Great win by the ladies over Michigan for the Big Ten Championship! Exciting finish at the plate.

I know ...I know. He has been dissected many times on here.
However...
@Ryan James ...if gophers don't get wright and we have to have a plan B, this guy is my number one target. He knows how to win. He can shoot. He may not have best lateral quickness but geez....he takes and makes the game tying 3 then down by 2 under 10 sec to go, he craftly creates a foul shooting a 3 and drills all 3 fts...love this kids guts

This guy is a 2016 right? Anybody hear any recent steam on this one?

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I don't have a list to choose from but there are some major issues that must be addressed. Some are unique to the UM and some are due to the nature of college athletics.

1. Clean house. Get his own team; those Coyle can trust and depend on going forward. The AD has not been viewed favorably and its been publicized that former players and coaches have concerns. Are guys like Najarian and Hutton worthy of positions in the AD and can they help with alumni relations?

2. Hit the fund raising trail hard and lock in more donors. If he can do that in a short period of time, others will pay attention and he will get off on a good start.

3. Address the football donation fiasco. From this site and others, it appears that many long time ST holders did not renew. Welcome them back and push hard for a sell out this Fall.

4. Obviously mens hoops and Pitino have to be very high on his to-do-list.

5. Fill the student section and take a hard look at the tailgate policy.

6. Work with Kaler and the Regents to shelf any motions to allow the Regents to control salaries. This is Coyle's job with Kaler's backing.

7. Start a short list of coaches to contact for future hires. His message is be accountable to pack your bags.

8. Finalize any current discrimination issues and move forward.

9.

Your turn.

Kaler expressed, IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, that he was not happy with the events surrounding the basketball program.. I am sure that Kaler would not step over Coyle right now to have a tough talk with Pitino on the state of affairs of mens basketball.. But I would guess that Kaler will be expressing his desires to Coyle and expect Coyle to get a handle of what is going on with Pitino and the program..After the presser, I get the feeling from Kaler's perspective, that there better be some improvements in win/losses plus better offcourt player behavior or Pitino will be pounding the streets... Interesting to see how this plays out or if I am making a mountain out of a mole hill.

If you are trying to fundraise a ton of money to get an athletic facility that would benefit athletes, you better have everyone on board with the right behavior thing.. I am sure Kaler is thinking to himself "Why would a donor give huge money to a program where one of the 2 most visible sports has players doing things contrary to what the University wants projected to the public??"

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-rowing/recaps/051516aaa.html

Brad what the heck's going on? Need a new coach? Better recruiting? They can train on the biggest river in the country, but out of 8 teams they had finishes of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 6th?

They let a team from Columbus Ohio win four straight titles?

You were a great hire by AZJ! Not only do you bring the most content of all the writers you bring best content. Dare I say you're on the path to being the next Burns

Those of you who are like me (skipping fishing this weekend because it will be better weather next weekend) here is the basketball event to check out if you are to watch AAU hoops this off-season locally.

The preview is up as I ran through some of the teams

https://minnesota.n.rivals.com/news/battle-at-the-lakes-preview

Who is playing?

D1 Minnesota meaning Jericho Sims, McKinley Wright, Nate Reuvers, Goanar Mar, Matt Hurt, Ish El-Amin and then don't forget Gopher offered Race Thompson on the 16U along with Shae Mitchell, Jarvis Thomas, and Joe Hedstrom who they have also called.

The WI Playground Warriors are in town. They are an Adidas program and have Kobe King on their team. He is the guy the Gophs offered by he is going to the Badgers. He has good teammates too including huge Owen Hamiliton. Their 16U team has recently MN offered Jordan McCabe and Minnesota talent Adam Trapp from Esko

Iowa Barnstormers are coming up. They won't have McCaffery's kid but they still have a lot of good players including Joey Hauser who the Gophers have talked to (he is actually from Wisconsin) and AJ Green who visited here last fall.

There is also Greenwood Elite which is the team that Draymond Green and football player Lamar Woodley sponsor.

1Nation is an Under Armour team, they are coming too. They are the team that had 5star Joe Jackson last year.

Also here is Team Rose who is an adidas team and a ton of talent. They actually have Rose's brother on the squad.

Young and Reckless is a really good program in the NY2LA League. They are here as well.

Some others but you don't want to hear all of it. Some really good teams and tonight the D1 MN vs Playground games will be played and that is 17s and 16s.

So, Nick writes a story about the kid getting an offer and he apparently tweeted it out on May 9th. I find this funny, as according to ESPN, he committed to Indiana on May 9th. ESPN did not list Minnesota at all. Did he somehow commit right before the Gophers offered, or does he not really have much interest in Minnesota? Odd timing if nothing else.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/_/id/220650/chinedu-ogbonna

Link: Coyle is a home run hire for the Gophers

Coyle looks like an excellent hire, and the U couldn't afford to mess this hire up. Today's a good day!

Three-star cornerback Cedric Dort announced this morning he has received an offer from Minnesota. Rutgers and Wisconsin have already offered, along with Kentucky, Iowa State, Syracuse and South Florida.

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I know that our athletes have received an excellent education while at the U, and I enjoy hearing about what their degree is and what they plan to do in the future. Here are articles on all 4 graduating Gopher Wrestlers.

I wish you all a bright and enjoyable future!!

Graduating Gophers

Minnesota graduates four wrestlers from this year’s roster, each with their own unique path forward now that their collegiate wrestling careers have ended

Gophersports.com
May 13, 2016

It’s spring on the University of Minnesota campus. It’s a transformational time where the landscape once again turns green and the latest class of college graduates crosses the stage and accepts their diplomas.

Three Gopher wrestlers will be among the thousands graduating from the University this week: Brad Dolezal, Jordan Kingsley and Joshua Mora. A fourth, Josh Shupe, finished his degree last December.

During the past four days, GopherSports.com has taken a closer look at each member of this quartet, discussing their time as Gopher wrestlers and what their plans are for the future.

Dolezal will graduate with a degree in Nutrition. He plans to take a look at wrestling Greco now that his folkstyle career is over. He also has an interest in helping young athletes discover how nutrition can play a role in athletic success. Click here to read more.

Kingsley, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, will graduate with a degree in Kinesiology. He begins a job coaching with the Lakeville (Minn.) youth program this summer and wants to explore options to either coach wrestling or become a physical or occupational therapist. Click here to read more.

Mora will graduate with a degree in Sociology of Law, Criminology and Deviance. After achieving his dream of wrestling for the Gophers, the Albuquerque native is preparing to chase his next dream, following in his father’s footsteps and working in law enforcement back in New Mexico. Click here to read more.

Shupe finished his Psychology degree last winter and is preparing to apply to medical school. Since graduating, he has worked as a medical scribe for orthopedic doctors and also as a research assistant at a local hospital. Click here to read more.

Graduating college is a major life achievement for anybody. Congratulations to these young men for everything they’ve accomplished at Minnesota, and good luck as they pursue their next set of challenges.

check out the 7:11 mark

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http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/10/news/stoned-driving-fatal-accidents/index.html

I was specifically told this was not going to be a problem when we had our monster threads on this topic.

The Big 12 is currently looking into expansion and I kind of feel sorry for them. I know we added Rutgers so we can't laugh too much, but the four schools in contention for Big 12 membership appear to UCF, Memphis, Houston and Colorado State.

I wonder if the pedigree, or lack there of, will make Texas stand out even more than it already does in the conference, both athletically and academicall, and move them closer to the Big Ten or Independence.

The staff has definitely been busy in the southeast recruiting skill players for 2017. The majority of the past 20 offers and more have gone to defensive backs and athlete-position type players in Alabama and Georgia.

In February and March, it seemed as if the staff was targeting offensive lineman and defensive tackles and defensive ends, proof coach Claeys was serious about changing the culture and performance of the trenches at UMN.

With only two weeks left in the spring evaluation period and the way the positions are stretched throughout the Midwest and southeast, you can say Georgia holds several of the staffs top targets at several positions, namely running back, wide receiver, cornerback, safety and offensive tackle. There are also several offers to cornerbacks and defensive lineman in Florida and prized offensive tackle Nick Brahms.

While the incoming class of 2016 is filled with in-state players, 2017 is shaping up to be completely opposite. The only thing I can see changing that from happening is many of these players falling off the Gophers' recruiting board if they commit elsewhere and the staff has to look at their B and C options, which could be prospects closer to home.

Its just my opinion, but it seems to me, and not just with Minnesota's recruiting this spring, that 2 and 3-star players in Florida, Alabama and Georgia are regarded as higher value than 2 or 3-star players in the Midwest. It could be because competition is tougher in the southeast and the players train and condition year round. To add, 7-on-7 in the southeast is almost as competitive and important as the regular season to some of these kids.

Gopher Wrestling has done very well on the Academic front this year as 7 wrestlers were named all B1G in March and now several wrestlers have received some other awards for academic excellence! I have posted some articles below that discuss the honors received by Wrestling and other Gopher sports.

Good work Gopher Wrestlers...not just brawn, but brains too!!

NWCA Honors Gophers for Academics

The National Wrestling Coaches' Association announced its All-Academic teams and individuals on Monday, with the Gophers appearing on both lists

Michael Kroells has been both an All-American and an NWCA All-Academic honoree each of the past two seasons.

Gophersports.com
May 9, 2016

Gopher Wrestling brought home some additional academic hardware on Monday when the National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) released its All-Academic teams and individuals.

A pair of Gophers, juniors Brett Pfarr and Michael Kroells, were among the 116 wrestlers nationwide to be honored as All-Academic by the NWCA. As a team, Minnesota again made the NWCA's Top 30 list for best team GPAs in the country.

Pfarr wrapped up a breakout 2015-16 season with a third-place finish at 197 pounds in New York City. He set new career highs in virtually every statistical category last year as he built up a 40-4 record. His 40 wins were the most by any Gopher in the past nine seasons, while his 18 major decisions were the most by any Minnesota wrestler in more than two decades. Pfarr is an Agricultural and Food Business Management major who has earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition three times as well.

Kroells, an Aerospace Engineering major, took seventh at this year's NCAAs to earn his second career All-America finish. His efforts at this year's tournament made Kroells the 51st multiple-time All-American in program history. Like Pfarr, Kroells achieved several career-best totals on the mat this season, most notably in season wins (35). Kroells' academic accomplishments are well-documented, as a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a CoSIDA Academic All-District recipient last season.

Pfarr and Kroells were two of 36 All-Americans from last spring's NCAA Championships recognized for their academic achievements by the NWCA. Both were also NWCA All-Academic last season.

As a team, Minnesota landed 12th nationally -- and second in the Big Ten -- in the NWCA's rankings. The Gophers are routinely among the top teams in the country in the NWCA's annual academic standings.


Six Gophers Tabbed Academic All-District

Six student-athletes have been recognized as CoSIDA Academic All-District award recipients

Gophersports.com
May 12, 2016



CoSIDA release

MINNEAPOLIS – Six Golden Gopher student-athletes have been recognized as CoSIDA Academic All-District award recipients, it was announced on Thursday. Hannah Brandt (women's hockey), Jessica Flakne (rowing), Michael Kroells (wrestling), Lindsay Mable (women's gymnastics), Brett Pfarr (wrestling), and Lee Stecklein (women's hockey) were tabbed as at-large first team honorees.

The University of Minnesota now has 21 total Academic All-District honorees this year. These six honorees are now eligible for Academic All-America accolades in June and will look to join Brandon Lingen (Football) and Paige Tapp (Volleyball) as 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-America honorees.

Hannah Brandt earns her second CoSIDA Academic All-District nod after taking home All-District and Academic All-America honors last season. Brandt led the Gopher women's hockey team to the program's seventh national title in 2016. She was honored as a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist for the fourth-straight season along with receiving AHCA/CCM First Team All-American, All-USCHO, and All-WCHA honors. The Vadnais Heights, Minn., native is a three-time WCHA Scholar Athlete and WCHA All-Academic Team honoree and will graduate with a degree in health and wellness through the University of Minnesota's Inter-College Program.

Jessica Flakne is a varsity team captain and has recorded two first-place finishes and five second-place finishes this season, competing in five regattas. A three-time Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, she was twice selected as a CRCA Scholar-Athlete. The Maple Plain, Minn., native was also selected to the Capital One Academic All-District At-Large Team in 2015.

Michael Kroells is a repeat Academic All-District honoree, earning the recognition for the second time and continuing to maintain a near-perfect GPA as he works toward an aerospace engineering degree. In addition to his academic honors, which also include multiple awards from the Big Ten and the National Wrestling Coaches’ Association, Kroells is coming off his most successful season on the mat for the Gophers. He placed seventh in the NCAA tournament last spring, securing his second All-America season and becoming the 51st multiple-time All-American in program history. Kroells set several new career-highs last season, including wins (35) and major decisions (eight).

This season, Lindsay Mable closed her collegiate athletics career with a bang. The Aurora, Colo., native earned the AAI Award, which is considered the Heisman Trophy in gymnastics. Mable was also named back-to-back Big Ten Gymnast of the Year. She boasts 18 career All-America accolades, including seven this season and won the All-Around and Beam individual titles at the Big Ten Championships. Mable is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was named the female recipient of the Big Ten Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award. Over the course of her career at Minnesota, Mable accrued 96 individual event titles and 26 All-Around titles.

Brett Pfarr bumped up from wrestling at 184 pounds as a redshirt sophomore to 197 last season, but the jump in his performance dwarfed a mere 13-pound change. Pfarr spent much of the season ranked in the top-five at his weight nationally, finishing the season with a third-place performance at the NCAA Championships to earn his first career All-America honor. On his way to the podium, Pfarr won 40 matches, becoming the first Gopher to reach that mark in nearly a decade, and finished undefeated in dual competition, including all of his conference matches. Pfarr, who grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota, maintains a 3.78 GPA in agriculture and food business management.

Lee Stecklein earns her first CoSIDA Academic All-District nod this season. The Roseville, Minn., native is a two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete and WCHA All-Academic Team honoree along with being a two-time AHCA/CCM Second Team All-American and All-WCHA First Team selection. She served as a co-captain with Brandt this season, leading the Gophers to their second-straight and seventh overall NCAA title. Stecklein posted a career-high 30 points, scoring eight goals and adding 22 assists. The junior is studying Entrepreneurial Management in the Carlson School of Management.

Gopher Student-Athletes Recognized on 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams
Paige Tapp (Volleyball)*
Hannah Tapp (Volleyball)
Katie Schau (Volleyball)
Briean Boddy-Calhoun (Football)
Jon Christenson (Football)
Brandon Lingen (Football)*
Rashida Beal (Soccer)
Rachel McCloskey (Soccer)
Josee Stiever (Soccer)
Taylor Stainbrook (Soccer)
Joanna Hedstrom (Women's Basketball)
Shayne Mullaney (Women's Basketball)
Carlie Wagner (Women's Basketball)
Matt Fiedler (Baseball)
Sam Macken (Softball)
Hannah Brandt (Women's Hockey)
Jessica Flakne (Rowing)
Michael Kroells (Wrestling)
Lindsay Mable (Women's Gymnastics)
Brett Pfarr (Wrestling)
Lee Stecklein (Women's Hockey)

*Also honored as CoSIDA Academic All-America selections.


Gophers Earn Academic All-B1G Laurels

The Big Ten Conference has recognized 69 student-athletes from the University of Minnesota as Academic All-Big Ten honorees.

Gophersports.com
March 23, 2016



MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) – The Big Ten Conference has recognized 69 student-athletes from the University of Minnesota as Academic All-Big Ten honorees, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon.

In total, the Big Ten honored 778 student-athletes who compete in winter sports across the conference. Of the representatives chosen from the Gophers, eight programs were recognized for their academic success. Men’s hockey paced the department with 14 representatives while men’s swimming & diving (13), women’s swimming & diving (12) and men’s gymnastics (10) touted double-digit honorees. Women’s gymnastics and wrestling placed seven honorees each while women’s basketball (four) and men’s basketball (two) rounded out the list.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Women’s Basketball (4)
Mikayla Bailey
Joanna Hedstrom
Shayne Mullaney
Carlie Wagner

Women’s Gymnastics (7)
Bailey Abernathy
Rachel Haines
Madeline Hanley
Bailie Holst
Lindsay Mable
Kaitlin Rahon
Rachel Rowland

Women’s Swimming & Diving (12)
Ellen Bloom
Rae Bullinger
Beth Etterman
Samantha Harding
Katelyn Holmquist
Danielle Nack
Abigail Raatz
Jessica Ramberg
Lexi Tenenbaum
Lauren Votava
Brooke Zeiger
Yu Zhou

Men’s Basketball (2)
Joey King
Mike Lukashewich

Men’s Gymnastics (10)
Luke Aldrich
Ryan Bergman
Daniel DiBenedetto
Tristan Duran
Joel Gagnon
Jack Kramer
Zach Liebler
Yaroslav Pochinka
Shashank Yallamraju

Men’s Hockey (14)
Jake Bischoff
Leon Bristedt
Taylor Cammarata
Ryan Collins
Hudson Fasching
Jack Glover
Steve Johnson
Justin Kloos
Nick Lehr
Vinni Lettieri
A.J. Michaelson
Connor Reilly
Ryan Reilly
Nick Seeler

Men’s Swimming & Diving (13)
Matt Barnard
Viktor Bjoerk
Ben Bravence
Noah Busch
John Bushman
Ian Gordon
Jan Hansen
Jakub Maly
Conner McHugh
Ryan Miksch
Nick Orf
Jon Thielen
Dylan Zoe

Wrestling (7)
Will Balow
Jordan Kingsley
Micahel Kroells
Josh Mora
Bret Pfarr
Chris Pfarr
Nick Wanzek

An unexpected home run hire by Kaler. I thought he'd play it safe (Goetz) or down the middle (Esten) and was prepared to fall in line with wherever he went. Instead he threw into a tight window and brought a P5 AD with a strong resume and local credibility. Hats off to Kaler!

Love it. Birmingham right in the middle of SEC country.
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Palm Beach Gardens, FL DB Kenih Lovely received an offer from Minnesota tonight, his fifth or sixth offer, depending on which he said came first. He also received an offer from Rutgers around the same time.

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Minnesota has offered two-way 2017 Noah Curtis, who plays defensive line and tight end.
He has 12 offers , including North Carolina and W. Virginia.
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..."Love(s) Him! The best guy I've worked under in an athletic department. He gets hoops all the way"

That's from a basketball assistant I know who would not b.s. me.

Maxie should now shut the f@ck up or quit.