March Madness is here at last. If the ever-present RPI, the usual strength-of-schedule measurement tool used to decide who ultimately gets in the NCAA tournament after automatic bids are locked in, it appears the bids of the five Big Ten schools — regular season champs Maryland and Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Indiana — […]
Gophers/College
Sports: a space for local and national sports news, with emphasis on stories pertaining to African Americans.
Posted inSports
Gopher swimmers focus on upcoming tournaments
There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2016-17 school and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players This week: swimmers Rachel Munson and Daryl Turner The swim season is shorter than other wintertime sports. […]
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Men still coach majority of women’s collegiate teams
It’s second semester on most college campuses. What better time to check and assess NCAA Division I institutions in hiring female coaches of women’s collegiate teams? The U of M Tucker Center’s fifth report that grades each institution, sport and conference based on the percentage of women head coaches of women’s teams is now out. […]
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‘New’ student-athletes having an impact on NCAA
This year’s recently concluded NCAA Convention “was probably the fastest voting convention” in recent memory, states Augsburg College Assistant Athletic Director Jennifer Jacobs. Jacobs, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (MIAC) only Black female athletic administrator, just returned from this year’s annual convention in Nashville (Jan. 18-21). “A lot of discussion on the floor, she said […]
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New WBB rules assessed
This season’s top 10 Division I women’s basketball teams, led by Baylor (90.7 ppg) and Maryland (90.5), are all averaging between 82 and 91 points a contest. UConn last season led the nation with 88 points a game. Many argue that this is the result of the changes to the women’s game last season, including […]
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Let’s refocus a warped view of college sport
College sport has reached out-of-whack proportions when you read that we should feel sorry for a fired football coach with a half-million-dollar payoff, or blame a university president who doesn’t put athletics at the top of his priority list. This is the case among some local media who have suggested this over the recent negativity […]
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College sports leadership like corporate America — mostly White
Those who run college sports are still “overwhelmingly” White and male. Such is the conclusion of the latest report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) on key leadership positions at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools and conferences. There remains a “consistent underrepresentation” of Blacks, other people of color and women. The […]
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Hopkins grad raises the bar for Northwestern
Nia Coffey makes her final stop in her hometown Wednesday [Note: at press time this game has been postponed] as a collegiate when Northwestern plays Minnesota in women’s basketball at Williams Arena. The 6’-1” senior forward and Hopkins grad last weekend became only the fifth Big Ten player to have 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds […]
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Tracy Claeys: Gopher scapegoat
Usually leadership at NCAA Institutions like Big Ten schools with 45,000 students comes from university presidents. Not at Minnesota, where President Eric Kaler has done his best recently to bungle the important role of the athletic program. He places academic achievement as his number-one priority, and in many ways under his watch he has undermined […]
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Urgently needed: Gopher culture purge
Big troubles in Gopherland Last week’s whirlwind moves by Minnesota AD Mark Coyle, firing Tracy Claeys and hiring P.J. Fleck in a three-day span, kept me from my usual unapologetic advocacy as a Black journalist. This time, however, I am glad I didn’t push for a Black coach. Coyle said January 3 after firing Claeys […]
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Honors given, honors due
Rachel Banham’s jersey was hoisted in the Williams Arena rafters on New Years’ Day — only the second Black female basketball player to be so honored. “I’m glad you brought that up,” responded Banham Sunday prior to the pre-game ceremony when the MSR commented on the honor. “That’s something I can tell my kids… It’s […]
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Black-White graduation gaps among college bowl teams ‘shameful’
Gaps between all student-athletes and non-athletes ‘scandalous’ First of a two-part column If academic success, especially by Black football players, were the prime criterion for post-season bowl consideration, there probably would be a lot fewer schools playing than the 80 schools selected for 40 bowls. The 2016-17 Bowl-bound College Football Teams report by The Institute […]
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Black head coach grateful for his big break
The percentage of Black head college basketball coaches, whether women or men, has never equaled or remotely come close to the percentages of Black players. For instance, Black females comprise 47 percent of women basketball players, but under eight percent of women’s basketball head coaches are Black. Only four percent are Black males. Bernard Scott […]
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A rarity: Two sets of Black twin sisters compete at the Barn
There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2016-17 school and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: freshmen basketball players Kehinde and Taiye Bello Conclusion of a two-part column There are 11 […]
Posted inGophers/College, Sports
Three newcomers to Gophers women’s hoops score big
There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2016-17 school and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players This week, three women’s basketball players: sophomore Kenisha Bell and freshmen Gadiva Hubbard and Jasmine Brunson First […]
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Coach Richard Pitino on his Gophers
Truth in disclosure: Since Tubby Smith was fired unfairly three years ago by Norwood Teague, the ex-Gophers athletic director, I felt so strongly about how bad that decision was that I stopped covering men’s Gophers basketball. Last year was the worst year in school history at 8-22. Two weeks ago I ended my protest by […]
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Sports were a refuge from childhood troubles for this student athlete
There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2016-17 school and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: Gophers defensive lineman Gaelin Elmore His story, which is as unique as one might imagine, […]
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Matadi headed to the Olympics
En route to his membership on the Liberian track team that will compete in the Olympics at Rio de Janeiro in a couple of weeks, Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) sprinter Emmanuel Matadi pulled one of the greatest magical acts ever performed by a Minnesota athlete. More on that in a moment. Matadi, 25, who […]
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Carleton AD prefers focus on student-athletes over money chase
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (MIAC) national reputation as the toughest NCAA Division III conference in the country is well deserved. Seemingly only a couple of the 13 member schools are annual frontrunners. Is the MIAC that top heavy? “Yes, it’s top heavy right now, particularly in football,” admits Carleton College Athletic Director Gerald Young. […]
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Gopher outfielder on track for best season
Jordan Smith is on pace to have his best season as a Minnesota Golden Gopher. His batting average is hovering around .300, over 80 points over his .229 career average.