NAILED IT, FOR BETTER OR WORSE: Last week, I was skeptical about Gophers basketball, men’s and women’s, and their double-digit defeats confirmed my expectations. I passed over the overtold Kirk Cousins homecoming angle in favor of telling you about his recent struggles, which continued in the Vikings’ lopsided win over Atlanta. I told you the Gophers were likely headed to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, although I spared you (until now) the detail about the winning coach sitting in a chair while a cooler of mayo is dumped on his head. And I promoted the excitement of Minnesota teams in the NCAA Division II and III football playoffs, which featured another three exciting games and two teams (Bethel and Minnesota State) moving into their next rounds. Yeah, I’m trying to make up for my overly optimistic view of Gophers football earlier this season, so thank you for bearing with me during this paragraph of self-congratulation.
This week, instead of Cousins, we have concerns about cussing, the successful D-I men’s basketball team in St. Paul, another turn in the Sam Darnold situation, a high school basketball team off to a smashing start, Gophers hockey beating almost everyone . . . and more. And we’ve reached the 20th edition of Sports Take. Thanks for reading. I’ll try to get it right often enough to justify the time you spend here. Let’s go! — Howard Sinker
BEFORE YOU READ ANYTHING ELSE: Via Chip Scoggins at Star Tribune. I really wasn’t expecting to wake up over the weekend to a story about a high school football player who is also a reincarnated Buddhist lama. But I read the story of Jalue Dorjee, a St. Anthony Village football player, from start to finish — and one more time to savor every word. VERBATIM: Dorjee is “an ascending spiritual leader, recognized by Tibetan Buddhists around the world as the eighth reincarnation of a lama born almost 400 years ago. When the Dalai Lama and other leaders made this declaration 15 years ago, young Dorjee became known as the first Tibetan Buddhist reincarnation lama born in the United States.”
MORE FROM SCOGGINS: Members of this community refer to Dorjee as “Rinpoche” — precious one. Lamas are teachers or gurus in Buddhism tasked with passing on wisdom to followers. . . . Dorjee accepts his responsibility with exceptional maturity and gratitude. He shakes his head when asked if he feels special. “I’ve always considered myself just one of the guys,” he said before a football practice this season. “A regular guy.” The photos by Aaron Lavinsky, who partners with Scoggins on much of his high-profile work, are excellent too. FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/lama1212
HOT WILD HOMECOMING: The Wild still have the best record in the NHL after returning home from a three-game road trip, and it’s time to put them in the forefront of any local sports report. Much like the Vikings, the Wild have smashed all expectations so far and lead the league with 42 points in 28 games. Winnipeg has 42, but has played 30. The latest was a 5-4 win over Utah in which they tied the score with 44 seconds left in the third period and won in a shootout. Marco Rossi scores; Filip Gustavsson stops all three Utah tries in the shootout. Now comes five games at the X, starting tonight vs. Edmonton.
GAME REPORT: Via Sarah McLellan at Star Tribune. VERBATIM: The Wild remained undefeated (13-0) when leading after two periods, although they took an unconventional route to keep their perfect record — and resilience — intact. “We refuse to quit,” defenseman Jon Merrill said, “and no matter what goes in, on the penalty kill or whatever, we’re just gonna keep battling and keep playing to get wins.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/Wild1212
KEEP IN MIND: The Wild have continued playing well despite being with several key player in recent games. Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin have been sidelined by injuries.
OVERLOADING THE GUS BUS? Via Robert Brent at Hockey Wilderness. Goaltending was a problem for the Wild last season as neither Gustavsson nor Marc-Andre Fleury performed well. The fix wasn’t intuitive. VERBATIM: Instead of directly addressing the goaltending position, the Wild hoped that improving their defense would make the goalies' jobs easier. So far, that approach has paid massive dividends for Filip Gustavsson. He’s playing the best hockey of his career, producing many quality starts and highlight-reel saves.
MORE FROM BRENT: Gustavsson is leading the league with a 2.08 goals-against average and among the leaders in other categories. He’s also played in 21 of the Wild’s 28 games, which raises these questions: (1) Is he being worked too hard? (2) Can he keep up the excellent work? VERBATIM: Are the Wild overworking Gustavsson? . . . Any way you slice it, Gustavsson is playing like an elite NHL goaltender. When you pair his excellent performance with the fact that Jesper Wallstedt is struggling in the AHL (.865 save percentage) and Marc-André Fleury is putting up unspectacular numbers, it’s obvious why the Wild are leaning on Gustavsson so heavily. They don’t have many other options, leading to an increasingly burdensome workload. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/goalie1212
CLINCH BEFORE KICKOFF? The Vikings can lock up a playoff spot before Monday night’s game against the Bears if the Rams lose tonight in San Francisco or if Seattle loses on Sunday night to the Packers.
THE DARNOLD DISCUSSION: Via Alec Lewis at The Athletic. Last week, the question was whether the Vikings and Sam Darnold should make a commitment to each other for the future instead of looking at his Minnesota tenure as a one-year thing. This week, after a career-best performance in the 42-21 win over Atlanta, the question has become whether Darnold is an MVP candidate. VERBATIM: Debating his case in depth is a discussion for another day, but his recent play should at least put him in the discussion. In his last four games, Darnold has thrown 11 touchdown passes without an interception. On the season, he has the third-highest passer rating in the NFL behind Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff. His 3,299 passing yards rank fifth in the NFL. His completion percentage is seventh-best. And his 28 passing touchdowns slot him third. Darnold’s five-touchdown day was the first for a Vikings quarterback in 20 years. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/darnold1212
THAT END-OF-GAME TRIBUTE: Via FOX9. Fans chanted M-V-P, his teammates joined in the fun and Darnold responded with a towel-waving salute. Not a familiar feeling for a quarterback who had struggled as a pro until this season. “It’s happened before, but very rarely,” he said. DARNOLD SPEAKS: https://fluence-media.co/postgame1212
FUTURE TALK: Via Emily Leiker at Star Tribune. From offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. VERBATIM: “We all know that Sam is gonna be a sought-after type of guy from wherever that may be. Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are gonna be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being. I don’t think he has to worry about that anymore. The worry might’ve been, OK, this might be my opportunity to play. He’s past all that. He’s proven the doubters, and he’s proven that he can play in this league.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/phillips
NEW FOOTBALL WRITER IN TOWN: Via Karen Lundegaard at Star Tribune. Emily Leiker, whose story is cited above, started with the Strib three weeks ago as the fourth writer on the Vikings beat. VERBATIM: “I have been a storyteller since I was little, and my mom would give me a tape recorder to talk into during our commute to school, which grew into a passion for writing and telling stories that way. We were also a big sports household — both playing and watching. I just remember being on the couch one Sunday with my dad around 13 and seeing Erin Andrews on TV and being told that sports reporting was a job I could do. I set my sights on it that day and haven’t ever really looked back.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/leiker1212
ONE MORE TRIBUTE: Via Dane Mizutani at Pioneer Press. VERBATIM: After going viral on social media earlier this season by paying homage to the “The Parent Trap” in London, Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus provided quite the encore on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. This time around, Bynum and Metellus went with an ode to “White Chicks” starring brothers Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans. After recording an interception near midfield, Metellus immediately raced to the end zone, where Bynum was waiting to put their plan into action. They proceeded to recreate the dance battle from the 2004 cult classic, fully equipped with the showstopper that featured Metellus flipping Bynum, who has better video editing skills than most of us. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/whitechicks
JUST FACTS: KICKOFF: 7 p.m. Monday vs. Chicago. TV: ABC, ESPN app. RADIO: KFAN 100.3 FM, Vikings Radio Network and stream. BETTING: Vikings by 7, Over/Under: 43.5. STATS AND STUFF: https://fluence-media.co/vikingsbearsweek15
ROUGH OPENERS: Via Marcus Fuller and Kent Youngblood at Star Tribune. The Gophers men’s and women’s teams opened Big Ten play with games that left their coaches less than thrilled. For the men, their 82-67 loss at Indiana, which came after a double-digit loss to Michigan State, led to a tense postgame meeting. For the women, their 10-0 record against a super-soft nonconference schedule, was followed by a 19-point loss at Nebraska. VERBATIM: Gophers coach Ben Johnson challenged his team with a lengthy postgame locker room speech Monday. The seniors took it personally because they were expected to set the standard for how everyone competes. “He spoke to that we don’t have a true leader on our team,” Dawson Garcia said. “That’s a shot at me. That’s a shot at Parker [Fox]. It’s a shot at Mike [Mitchell Jr.] It’s a shot at a lot of guys. He was calling people up and calling people out.”
JOHNSON SAID: Via Fuller. “We’re at that stage right now where we have to figure out internally what our habits look like. And do those habits impact winning? Does it put us in a position to be a competitive team and try to win games in our league? Because this league is unforgiving.”
WOMEN’S LOSS: Via Youngblood. VERBATIM: A perfect 10-0 entering their Big Ten opener, the Gophers lost 84-65 to the 25th-ranked Cornhuskers in a game that was pretty much decided in the opening minutes. “Well, we got punched in the mouth, right at the beginning of the game,” Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit said by phone from Lincoln, Neb., “We didn’t play with any kind of edge.”
FULL STORIES: Gophers-Indiana game report: https://fluence-media.co/gophershoosiers1212. Gopher-Nebraska game report: https://fluence-media.co/gophershuskers1212. Gophers-Indiana follow-up story: https://fluence-media.co/gophersfollowup1212
CONTEXT: A major factor used by the NCAA in determining postseason bids is NET Rankings, which take into account a variety of factors. The Gophers men are 164th among the 364 NCAA Division I teams, which is worst among the 18 Big Ten teams. Nine conference teams are in the Top 30, 15 in the Top 100 and USC in the lowest rated aside from the Gophers at 149. The women are 37th, which is ninth best in the Big Ten.
OH, LOOK AT THAT: The U women beat Jackson State 81-43 on Wednesday night at the Barn. Jackson State has one win and a NET ranking of 304 out of 362 women’s teams. Minnesota last nonconference game is against Prairie View A&M, which is No. 310 but has two wins — against non-NCAA schools.
ANOTHER COMPARISON: The St. Thomas men are 110th. I’ll do the math: That’s 54 spots above the U.
NET RANKINGS EXPLAINED: Via NCAA.com. Go as deep as you want here: https://fluence-media.co/net1212
PAY ATTENTION TO THE TOMMIES: While the Gophers were struggling, the St. Thomas men had a very good week, beating Northern Colorado and preseason Big Sky Conference favorite Montana in the Big Sky-Summit League challenge. The Tommies are 7-4 with an 8 p.m. home game against Western Michigan on Friday. (TV: FOX9+)
SCOUTING REPORT: Via former St. Thomas assistant Jay Pivec. The Hall of Fame junior college coach from his years at Minneapolis Community and Technical College was an assistant on coach Johnny Tauer’s staff from 2013-16, when St. Thomas was still a D-III program. VERBATIM: Coach Tauer’s philosophy is rooted in simplicity, discipline and mastery of the fundamentals. Under his leadership, practices revolved around repetition, attention to detail, and an unrelenting competitive spirit. Turnovers are more than mistakes—they are sins—and every drill emphasizes the importance of protecting the basketball. Hundreds of shots go up daily because preparation isn't just valued but non-negotiable. As JT often said, “Can’t shoot? Don’t recruit.” For the Tommies, shooting isn't just a skill but a standard. . . . While the Tommies are known for their three-point shooting, which remains a core strength, they are far from one-dimensional. They excel at creating isolation opportunities and attacking the basket, showcasing a versatile offensive approach that keeps opponents off balance. This combination of discipline, adaptability, and relentless effort sets St. Thomas basketball apart. Look for them to compete for the Summit League title.
THREE QUESTIONS FOR TAUER: I asked Tauer via email and here are his responses, edited for length.
Q: Are you feeling like the Tommies aren't getting the media attention you ought to be getting? From here, it doesn't feel like you're being treated like a D-I program.
Tauer: Although we don’t control who covers our team, I consistently hear a theme from fans and media who attend our games that watching our players compete with joy, unselfishness and toughness is as good a show as anywhere in town. We invite everyone out to watch our guys play. We have won 28 of our last 32 games at home, and win or lose, I promise you will see them compete like champions while playing an entertaining style of basketball.
Q: How do you compare this year's team to your previous D-I teams?
Tauer: We talk a lot about continuity and culture as two key themes that have allowed us to successfully transition from D-III to Division I. In Year Two, we won 19 games, Year Three, we won 20 games and we are the first transitioning team out of 47 in the last 25 years to have won 19 or more wins in our second and third years in D-I. All of the others made the jump from Division II During the first three years of our transition, many of our players had started with us in our D-III three years. Those nine players have graduated, and this year we have five true freshmen, four redshirt freshmen and three transfers. It has been a great test of our culture, and our five returners have done a stellar job of leading us. Returning starters, Drake Dobbs from Eden Prairie and Kendall Blue from East Ridge, have led the way, providing poise, experience and an acute understanding of our culture. This year‘s team has better athleticism and we are playing 10 guys regularly. But the style of play is very similar to what we have had in the past.
Q: How much would you like to get the Gophers on your schedule?
Tauer: I think it would be a great game for the state of Minnesota and our basketball community for us to play the Gophers at some point down the road. As the only two D-I basketball programs in the state, I think it would rival the Marquette-Wisconsin game, the Creighton-Nebraska game, and others like it around the country, with urban Catholic schools playing their larger state universities. Scheduling is incredibly challenging at the D-I level and we work tirelessly to put together a schedule that balances competitiveness, missed class time, games that are appealing for our alumni and fans — all while trying to do this in unison with other teams’ goals and schedules.
MY TAKE: C’mon, Gophers. Let’s get this scheduled. Sports Take Cup goes to the winner.
WHAT THE (BLEEP) DID HE SAY? Via Men’s Journal. Anthony Edwards keeps giving back a portion of his salary. This time, it was a $25,000 fine for cussin’ during a postgame media interview after the Wolves beat Golden State last Friday. THE QUOTE: "Everyone is guarding at a high level, but Jaden [McDaniels] and Rudy [Gobert] are being the anchors that we need them to be. I think that's the main thing. Naz [Reid] and Julius [Randle] are f--kin' playing defense. I've never seen them play defense before. So that's f--king incredible." MORE: https://fluence-media.co/cussing1212
MY TAKE: Geezola-canola, for gosh sakes. Player fined for swearing during an interview in the locker room. That’s effin’ ridiculous. Oh, my word.
CHRIS HINE’S TAKE: Via Star Tribune. The Star Tribune’s ace basketball writer took the high road and didn’t use the quote in his game story, but saved it for the next day — kind of — to explain how Edwards “is finding his voice as a leader,” according to the story headline. Hines, who is writing a book about Edwards, put the player’s words in context. He was holding court after the team’s win vs. Golden State, the fourth straight after Edwards had chastised the team for lousy defense just before Thanksgiving. VERBATIM: Flash forward to Friday night . . . and a happy Edwards was speaking to reporters as Julius Randle was sitting two stalls over. Randle was listening in on what Edwards had to say, and Edwards saw that. In that moment, Edwards showcased a more subtle way in which he has been a vocal leader over the past few seasons.
MORE HINE: After a G-rated version of the quote, fit for a “family web site,” Hine added context without making anyone cringe. VERBATIM: Edwards sprinkled in a few expletives, as he is prone to do. Randle just sat at his stall and laughed. But that statement is an example of how Edwards can call out teammates with a deft touch. He will use humor while making a point that has cutting truth to it. He can let Randle know how he feels by not insulting him and making Randle laugh — while also being positive at the same time. In reporting a book on Edwards this summer, I interviewed multiple people from Edwards’ college days at Georgia and with the Wolves who said this was how Edwards gets his points across — with a wink, smile and a laugh, but he’s also going to let you know what he really thinks. FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/edwards1212
STORY TIME: In the late 20th Century, my son learned much of his basketball by watching games at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. where tickets were cheap, games were good and we could sit a few rows behind the aforementioned Jay Pivec and his team. One afternoon, the youngster went to stand behind the bench during a time out. His report upon returning: “Coach Pivec said . . . he said … Eff.” And that’s how he learned that when coaches fuss, they sometimes cuss.
MOCK DRAFT: Via Eric Nemchock at Swish Appeal. The draft will be held in April, after last week’s expansion draft and upcoming free-agent signings. Paige Bueckers, the former Hopkins star, is the obvious No. 1 choice and going to Dallas, barring any (as they used to say in pro wrestling) chicanery and tomfoolery. But what about the Lynx at No. 11. The name to know is point guard JJ Quinerly from Virginia Tech. VERBATIM: “The Lynx don’t have many obvious needs. Minnesota made the 2024 WNBA Finals thanks to team defense and an egalitarian offensive approach that featured shooters at every position, and each of its five starters are under contract for 2025.”
WHY QUINERLY? VERBATIM: More backcourt depth never hurt anyone, though. Quinerly is the head of the snake for an über-aggressive West Virginia team, and she’d bring that youthful energy to Minnesota, giving the Lynx a pesky point-of-attack [defender] who can relentlessly push the ball in transition. Quinerly is currently averaging 18.6 points and three steals for the Mountaineers, and while there may be questions about her ability to play point guard at the next level, the Lynx’s success in 2024 proved that you don’t always need a ball-dominant lead guard to have an efficient and unselfish offense. MOCK DRAFT: https://fluence-media.co/wnbamock1212
Got something to show me or tell me about? Email: sportstake@fluence-media.com
GOPHERS FOOTBALL AT WRIGLEY FIELD: Via Gophersports.com. The 2025 football schedule has been released and one highlight is Minnesota playing Northwestern on Nov. 22 at Wrigley Field, which was host to a game between the Wildcats and Illinois this season. The Gophers also go on the road to play powers Ohio State and Oregon, which weren’t on the 2024 schedule, and Nebraska comes to The Bank. The season-ender will be at home against the Badgers. FULL SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/2025gophers
QUARTERBACK FROM GEORGIA TECH COMING: Via Andy Greder at Pioneer Press. Zach Byron, the back-up QB for Georgia Tech, announced Wednesday he’s coming to the U. He’s played in 19 games over two seasons. VERBATIM: The Gophers are high on to-be redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey, but given his limited experience — two games played late in blowout wins — the U felt the need to have another option with experience in the QB room. This is unlike [Max] Brosmer, who was brought in with a bigger resume to be the Day 1 starter. Pyron, who will require less of an NIL commitment, will be given an opportunity to compete for the job along with Lindsey, redshirt sophomore Dylan Wittke, who transferred to the U from Virginia Tech last winter, and incoming true freshman QB Jackson Kollock. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/portal1212
BIG BATTLE AT MARIUCCI: In the last USCHO.com men’s hockey poll, the Gophers climbed into the No. 1 spot after being fourth in the previous version. Shutting out Michigan 6-0 and 2-0 did the trick, and also set up an even bigger series this weekend against Michigan State, which fell from No. 1 to No. 3 after a weekend split against Wisconsin. How hot are the teams? The Spartans’ loss ended their 11-game winning streak. Minnesota is undefeated in the Big Ten and at home. Games are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday on FOX9+. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/utickets1212
USCHO POLL: It’s here: https://fluence-media.co/uscho1212
AND THE U WOMEN: They’re No. 3 in the latest poll after sweeping St. Thomas — and off until a Jan. 1 game against Bemidji State at Hasse Arena in Lakeville, which is sponsored by the Lakeville South booster club. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/uvsbemidji1212. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/uschowomen
ONWARD CHRISTIAN FOOTBALLERS: Round 3 of Bethel vs. St. John’s isn’t happening this weekend in the D-III quarterfinals because the No. 1-seeded Johnnies were knocked out 41-38 by Susquehanna University in Collegeville. Instead, the Royals will travel to Pennsylvania to play the River Hawks. Susquehanna has scored more than 40 points in its last eight games. Bethel advanced by beating Wartburg 24-14, capping the scoring early in the fourth quarter on a 59-yard interception return touchdown by Matt Jung. (Above photo courtesy by Carl Schmuland provided by Bethel sports information.)
ONWARD MAVERICKS, TOO: Minnesota State, unranked in the final D2football.com poll, goes to Georgia to play No. 2-ranked and undefeated Valdosta State, which has beaten 11 of its 12 opponents so far by at least two touchdowns. The Mavericks trailed until the fourth quarter before rallying past Bemidji State 27-23 in their quarterfinal. Mankato has won its three playoff games by a total of eight points. Both games are at 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN+.
READ THIS AND SMILE: Via CJ Wrzesien at Bethel Clarion. The Bethel senior, who covers the school’s football team, grew up on a diet of professional and major college sports before he learned about something that could be more satisfying. VERBATIM: Where is Mount Union? Why would anyone care about Division III football? These teams aren’t on ESPN. Why care about the exploits of non-scholarship athletes when the best players in the world were on my TV 12 hours each Sunday? HOW HE GOT WISE: https://fluence-media.co/cj1212
CRUSHING RANKED OPPONENTS: Benilde-St. Margaret’s was No. 16 in Star Tribune’s initial Top 25 boys’ basketball rankings and No. 6 in the Class 3A Minnesota Basketball News rankings. The Red Knights have opened by pummeling three Star Tribune-ranked opponents: No. 25 Richfield (96-76), No. 8 Shakopee (85-59) and No. 15 Breck School (74-51). On Tuesday, BSM put away Breck, the defending 2A champion, with a quick opening burst and kept growing the margin. Northern Iowa verbal commit Jalen Wilson had 21 points and TJ Stuttley, a transfer from southwestern Wisconsin who played for a Missouri prep school last season, had 19. The Red Knights play at 6 p.m. Saturday at home against No. 24 Stewartville, one of seven games in their Southside Classic.
ALSO AT BENILDE: The Southside has six boys’ games and a girls’ game at 3:30 p.m. between BSM and Duluth Marshall, which features Chloe Johnson, the standout ninth-grade point guard already considered to be among the elite players nationally in the Class of 2028. The game will be streamed by NSPN. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/nspn1212girls
INSPIRATIONAL: Via Chip Scoggins and Elizabeth Flores at Star Tribune. Did you miss the Star Tribune story about Johnson that was published last season? VERBATIM: The basketball gym attached to Chloe Johnson's house is 64 paces from her bedroom, and her mind is often a whirl of thoughts as she strides past the living room, past the kitchen and through the garage. The distractions in her head disappear when she opens that door and steps onto the court. This is where 14-year-old Chloe feels free. Free from worry. Free from intrusive thoughts that can paralyze her. The medical term is "obsessive-compulsive disorder." Her family calls it a "secret storm." Not visible by outward appearances, its cruel impact they know too well. READ THE REST: https://fluence-media.co/chloe
ALSO ON SATURDAY: The Big Stage Classic at Totino-Grace has seven boys’ basketball games involving many of the metro area’s top teams, including 2024 state champs Minnetonka (4A), Totino-Grace (3A) and Breck School (2A). NSPN will steam all the games. Schedule below from Minnesota Boys Basketball Hub. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/nspnboys
AND FINALLY: Just in case you were wondering (and even if you weren’t).
Thanks for reading. Back with more next week.
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HOW TO WATCH ALMOST ANYTHING
ESPN's guide to sports on about 250 channels and streaming services: https://fluence-media.co/3T4rYw4
Minnesota Division II and III sports: MIAC Network | Northern Sun Network | Upper Midwest Network
NSPN Minnesota high school livestreams: https://fluence-media.co/3My8Tyv
NFHS Minnesota high school livestreams: https://fluence-media.co/3MvFSU6