Daily Nuggz 9.23.2009

From the Barn ran an in-depth article about incoming Gopher basketball recruit Royce White.  White is a 5 star recruit with a gift for the game:

In terms of raw talent, he may be the best freshman in the conference. He has a Big Ten body, and has for years. Even though he is a thick 6′7" he can put the ball on the floor and make the outside shot. The sky is the limit.

Meanwhile, 2010 basketball recruit Austin Hollins lists Minnesota as the top school on his list:

"It was just as good as I would've pictured it," Hollins said Monday. "[The Gophers] still stand No. 1 on my list. I don't know if I'm going to take any more visits."

Gopher football has a new commit for the 2010 class in Marquise Hill.  Hill is rated at three stars by both Rivals and Scout, and appears to be a solid addition to the 2010 class:

"The thing that stood out the most was Coach Brew," Hill said of Gophers' coach Tim Brewster. "I know Coach (Gary) Pinkel is a good coach. I know Coach (Bobby) Petrino is a good coach. The way that coach Brew recruited me. I talked to him more than any other head coach. He was more consistent than any other coach."

James Manuel, another recruit listed at three stars on both Scout and Rivals, also committed to play at Minnesota.  At 6'2 200 pounds with speed, Manuel looks to be a very good prospect as either a safety or linebacker:

The 6-2, 200-pound Manuel committed to the Golden Gophers after making an official visit over the weekend. He picked Minnesota over scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Iowa, Louisville and Michigan.

Looking to tailgate before the Badger game next month?  Expect to pay a hefty fee for a parking spot that allows tailgaiting:

The game is already sold out, but the parking lot spots could cost you even more. Some scalping sites are listing parking places for as much as $350. In case you didn't realize, the Gopher stadium is built on what once were giant parking lots. Now those don't exist. The parking spaces were only given to season ticket holders and some required a donation to the University as well.

And tickets for that game?  They currently START at $100 at StubHub, and go as high as $1000.00.

Meanwhile, as the Gophers prepare for Northwestern The Chicago Tribune features an article regarding the rematch:

The other target will be Mike Kafka, who last year shredded the Gophers for 217 rushing yards, a Big Ten record for a quarterback.

"That's good," Kafka said Monday. "I hope they come after me because that would open up a lot of holes for our receiving corps and running backs."

MVictors.com has an extensive article on the little brown jug's kidnapping in the 1930s.  Quite a bit of research and planning were required for this article, and you can read about the Michigan rivalry prize that will be up for grabs in 2011 by clicking here.

Jeremy Around, now writing for The Rivalry Esq., reviews the nicknames that have pestered the Gophers for the last few decades:

People tend to mock what they do not understand, and no place in the sporting world is this more true than right here in the land of 10,000 lakes. And with no team is this more true than with my beloved Gopher football team.