller has a good article on Tyus Jones and how the Gopher coaching situation, or any coaching situation for that matter, is a factor in his college decision.
• Don Lucia is pleased with this past season and is looking forward to next.
• Nick Bjugstad will make his decision whether or not to go pro when the semester is over. Were he to come back he would have to be on the short list for potential Hobey Baker winners and the Gophers should be a top 2 or 3 team heading into the season. Erik Haula will be returning.
• Gophers are currently 9th in the Director's Cup rankings. Insert Joel Maturi joke here, but this is a nice accomplishment and shows a strong athletic department. If we could just get football and basketball to catch up.
• Gopher Men's Gymnastics are ranked 5th nationally and are competing in the NCAA Championships this weekend.

The recent confirmation that Trevor Mbakwe is coming back for his 6th and likely final season of college basketball has people talking with excitement about expectations for next season. The Gophers return a lot to build on what was a strong finish to the season. There is some young talent on the roster that was bolstered by the addition of Mbakwe. You can't blame a fan for getting excited about 2012-13.

Having a more successful season; meaning at the very least more wins, a respectable Big Ten finish and an NCAA Tournament appearance; is important for a number of reasons. The fan base has been through a lot in recent years and having a successful season and a team that commands respect would be refreshing for those who have suffered through the last couple years. Winning more games would also put more people in the seats which is an obvious financial benefit to the program. But I would argue that there is more than just that on the line next year.

I believe that the short-term future of the program is riding on the 2012-13 season. I am primarily talking about recruiting and the impact a successful season would have on landing some high-end players. Based on timing, a highly successful season could catapult the program to be a perennial contender in the Big Ten for the next several seasons.

The Gopher's level of success, or lack thereof, in the Tubby Smith era has been well documented. Two NCAA Tournament trips in five years, no wins, nothing higher than a 6th place conference finish and a number of high profile transfers out of the program. Recruiting went well early under Tubby when he landed local stars Royce White and Rodney Williams in 2009 to follow up a ranked recruiting class in 2008. But since then the rut of mediocrity has made recruiting more of a challenge and the luster of playing for Tubby Smith, at least locally, is wearing off.

With that as the backdrop, there are some very talented local recruits on the horizon. At least a couple of blue-chip recruits, who may have their pick of just about any school in the country, are right in our backyard. What is needed at this point is a reason to stay home. There needs to be tangible proof that they can be a part of a winning and relevant program should they choose to stay home and play for the Gophers. Translation? They need to see a winning team in 2012-13.

Most of you know the names. In the class of 2014 Tyus Jones is already ranked as one of only 10 five-star prospects and may be the top point guard in his class. Jones is currently a sophomore and has offers from Duke, Ohio State and many others major programs (Arizona, Baylor, Marquette +others). Not far behind him in the rankings is Rashad Vaughn, a shooting guard from Robbinsdale-Cooper. Vaughn is a four-star prospect and has offers from Kansas, Texas and many others (Baylor, Wisconsin, Georgetown, Miami, etc). Reid Travis is a forward at De La Salle who will see his offer sheet grow considerably over the next couple years as well. Winning isn't the only factor for recruits but it typically trumps staying close to home.

Landing one or both of these young guards is going to be a monumental task for Tubby and his staff. They have already been putting hours into recruiting both of them from the earliest date allowed. But my fear is that the lack of actual success on the court will greatly discourage Vaughn and Jones who will end up playing for a program where they will have a chance to be nationally relevant throughout their careers. Winning this year, finishing in the top four of the Big Ten and getting to the Sweet 16 would at least show that winning here is possible. It is easy to demonstrate that we were very good in 2012-13 and will be better when we land a player of the caliber of Jones and Vaughn.

But it doesn't end with Jones, Vaughn and Travis. Tubby and his staff will likely have four scholarships available for the more immediate class of 2013. Guys like Kyle Washington, Matt Thomas of Wisconsin, Alex Foster out of Chicago and Jordan Woodard from Oklahoma are names that could be impact players at Minnesota. Winning plus opportunity for playing time is hard to turn down.

2015 and beyond also have some intriguing names out there. Henry Ellenson is the younger brother of Wally, who will be a freshman for the Gophers this fall, and Henry projects to be a very good player. Alex Illikainen (who I hope does not come so I don't have to spell his name hundreds of times) is a big man from Grand Rapids who already has four D1 offers and he's just a freshman. Lastly, you have Amir Coffey. Coffey is the son of former Gopher Richard Coffey and as an 8th grader he is already demonstrating that he is going to be a very good college basketball player.

The point is that there is a lot of talent out there that in some way or another has ties to the Gopher program. Winning and winning this year will not guarantee our chances of landing whoever we want. In fact it is still an uphill battle for some of the better players in the classes of 2013 and 2014. But I do believe that losing this year when the momentum and talent are there will effectively end our chances of securing higher caliber players like Tyus Jones, Rashad Vaughn, Matt Thomas and Kyle Washington.

Time for Tubby and his staff to put quite a few more W's in the standings and set this program on a path for sustained success. Next year needs to be one where we are in the hunt for a Big Ten title, consistently ranked throughout the season, never mentioned as a bubble team and then winning a game or two (or three if things fall the right way) in the NCAA Tournament. Those are attainable goals that gives this program some attention and at least gives the perception that more is around the corner. Winning next year gives us a real chance at sustained success and it gives us the opportunity to considerably upgrade the talent on the roster for the coming seasons.

Mbakwe is having a little fun with possibly being the oldest college basketball player in D1.

Also claimed he is running out of classes to take and professors think he is on staff. It is pretty funny that he is able to have some fun with this but it should also be pointed out that the kid is getting his masters degree. The NBA may or may not be in his future but he is taking advantage of the educational opportunities available to him and he should be recognized for that.

Gary Tinsley's funeral was held over the weekend in Florida. Memories of his smile and sense of humor dominated the day.

"His smile could light up a room, his smile could save lives, his smile did a number to the team," Minnesota defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey said. "As you can see, there’s a lot of people out here. He really impacted everybody around him. He was a shining light. If you was having a bad day, you could count on coming in to the locker room and seeing GT to brighten up your day ... and make your practice a little smoother."

An estimated 1,800 people were in attendance to honor Tinsley's memory. Of that 1,800 included the entire Gopher football team that was chartered down to Florida on Saturday morning.

Former Gopher Coach, Tim Brewster was also in attendance and recalled Tinsley's ability to make people laugh.

"That was right up GT’s alley; after he saw "Coming to the Stage" a couple of times, he pulled me aside and said, Coach Brew, I want to come to the stage," Brewster said. "And you know what, there was nothing like GT on the stage. Boy, he danced. He danced, he sang. He put a smile on everybody’s face."

Coach Kill also spoke,

"The thing that we’ll always remember is that million dollar smile," said current Minnesota coach Jerry Kill. "In his game day [mode] and he’s got number 51 down those cheeks and he’s coming out of that tunnel ... the guy just had what you’d call, it. There’s no definition in the dictionary for it; he had it."

Situations like this remind me that these guys are just kids who have family and friends just like every other student on campus. For me it is also a reminder that these guys work incredibly hard and their shared goals, shared triumphs and shared challenges help them to form bonds and life-long friendships. We love our Gophers, we love watching them compete on the gridiron, we feel it is our right to criticize but we often forget that they are regular kids who just happen to be extremely gifted athletically.

moving on...

• Gopher baseball swept Northwestern to improve to 6-3 in the Big Ten putting them alone in 2nd place.
• Lamonte Edwards is making a nice transition to linebacker. "(I'm) very pleased with his progress and the plays he's making," said Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys. "He can tackle in space. He can run with some receivers, a lot like (veteran teammate) Keanon (Cooper) can. He's just a little bit heavier than Keanon. He's had a good spring."
• The Regents committee is reviewing the University's executive level compensation packages.
• New York Times hockey blog has some questions facing Gopher Hockey.
• You can vote for the new Cy-Hawk Trophy. Personally I like #2 as it reminds me of the man-eating plant in Little Shop of Horrors.
• SB Nation Minnesota looks at a few native Minnesotans who may get drafted this coming weekend.

As I am sure nearly all of you are aware, Trent Lockett is transferring out of Arizona State. Lockett is a former Hopkins star who is reportedly leaving ASU to be closer to his ailing mother. Assuming this is the primary and/or only reason for Lockett to be leaving ASU with one season of eligibility remaining then coming to the University of Minnesota is not only the most logical destination, it is really the only school that puts him close enough to be with his mother on any given day.

But the Gophers are running into a scholarship problem if they want to add the former ASU scoring forward to their 2012-13 roster. Chip Armelin is leaving the program freeing up one scholly. While this may seem to make the problem go away, it only brings us back to even with the extra year granted to Trevor Mbakwe. Another scholarship is still needed to add Lockett. Here is the scholarship grid for next season as it stands today...

So the question comes down to, what will have to happen for the Gophers to add Trent Lockett (with a scholarship) to the roster? There are really only a couple of options...

One possible option is to appeal the NCAA for a 14th scholarship. There might even be a couple of angles here. The first is that the Gophers were not prepared to add Mbakwe and his extra scholarship to the 2012-13 roster. So it is possible they would give Minnesota a one-year waiver so we could add our incoming freshmen and the newly granted extra year (and the scholarship) for Trevor Mbakwe. The other option is to play the sympathy card with Lockett transferring back home to be near his ailing mother. Lockett has already earned his degree and should a silly little thing like scholarship limits get in the way of allowing him to be near his mother?

This possible solution seems like a long shot at best but it has occurred in the past. If they are allowed a 14th scholarship, they would be required to redshirt someone and have only 13 scholarship players "available" during the season. Considering the depth we anticipate this team having next year that shouldn't be a problem. To be honest I know very little about how rare this is or what our chances are of gaining this scholarship advantage.

The next solution is to have another player currently under scholarship transfer out. There are a few players who stand to be losing playing time as they get nearer the end of their careers but the idea that we are running off players who committed here (and we committed to them) so we can bring in a one-year boost is not something you want to get in the habit of doing. Tubby has already been criticized for the number of transfers in the last couple years, for which he has taken heat. Now just because we are upgrading this time doesn't mean we want to be seeing a lot of this. With that said here are a few potential transfers candidates, after the jump...

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OMG it is Friday the 13th! Sorry for the incredibly light week of posting but it is what it is. There are a lot of Gopher links worth checking out so here I go...

• Eric Decker loves having Peyton Manning throwing him the ball. Duh.
• MN Daily has a good article on the cost of scheduling guarantee games for hoops. Coach Esposito is our scheduling guy and he talks about the challenges of scheduling. Interesting article.
• Hammer and Rails has their way too early Big Ten basketball predictions, I don't like them.
• Andy Katz has his way too early Top 25, I like this better.
• Apparently Torii Hunter has a son who is pretty good at football and baseball. Really there are three Hunters who are all seniors (not sure, but I'm guessing some are sons by marriage), all are getting looks for D1 football. Coach Kill and Coach Anderson should get on a plane to Texas and get Torii Hunter Jr!
• Speaking of Coach John Anderson, he recently signed a 5-year contract extension. Good for him.
• Gopher baseball hosts Northwestern this weekend and they need to rack up some wins here pretty quickly. It might be a cold and rainy weekend so head over to the Dome and watch some college baseball.
• Gopher Volleyball added five to the roster including a couple transfers.
• Kyle Rau is looking to build on his great freshman season. And Erik Haula has quietly become one of the Gopher's best players in the shadow of Bjugstad and Rau.

Some non-Gopher links but worth reading...

• Jalen Rose is not happy about his Final Four banners not hanging in Crisler Arena. Get over it! If Michigan ever pulls their banners out of storage for vacated wins, Minnesota better do the same thing.
• Rick Majerus is an interesting, disgusting man.
• Blazer's Edge has a fascinating article and interview covering the long list of injuries that ended Greg Oden's career.
• Michigan State's Derrick Nix is having some off the court issues.