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Minnesota basketball parts ways with head coach Ben Johnson, add Power 5 opening to watch

Minnesota basketball parts ways with head coach Ben Johnson, add Power 5 opening to watch

USA Today13-03-2025
Minnesota basketball parts ways with head coach Ben Johnson, add Power 5 opening to watch
The end of college basketball season means the end of eras at programs with head coaches departing. The latest head coaching change comes from the University of Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers and head coach Ben Johnson have parted ways, as Marcus Fuller of the Star Tribune reported. The news came from an announcement released by Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle.
The move comes less than one day after Minnesota was bounced from the Big Ten Tournament at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats in the first round of postseason action. Ben Johnson had been the head coach at Minnesota since 2021.
Ben Johnson spent his collegiate playing career, ironically enough, between Northwestern and Minnesota. He spent two years with Northwestern and his final three with Minnesota before getting into coaching.
Johnson climbed the ranks as an assistant coach at Dayton, Texas Pan-American, Northern Iowa, Nebraska, Xavier, and Minnesota before getting his shot as the head coach.
During his stint at Minnesota, Johnson carried a 56-71 overall record but struggled in Big Ten play, going just 22-57. The Golden Gophers only had one postseason appearance under Johnson in 2023-24 when they qualified for the NIT.
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Brooks Barnhizer reflects on Summer League debut in Thunder's loss to Grizzlies
Brooks Barnhizer reflects on Summer League debut in Thunder's loss to Grizzlies

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time7 hours ago

  • USA Today

Brooks Barnhizer reflects on Summer League debut in Thunder's loss to Grizzlies

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Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Dmitri Voronkov's new contract comes with demands
Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Dmitri Voronkov's new contract comes with demands

New York Times

time12 hours ago

  • New York Times

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Dmitri Voronkov's new contract comes with demands

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets: When Kirill Marchenko signed a new contract last summer, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell challenged him to become a more physically engaged player, especially in the defensive zone. A month earlier, when Kent Johnson signed his new deal, Waddell pressed him to keep getting stronger and better maintain possession of the puck. Advertisement And so it was this weekend with towering winger Dmitri Voronkov, who has been both a tantalizing talent and a simmering frustration for the Blue Jackets. Voronkov signed a two-year contract worth $8.35 million Saturday, a deal that will pay him $4 million this coming season and $4.35 million in 2026-27. The contract does not include any no-move clauses, but it does come with some demands. Waddell, in this case, has been more pointed than he was with Marchenko or Johnson. 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He was significantly heavier when he arrived in Columbus before the 2023-24 season, but in each of his two NHL seasons, he has lagged badly in the second half. Last season, he had 19-16-35 through 44 games, but put up only 4-8-12 in his final 29 games. 'The reports we've had this summer are that he's been working out five days a week,' Waddell said. 'He's skating every day with Marchenko. So far, the reports are very positive.' Advertisement Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason found a fit last season with Voronkov joining the top line opposite Marchenko, with Sean Monahan in the middle. It was one of the NHL's most effective lines for long stretches of the season. On one hand, it's impressive that Voronkov has 41-40-81 combined in his first two seasons. But it also makes the Blue Jackets wonder how dominating a force he could be if his conditioning allowed him to move faster and respond quicker. 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I want to see how they interact with the other players. 'Some guys are shy. Some guys are outgoing. He's one of those outgoing guys that's easy for anybody to get along with. He's a good kid and he's got some personality, and the players really gravitate to those guys.' Pyotr Andreyanov: 'I didn't get to him much at all (before he was drafted), just a little video here and there. (Goaltenders) are not my area of expertise. But seeing him on the ice and in the goalie drills quite a bit, understanding his technique … yeah, impressive. He can move the puck. We heard he could do that, and he really did that in the (scrimmage). 'He was having fun out there, and it's got to be really, really hard for him because of the language barrier. He was the only Russian in camp, but he was hanging out with the guys, trying to speak and interact with them, which I thought was really cool. He wasn't off by himself, not at all.' Oiva Keskinen: 'It's good that he's going to come over for training camp. 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He'll do it between the dots, and he doesn't worry about being hit.' • For Blue Jackets fans, this development camp provided their first chance to see Lindstrom skate. He took the ice for the first day of camp last summer, but sat out the rest of camp, perhaps the first sign that his back wasn't healing. But, after returning to play late last season for Medicine Hat, Lindstrom is not back in the groove of a hockey player. He'll attend Michigan State in the fall. Asked how it felt to be '100 percent,' Lindstrom said: 'I'm not sure. I don't even know if I'm fully there yet. I'm close. It's step-by-step every day. Things take time to heal, right? You're not going to feel 100 percent right after surgery. I'm feeling good and working hard every day, training as hard as I can. That's all that matters. One hundred percent will come pretty soon.' • Jackson Smith admitted being a bit flustered in meeting two of the three fellow prospects who share the name Luca. That would be forward Luca Pinelli and defenseman Luca Marrelli. Here's Smith: 'I kinda got 'em mixed up at first. I thought they were brothers, honestly.' • Waddell and several of his scouts traveled to South Florida in the week leading up to the draft to attend a camp for Russian players staged by agent Dan Milstein. The Blue Jackets came away from that camp impressed with Andreyanov, drafting him at No. 20. It changed their thinking. 'We all left there very impressed,' Waddell said. 'One or two days later, when we all got together, we had him clearly as the No. 1 goalie. We always have a special category for goalies, a separate list. And that put him at the top of the list.' • It didn't help swing the deal, but the fact that Ivan Provorov's younger brother, Vladimir, will play at Ohio State beginning in 2027 was a nice little wrinkle. By then, Provorov will be two years into the seven-year, $59.5 million contract he signed with the Blue Jackets just hours before free agency opened on July 1. 'It's exciting,' Ivan Provorov said. 'Whether he comes the following year or two years from now, having him close will be really fun. I'll be able to go to his games, or he'll be stopping by for dinner once in a while. I'm excited for that.' • The Blue Jackets hired Paul DeFazio as their new equipment manager, replacing longtime manager Jamie Healy. DeFazio spent five years as the head equipment manager with AHL Scranton before working as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last six years. Advertisement • It wasn't a free-agent signing that sent shock waves through the NHL, but the good fans of Cleveland, Ohio, took notice. Trey Fix-Wolansky, drafted by the Blue Jackets in the seventh round (No. 204) of the 2018 NHL draft, has played 289 of his 315 pro games with AHL Cleveland, becoming a fan favorite and a franchise record holder for goals (112), assists (147) and points (259), along with several other offensive categories. Fix-Wolansky, who is 5-feet-7, 193 pounds, signed a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Rangers. • Clark, who oversees the Cleveland roster, said of Fix-Wolansky: 'He was awesome. The player he became, and the player he was … he became a Cleveland legend. But it's time for him to see something else. It was his timing and our timing … it's going to work out really well for him. I spoke with (Rangers assistant GM Ryan Martin) and they're really happy having him in there and seeing what he can do.' #NYR have agreed to terms with forward Trey Fix-Wolansky on a one-year contract. Welcome to New York, Trey! — New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 3, 2025 • We asked Fix-Wolansky what he wanted to say to AHL Cleveland fans and the city of Cleveland, his hockey home for the past six seasons. In a text exchange with The Athletic, he didn't hold back: 'To the city of Cleveland, the Monsters organization, and especially the fans: THANK YOU. Thank you for supporting me every step of the way over my six years in 'the land.' From playing my first game as a Monster in the (AHL) playoffs as a 19-year-old, to my last game as a 25-year-old, you've been there, supporting me every step of the way. Moving to Cleveland full-time as a 20-year-old, I never would have expected the support and love I felt. You made my time in Cleveland so enjoyable and I will always cherish every memory I made with my teammates and with the fans. You supported me and our team through ups and downs and that's why I will always say Cleveland has the best fans in the AHL. Thank you for everything, Cleveland.' • As noted in this space last week, Blue Jackets prospect forward Jordan Dumais had two charges for driving under the influence dropped earlier this month when the arresting officer in Halifax, Nova Scotia, failed to show up to provincial court for trial. Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada asked for an investigation, according to the Chronicle Herald. A public relations manager for the Halifax Regional Police later told the newspaper that an investigation is underway. 'There is an expectation that officers take their duty to appear in court very seriously,' the spokesperson said. 'The officer had a duty to appear in court (on June 27) and did not. There are consequences under the Police Act that are being explored now.' (Photo of Dmitri Voronkov: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)

Isaac Mattson escapes bases-loaded jam with K
Isaac Mattson escapes bases-loaded jam with K

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Isaac Mattson escapes bases-loaded jam with K

Who do you have more faith in reviving their team: Ben Johnson or Liam Coen? Yahoo Sports fantasy analysts Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski debate which first year head coach, Ben Johnson or Liam Coen, is more likely to revive their franchise and deliver a turnaround season. They break down each coach's strengths, team situation, and what it will take to bring winning football back. Hear the full conversation on the 'Yahoo Fantasy Forecast' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

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