LET’S TAKE A MOMENT: One of those special sports/cultural/fun convergences happened late Tuesday night when the Wolves rallied (and rallied again) to beat Denver 140-139 in double overtime. Nikola Jokic scored 61 points for the losers, Anthony Edwards caught fire in the fourth quarter, Nickeil Alexander-Walker ended a crazy final few seconds by making three free throws after being fouled on a buzzer-beater try. The Bluesky crowd — media, fans and video posters — gave the web a gathering-in-your-basement feel. Kevin Harlan on the call for TNT was epic and studio commentator Candace Parker’s postgame analysis was elite.
Here are the full-game highlights from TNT.
The game was important to the Wolves’ playoff positioning and a tease of what the Wolves can do in the postseason if they stay sharp. The game was so good that it would have been great fun even if the Wolves had lost.
From Star Tribune basketball writer Chris Hine, whose postgame Bluesky feed is worth a read, in addition to his superb in-the-moment game story for the Strib. (I’m hitting the adjective bank hard. But I’m not overselling):
VERBATIM: “Anyone who stayed up late enough to watch it — the game finished after midnight in the Twin Cities — witnessed one of the most confounding, topsy-turvy but ultimately exhilarating regular-season games they have seen a long time, if not ever. They witnessed brilliance (a triple-double and a career-high 61 points from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic), they witnessed bad basketball (multiple head-scratching mistakes by each team in late-game situations), but they also saw an unflinching Wolves squad no matter how long the odds were late in that second overtime.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/wolves0403
I started watching in the second quarter. I started really watching in the fourth. It was an hour after the final buzzer when I could finally turn out the lights. One of those nights that makes me glad I like sports. — Howard Sinker
For the lefty Minnesota sports community, Tuesday night was a tripleheader sweep. In addition to the Wolves, there was this via Keith Law, senior baseball writer at The Athletic:
FIRST-PLACE TWINS (KIND OF): After a disturbing opening series in St. Louis and a blow out loss to the White Sox, the Twins did some settling down with a pair of wins in Chicago. The end result, largely unnoticed and more odd than meaningful, is that they’re in a tie for first place at 2-4 with all four other AL Central teams going into today’s home opener against the Astros. (3:10 p.m., Twins.TV) A few thoughts from the six-game road trip: (1) It was good to see Manager Rocco Baldelli tone down his tendency to use pinch-hitters early in games. Lefty vs. lefty matchups for Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach now should benefit them later. (2) Monday’s early concession by lifting Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa after falling behind 9-0 in the third inning was a bad look — but a good thing. It pretty much amounted to a day off for injury-troubled stars who both contributed to the wins that followed. (3) If Chris Paddack is awful again on Sunday, will one of the Class AAA starters in St. Paul (Zebby Matthews would be my call-up) take his place in the rotation soon? (4) More Harrison Bader, please.
WHAT IS GREATNESS? This is what 445 feet gets us in Chicago.
DAN’S BAD DAY: Via Dan Hayes at The Athletic. While the Twins found constructive or fun ways to pass time during Wednesday’s three-hour rain delay, Hayes wasn’t as fortunate. VERBATIM: “All those players’ solutions were seemingly better than one Twins beat writer, who accidentally got trapped in a ballpark stairwell full of locked doors for several minutes, a stretch that allowed for reflection about the meaning of life, before a passerby opened the door, thus freeing him.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/hayes0403
NEW NAME FOR THE BARN? Via Marcus Fuller at Star Tribune. VERBATIM: “The Gophers announced Thursday that they are working with Independent Sports & Entertainment (ISE) to secure potential naming rights for the building that’s been known as Williams Arena for 75 years. ‘This is a tremendous opportunity for a company to align themselves with the University of Minnesota and with Gopher Athletics,’ athletic director Mark Coyle said in the news release ‘We look forward to working with ISE to find a naming rights partner that will help us continue to provide world-class experiences for our student-athletes.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/barn0403
MY TAKE: Build a better barn and better basketball programs and then let’s talk about “world-class experiences for our student athletes.”
HELP WANTED: If there’s a theme right now that connects some of our highest-profile teams, it’s that they need help. Different kinds of help, for sure, but there’s an assortment of things that need to be worked out in the coming weeks. Let’s take a look:
GOPHERS MEN’S BASKETBALL needs help building a roster. There are currently only five players on it after graduation, transfer portal defections and high school seniors who withdrew commitments after Ben Johnson’s firing. That leaves 10 spots to be filled by Niko Medved. Look for priority to be given to experienced and versatile players who don’t need to be the center of attention. Junior-to-be Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, a 6-foot-8 forward who is following Medved from Colorado State, fits that description. The Gophers also added former Mankato East star BJ Omot, another 6-foot-8 forward. Omot was an all-Summit League player at North Dakota before transferring to Cal, where he averaged 0.8 points in four games before his season was ended by a wrist injury.
VIKINGS need help from an experienced back-up quarterback. Rookie J.J. McCarthy is the starter and Aaron Rodgers isn’t going to be anyone’s backup. BEST BETS? Joe Flacco, 40, is still on the market after a couple years with Indianapolis. Ryan Tannehill, 36, didn’t play last year after 11 seasons with Miami and Tennessee. WEIRD FACT: Three of the 14 free-agent quarterbacks still on the market played at North Dakota State: Carson Wentz, Trey Lance and Easton Stick. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/qbs0403
TIMBERWOLVES need help in the standings. They’re currently tied with Memphis for sixth in the West, the final spot that avoids the play-in tournament. The Grizzlies will win the season series. But they also have a more difficult schedule in these final 10 days of the season, have lost four in a row and just fired their coach. So other teams are in position to do their part to aid Minnesota. KEY GAME: Wolves at Grizzlies on April 10. (8:30 p.m., TNT)
WILD need all kinds of help. Early-season buzz has been replaced by a late-season drop in the standings — injuries and inconsistency are the culprits — that are putting them on the fringe of the NHL wild-card race with six games to play. Wednesday’s sloppy 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Rangers showed off reasons to lack confidence in the team, despite the fact that the Wild still have more than a 90% chance to get a playoff berth. MY TAKE: Unlike the Wolves, the Wild need to look inward by shrugging off injuries and playing more capably. In other words, no excuses. Filip Gustavsson catching fire in goal is vital to a playoff run. PLAYOFF ODDS: https://fluence-media.co/puckodds0403
GOPHERS MEN’S HOCKEY needs help replacing 11 departed players, including six who decided to leave for the pros after Minnesota lost a two goal lead and lost to UMass in overtime in the first round of the NCAA regionals. Via Randy Johnson at Star Tribune: “Ryan Chesley, a 2022 second-round draft pick (Washington), joins first-round picks Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis), Sam Rinzel (Chicago), Oliver Moore (Chicago) and Matthew Wood (Nashville), plus sixth-round pick Connor Kurth (Tampa Bay) in signing with collegiate eligibility remaining. Those six players produced 89 goals and 125 assists, which accounted for 57.8% of the team’s goals in 2024-25 and 47.9% of its assists.” The Gophers also lost five players, including goalie Liam Souliere, who used up their eligibility.
LYNX need help with depth. The WNBA draft is April 14 (ESPN) and the Lynx have the 11th and 15th overall picks. Going from league runner-up in 2024 to a fifth title in 2025 is a realistic goal, but will require a back-up point guard for Courtney Williams and depth on the wing from players who combine size and shooting touch. The Lynx have two other picks in the three-round draft and help could come via trades, all the more because right now player development needs to take a back seat to production.
BANNER CONTROVERSY: Via Chip Scoggins at Star Tribune. After being taken down 25 years ago in the aftermath of an academic cheating scandal, Scoggins and others are pushing for Minnesota’s 1997 Final Four banner to be re-raised at Williams Arena. VERBATIM: “The Gophers men’s basketball program is beginning a new chapter with Niko Medved’s return to his hometown and alma mater as head coach. The moment feels like a reboot. New coach, new roster, new financial commitment with revenue sharing, new optimism within the fan base. Moving forward can also include a visible reminder of the program’s history without having to feel embarrassed about what is attached to it.” COLUMN: https://fluence-media.co/chip0304
MY TAKE: Don’t do it. Given the financial mayhem of contemporary college sports, I could see doing so if the U’s punishment was for things that wouldn’t result in sanctions today. But as a Minnesota college coach pointed out, this was an academic cheating scandal. And as a former U official texted, “I guess scrubbing history is trendy and encouraged these days.” My advice to Gophers fans: Bury your grievances with the past. Build something that you can pass along to future generations of boosters.
MOCK DRAFTS WITH A TWIST: The NFL Draft starts three weeks from tonight and the Vikings are in an interesting spot for now with only four picks. There are at least three mock drafts that have the Vikings trading their first-round pick, which is 24th overall, to get more picks later on. A quick survey:
THE ATHLETIC: Via Bruce Feldman. South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori from South Carolina brings college heat that would make him a strong understudy to Harrison Smith. VERBATIM: “Inside the Gamecocks program, Emmanwori was known as ‘Nick the Eraser.’ As freakish as Emmanwori is, his coaches say the things that impress them most are his football IQ and ability to retain information. ‘He’s as big as some defensive ends in college and faster than anyone on the field,’ an SEC offensive coordinator said.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/athletic0403
ESPN: Via Field Yates. Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. VERBATIM: Barron could claim one of the starting outside spots. He is one of the most instinctive players in the entire class, showing an ability to find the football from any alignment. His versatility would surely appeal to defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and he posted five interceptions and 10 pass breakups in 2024. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/espn0403
NFL.COM: Via Chad Reuter. Trade with Buffalo. VERBATIM: “The Vikings could stay put and take a defensive back themselves, but they currently only have four selections in this draft, so adding two early Day 3 picks might be worth the risk of moving down the board a bit.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/chad0403
NFL.COM: Via Lance Zierlein. Trade with Cleveland. VERBATIM: “If the Browns have their eyes on Shedeur Sanders, they would be wise to trade from the 33rd overall pick into the first round, so they can secure the fifth-year option that would then come with Sanders' rookie contract. It helps that Minnesota needs more picks.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/lance0403
CBS: Via Chris Trapasso. Trade picks with Washington, then take cornerback Trey Amos of Mississippi 29th. VERBATIM: After obtaining a fourth-round pick from Washington, along with a 2026 third-round pick in the trade back, the Vikings get a high-floor outside cornerback.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/cbs0403
RABBIT HOLE: Want to be Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for a few minutes? Play with this mock draft simulator and make your own second-guessable selections. TAP: https://fluence-media.co/mock0403
PRICE OF THE PORTAL: Three of the top six boys’ basketball players in Minnesota’s Class of 2024, as ranked by 247 Sports, are current in the transfer portal. They are Daniel Freitag of Wisconsin (Breck School/Bloomington Jefferson), Isaiah Johnson-Arigu of Miami (Totino-Grace) and Casmir Chavis of Arkansas (Park Center). Freitag is an interesting and illuminating case. Wisconsin is losing a batch of experienced players from this year’s team. In the old world of college basketball, that would have meant an opportunity for a player like Freitag, who was heavily recruited by the Badgers but played in only 14 games as a freshman.
THE NEW WORLD: Via Rohan Chakravarthi of SB Nation. VERBATIM: “Entering the offseason, Wisconsin had quite a few holes to fill, as they were losing six seniors: Max Klesmit, John Tonje, Steven Crowl, Carter Gilmore, Kamari McGee, and Markus Ilver. Three of those players were starters. Another two were key reserves. . . . One main thing that the Badgers were losing was experience. And that seems to be what the team is coveting in the transfer portal early on. The expectation of adding one or two transfer guards limits the opportunities for Freitag, who likely wouldn’t be as ready to contribute as the incoming players. Which means another year like 2024 could be the plan.” IN OTHER WORDS: Freitag needs to find a school where, in addition to what he gets paid, he has a better chance to play now. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/freitag0304
WHO’S IN THE PORTAL? Via 247 Sports. Football and men’s basketball players. List is sortable and updated daily. RABBIT HOLE: https://fluence-media.co/portal0403
NEXT STOP? NCAA TOURNAMENT: Via John Shipley at Pioneer Press. After finishing second in the 2024 WNIT postseason tournament, the Gophers women took a step up by winning the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament on Wednesday, beating Belmont University for the title to cap an impressive five-game run against teams that weren’t among the 68 chosen for the main NCAA tournament. So the team’s next goal — in addition to keeping star Maya Braun healthy next season — is obvious, right? VERBATIM: “It’s incredible for our young ladies,” Coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. “But our goal is to be in the Big Dance, and hopefully this gives us a way to catapult and continue to keep growing. Do we want to get healthy? Of course, but it’s a way for us to gain momentum.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/uwomen0403
HISTORY: The WBIT title was the second postseason championship for the Gophers, who won the 2012 Women’s Basketball Invitational under Coach Pam Borton.
WOMEN RULE NIL: Via Michele Steele at ESPN. You can make a good case for UConn’s Paige Bueckers, the former Hopkins star and future No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick, being the ultimate influencer among college athletes. That’s a conclusion from a recent report by SponsorUnited, which tracks and analyzes that data. VERBATIM: “The new data underscored the growing marketability of women's college athletes, particularly in basketball, as women outpace men on social media in follower count and engagement. ‘Players like Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins aren't just athletes, they're compelling storytellers whose careers are closely followed from high school through college,’ CEO Bob Lynch said, adding that basketball culture ‘resonates on a massive scale.’ “
MORE: “Bueckers, who led the Huskies to a Final Four berth, added about 3 million followers on her social media platforms in the past 12 months, one million more than any male athlete. Bueckers also had the highest audience engagement with her posts. Eight of the top 10 athletes in audience engagement were women.” ESPN STORY: https://fluence-media.co/bueckers0403. GET THE REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/report0403
BUECKERS VS. CLARK: Via Patrick Reusse at Star Tribune. In the course of a fun column about watching Bueckers in a Hopkins bar during the Elite Eight game vs. USC, Reusse dropped a comparison from Big Ten Network basketball broadcaster Sloane Martin. VERBATIM: “Martin, much-heard on TV play-by-play for women’s basketball and a serious student of what she’s watching, was asked for a Clark-Bueckers comparison. ‘They both are 6-foot true point guards and put a lot of emphasis on their passing, racking up assists. ‘Geno for years has been begging Paige to be more selfish, look for her shot more — kind of what we’ve been seeing during this amazing NCAA run where Paige is taking over games. Caitlin plays a high-octane style that feels impossible to slow down. Paige is exacting and calculating — takes a scalpel to the game. They both pick you apart but in different ways.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/superstars0403
CIRCLE THESE DATES: Bueckers (and Dallas) vs. the Lynx at Target Center. May 21 and September 1. Clark (and Indiana) vs. the Lynx at Target Center. August 24. Dallas vs. Indiana: June 27, July 13, August 1, August 12.
‘TUSH PUSH’ FATE. LOCAL ANGLE: Via Alex Butler at Yahoo! Sports. A batch of rule changes were approved at the NFL owners’ meeting on Tuesday in Florida. But one that was tabled is the fate of the ‘tush push,’ which the Green Bay Packers and other teams are hoping to see banned. The play’s fate will be decided May 20 or 21 in Minneapolis when the owners meet again. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/tushpush0403
OTHER RULE CHANGES: Via The Athletic. Most of the rule changes approved by the owners are minor, with the exception of one now requiring that both teams get to play offense during the 10-minute overtime period. That mirrors a change made several years ago for postseason overtime. The only exception: if a team takes the entire 10-minute overtime to score, the other team will not get a chance on offense. LIST OF CHANGES: https://fluence-media.co/rules0403
SCHMIT RETIRING. Via KSTP.com. After almost 40 years at KSTP-TV, Joe Schmit announced that he’ll be leaving the station at the end of the month. VERBATIM: “It’s not retirement, it’s reinvention. My first day at KSTP-TV was June 26, 1985. I informed the station in January that my last day will be April 30, 2025. The decision is all about time. It’s just time to have more time for my family, my passion projects and for myself. I am lucky, and I realize it. I was an average Joe who hit the lottery. I’m lucky to work for a station that cares about news. I’ve been lucky to work with some amazingly talented individuals who made me better professionally and personally. I witnessed sports history, met thousands of incredible people and had more fun than someone should while I was working. Yes, I have been lucky!”
LIETZAU LET GO BY STRIB: The Star Tribune will no long publish horse racing handicapper Jay Lietzau’s Canterbury Park selections. Lietzau replaced the very capable Johnny Love several years ago and was a source of “free advertising” at the race track, as no mention of Lietzau’s work was made without referring to the newspaper. Also, racing news coverage will be done by Jerry Zgoda after Rachel Blount’s departure from the Strib last year.
TORPEDO BAT PRIMER: Via Bill Chappell at NPR. A major storyline during the first week of baseball season has been the fuss about “torpedo bats,” which several Yankees players used last weekend in a home-run barrage vs. Milwaukee. The bats are legal under baseball rules and, as their shape implies, are larger and heavier at the “sweet spot” where hitters seek to make contact. STORY: https://fluence-media.co/torpedo0403
AURORA’S NEW SPONSOR: Via Team Announcement. Minnesota Aurora, the community-owned women’s soccer team that begins its fourth season in May, has a new front-of-the-jersey sponsorship deal with Allina Health. Three new uniforms combinations will be revealed before the season’s start, the first one on April 24. Allina replaces Explore Minnesota as the jersey sponsor.
ST. THOMAS STEPS UP: The Tommies released their 2025 football schedule this week and it features an end-of-season nonconference game at North Dakota State, which won the FCS title for the 10th time in January. While St. Thomas is in Division I, its football team plays in a conference (The Pioneer League) that doesn’t allow athletic scholarships. The Tommies were 6-6 in 2024 and filled out their schedule with D-II teams. This is better, regardless of the outcome. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/tommies0403
BROOKLYN PARK GROUNDBREAKING MONDAY: Via Marcus Hill, Parks and Facilities manager on Facebook and CCX Media. The $10 million expansion of Brooklyn Park’s Zanewood Recreation Center is set for 4:30 p.m. Monday. VERBATIM: “We hope to not only serve the youth and teens of Brooklyn Park but also the surrounding communities! This facility will have a brand new gym, Best Buy tech lab, workforce development space for youth looking for jobs and internships, and a dedicated arts space with much, much more.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/zanewood0403
DON’T CLOSE THE COURTS: Via Myron Medcalf at Star Tribune. The ESPN writer/broadcaster who writes weekly for Star Tribune, argues against Life Time’s plan to shut down its basketball courts at its clubs in downtown Minneapolis and Edina in favor of what the company calls space for “high-energy, cardio, and functional training competition.” VERBATIM: “Since the pandemic, there are fewer accessible community spaces. As I age, I worry about the effect this will have on men of all ages. Though a basketball court may seem like a small addition to a neighborhood, it’s also an opportunity to build relationships. When I played basketball, I didn’t know where all of my teammates worked, where they were from, who they’d voted for or the amount of cash in their bank accounts. It never mattered once we said ‘check ball.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/medcalf0403
PUNKED (APRIL 1ST EDITION): Several news organizations fell for a bogus news story that appeared on the North Dakota State student newspaper, The Spectrum, where it was clearly labeled as “satirical and fake” as part of an annual April Fool’s edition. HEADLINE: Carson Wentz Retires from the NFL, Named QB Coach at NDSU. What followed was a seven-paragraph story about a press conference that never took place. Falling for the prank was The Economic Times, an English language business web site headquartered in India. That story was reposted on msn.com and a shorter version appeared on the web site of a North Dakota radio station.
MY TAKE: Plea to young journalists. You can’t make up this stuff . . . because someone is gonna believe you no matter how hard you try to not let them. And this kind of silliness will only get worse as more “news” aggregating and writing is done with AI.
Thanks for reading. Back with more next week.
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