The Minnesota State football team will begin spring practice Monday afternoon, hoping to build on consecutive 10-win seasons. The spring practice period allows for 15 workouts over the next 27 days, culminating in the spring game April 24.
The Mavericks have some rebuilding to do, having lost four starting offensive linemen, a quarterback, two running backs and the top two receivers. Defensively, two linemen, two defensive backs and a linebacker are gone.
Quarterback Steve Pachan returns, having started nine games at quarterback, and top rusher Jake Aberg gained 1,201 yards. Those two will be working behind a new line, with mostly new receivers.
The defense may have to carry the team early, with the top three tacklers — linebacker Dan Fehlberg, linebacker Matt McQuiston and safety Jesse Hamilton — back.
Last season began with 10 straight victories before things went wrong, losing the regular-season finale at St. Cloud State and the playoff opener at home against Hillsdale College. With consecutive postseason appearances, the expectations around the program clearly have changed, but it looks to be quite a challenge to meet that mark again this season.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Heartbreak for Sibley East
I was there when the Minnesota State men's basketball team let a 16-point lead slip away in the regional tournament at Winona State, and I thought that might be the most stunning loss I'd ever see.
But after Sibley East lost a 20-point lead with six minutes to play and fell 60-59 in overtime to Braham in the quarterfinals of the Class AA boys basketball tournament, I have now seen a more gut-wrenching defeat.
Sibley East was cruising. Marshall Bjorklund was dominating the inside, and the defenders were harassing Braham's perimeter players. The story of victory and advancing to the semifinals was nearly written.
But that's why every laptop has a delete key.
Braham got hot from 3-point range, and a press seemed to interrupt Sibley East's rhythm. The ball stopped going inside as turnovers cut short several possessions.
As Braham crept closer, you could see that free throws would become important, and the Wolverines, who made their free throws in the section tournament at about 74 percent, were shaky.
Braham's confidence grew as Sibley East's shrank, but the Wolverines still held a one-point lead in the final seconds. However, a questionable call on Braham's final possession allowed the winning free throws, and the stunning rally was complete.
This is a loss these players will remember for the rest of their lives. Sibley East was 24-4 this season, but it's tough to lean on positives after such a shocking defeat. It's too bad that three seniors had their careers end this way.
But after Sibley East lost a 20-point lead with six minutes to play and fell 60-59 in overtime to Braham in the quarterfinals of the Class AA boys basketball tournament, I have now seen a more gut-wrenching defeat.
Sibley East was cruising. Marshall Bjorklund was dominating the inside, and the defenders were harassing Braham's perimeter players. The story of victory and advancing to the semifinals was nearly written.
But that's why every laptop has a delete key.
Braham got hot from 3-point range, and a press seemed to interrupt Sibley East's rhythm. The ball stopped going inside as turnovers cut short several possessions.
As Braham crept closer, you could see that free throws would become important, and the Wolverines, who made their free throws in the section tournament at about 74 percent, were shaky.
Braham's confidence grew as Sibley East's shrank, but the Wolverines still held a one-point lead in the final seconds. However, a questionable call on Braham's final possession allowed the winning free throws, and the stunning rally was complete.
This is a loss these players will remember for the rest of their lives. Sibley East was 24-4 this season, but it's tough to lean on positives after such a shocking defeat. It's too bad that three seniors had their careers end this way.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Sibley East's Bjorklund is the real deal
If you've not seen Sibley East senior Marshall Bjorklund play basketball, you only have a few games remaining. And you should try to get a look at this kid.
The 6-8 senior center is averaging 25.1 points and 15.0 rebounds and has led the Wolverines to the state tournament for the first time in 12 seasons. He holds program records for points, rebounds and blocked shots.
His skills were dsiplayed Friday night in the Section 5AA championship game against Foley. He had 30 points and 17 rebounds, and equally impressive were the three assists, passing out of the double- and triple-teams to open shooters.
Bjorklund, the younger brother of former WNBA player Tera Bjorklund, is smooth and powerful. He jumps well, has good hands. He hardly shows any emotion on the court. He just plays hard.
Too bad for the local universities that he's headed off to North Dakota State next season. If Bjorklund ever decides that Division I is not for him and he wants to move closer to home, he'd sure look good in Mavericks' purple.
And coach Matt Margenthaler has been known to welcome a Division I transfer or two in his tenure.
Bjorklund will be tough to stop at the state tournament. There aren't a lot of big centers in Class AA, which makes Sibley East a tough draw for any team.
The 6-8 senior center is averaging 25.1 points and 15.0 rebounds and has led the Wolverines to the state tournament for the first time in 12 seasons. He holds program records for points, rebounds and blocked shots.
His skills were dsiplayed Friday night in the Section 5AA championship game against Foley. He had 30 points and 17 rebounds, and equally impressive were the three assists, passing out of the double- and triple-teams to open shooters.
Bjorklund, the younger brother of former WNBA player Tera Bjorklund, is smooth and powerful. He jumps well, has good hands. He hardly shows any emotion on the court. He just plays hard.
Too bad for the local universities that he's headed off to North Dakota State next season. If Bjorklund ever decides that Division I is not for him and he wants to move closer to home, he'd sure look good in Mavericks' purple.
And coach Matt Margenthaler has been known to welcome a Division I transfer or two in his tenure.
Bjorklund will be tough to stop at the state tournament. There aren't a lot of big centers in Class AA, which makes Sibley East a tough draw for any team.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Few thoughts on NCAA men's basketball tournament
The first day of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is one of the three really good dates on the sports calendar, joining Super Bowl Sunday and the final round of The Masters. The first Thursday of NCAA games is far better than the Monday championship game just because of volume.
So before that day begins, here's a few predictions on what will happen:
It's tough to pick against Kansas. The Jayhwaks have a veteran point guard, a big horse in the middle and a lot of young, athletic perimeter players as complements. No. 2 seed Ohio State doesn't have the depth to pull the upset, making Georgetown the only team likely to threaten Kansas.
Kentucky relies on too many young, albeit talented, players to win this tournament. West Virginia would be a threat, but count on coach Bob Huggins to do something that gets his team beat. New Mexico is an intriguing, unknown entity in that region.
It's been a long time since Duke played up to its seed, and this year will be no different. The Blue Devils rely on too much jump-shooting to win six games. They'll get a good test from Louisville or Cal in the second round, Texas A&M in the third round and likely Villanova in the region finals. That's too many consecutive games to be at your best.
The West bracket seems the toughest to predict. Syracuse has been tremendous all season, but losing in the first round of the Big East tournament with the center getting injured has cast doubt on the Orange. Kansas State is dangerous, which would make for a great region final.
The Gophers play Xavier in the first round in a who-cares game. It should be competitive, which is code for ugly but close, but neither team can handle Pittsburgh in the next round.
So before that day begins, here's a few predictions on what will happen:
It's tough to pick against Kansas. The Jayhwaks have a veteran point guard, a big horse in the middle and a lot of young, athletic perimeter players as complements. No. 2 seed Ohio State doesn't have the depth to pull the upset, making Georgetown the only team likely to threaten Kansas.
Kentucky relies on too many young, albeit talented, players to win this tournament. West Virginia would be a threat, but count on coach Bob Huggins to do something that gets his team beat. New Mexico is an intriguing, unknown entity in that region.
It's been a long time since Duke played up to its seed, and this year will be no different. The Blue Devils rely on too much jump-shooting to win six games. They'll get a good test from Louisville or Cal in the second round, Texas A&M in the third round and likely Villanova in the region finals. That's too many consecutive games to be at your best.
The West bracket seems the toughest to predict. Syracuse has been tremendous all season, but losing in the first round of the Big East tournament with the center getting injured has cast doubt on the Orange. Kansas State is dangerous, which would make for a great region final.
The Gophers play Xavier in the first round in a who-cares game. It should be competitive, which is code for ugly but close, but neither team can handle Pittsburgh in the next round.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
St. Cloud State celebrates basketball championship
The championship game of the Central Region men's basketball tournament wasn't artful or pretty, but St. Cloud State sure likes the way it turned out.
The Huskies scored the last 13 points over the final 1:30 to defeat Augustana 84-75 in overtime to advance to the Elite Eight.
The Huskies made 18 turnovers and hit only 25 of 39 free throws, but they proved that they were better than the No. 4 seed in the tournament, taking out top-seeded Minnesota State in the semifinals and third-seeded Augustana in the championship.
Again, the Huskies' role players were key as Josh Ortmann scored 17 points, Brett Putz had 13 points and Theo Rothstein added 10 points. And starter Andrew Bernstetter, who didn't score in regulation time, had six points in the overtime, including a go-ahead 3-pointer.
Many fans thought St. Cloud State was the best team coming in, and it's no surprise that they won. It'll be interesting to see how this team plays at the Elite Eight because it's built for halfcourt, grind-it-out basketball that's usually successful as the games become more important.
The Huskies scored the last 13 points over the final 1:30 to defeat Augustana 84-75 in overtime to advance to the Elite Eight.
The Huskies made 18 turnovers and hit only 25 of 39 free throws, but they proved that they were better than the No. 4 seed in the tournament, taking out top-seeded Minnesota State in the semifinals and third-seeded Augustana in the championship.
Again, the Huskies' role players were key as Josh Ortmann scored 17 points, Brett Putz had 13 points and Theo Rothstein added 10 points. And starter Andrew Bernstetter, who didn't score in regulation time, had six points in the overtime, including a go-ahead 3-pointer.
Many fans thought St. Cloud State was the best team coming in, and it's no surprise that they won. It'll be interesting to see how this team plays at the Elite Eight because it's built for halfcourt, grind-it-out basketball that's usually successful as the games become more important.
Monday, March 15, 2010
No Minnesota State, but still good basketball in town
Even though Minnesota State was eliminated from the Central Region men's basketball tournament Sunday, there's still going to be an interesting championship game Tuesday between Augustana and St. Cloud State at Bresnan Arena.
Augustana and St. Cloud State were the best teams in this tournament. The Vikings' fullcourt, 3-point shooting attack has been effective, though the defensive prowess of their two opponents in questionable. If Augustana is able to control the pace, and get open shots from the arc for Cody Schilling, David Foster and Cameron McCaffrey, the Vikings will win.
The Huskies favor more of a halfcourt game that features rugged Matt Schneck, a post player without peer in this tournament. If St. Cloud State can make it a halfcourt game, and the inside-outside duo of point guard Taylor Witt and Schneck dominates, the Huskies will win.
The contrast of styles makes this an intriguing matchup, made even more appealing if you don't care who wins. And there should be plenty of good tickets available.
Augustana and St. Cloud State were the best teams in this tournament. The Vikings' fullcourt, 3-point shooting attack has been effective, though the defensive prowess of their two opponents in questionable. If Augustana is able to control the pace, and get open shots from the arc for Cody Schilling, David Foster and Cameron McCaffrey, the Vikings will win.
The Huskies favor more of a halfcourt game that features rugged Matt Schneck, a post player without peer in this tournament. If St. Cloud State can make it a halfcourt game, and the inside-outside duo of point guard Taylor Witt and Schneck dominates, the Huskies will win.
The contrast of styles makes this an intriguing matchup, made even more appealing if you don't care who wins. And there should be plenty of good tickets available.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Season ends for MSU men's basketball team
It wasn't a shock that Minnesota State was eliminated by St. Cloud State in the semifinals of the Central Region men's basketball tournament Sunday, but it was surprising at how this season, which looked so promising just three weeks ago, came to a sudden end.
Playing at Bresnan Arena used to nearly guarantee a victory, but the Mavericks lost three of their last four home games. For most of the season, the Mavericks were the stronger team in the final five minutes of a game, but that was not the case in the last three weeks as other teams executed better in clutch situations.
A team that could put up some lofty offensive numbers was really held in check by physical opponents who mixed in a good deal of zone defense.
It's tough to find fault in a 25-5 season, especially one that includes a Northern Sun conference championship. This was the sixth straight appearance in the national tournament, and the Mavericks are 149-41 over that span.
But it's got to be tough to come up short again in the region tournament. Eventually, the Mavericks will likely break through and get to the Elite Eight, but it won't be this year, and it's a long time until practice begins again Oct. 15.
Playing at Bresnan Arena used to nearly guarantee a victory, but the Mavericks lost three of their last four home games. For most of the season, the Mavericks were the stronger team in the final five minutes of a game, but that was not the case in the last three weeks as other teams executed better in clutch situations.
A team that could put up some lofty offensive numbers was really held in check by physical opponents who mixed in a good deal of zone defense.
It's tough to find fault in a 25-5 season, especially one that includes a Northern Sun conference championship. This was the sixth straight appearance in the national tournament, and the Mavericks are 149-41 over that span.
But it's got to be tough to come up short again in the region tournament. Eventually, the Mavericks will likely break through and get to the Elite Eight, but it won't be this year, and it's a long time until practice begins again Oct. 15.
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