MN Timberwolves Make Trades

Minnesota Timberwolves Acquire Gary Neal and Second-Round Draft Pick from Charlotte

Minneapolis/St. Paul — The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced they have acquired guard Gary Neal and a 2019 second-round draft pick from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guards Mo Williams and Troy Daniels. The pick acquired by the Wolves in the trade was originally acquired by Charlotte from Miami in a draft day trade on June 26, 2014.

“This was a difficult decision because of what Mo brought to our team and the impact he had on our young guys,” said Wolves head coach Flip Saunders. “As a coach, you wanted to keep him because of his professionalism and understanding of what you wanted out of him as a player. He scored 52 points against Indiana and did everything we asked him to do. On the other side, we knew we were moving in a different direction with our youth so we felt it was in our best interest to make the deal. We thank Mo and Troy for their contributions and wish them the best of luck in Charlotte.

"In moving Mo, we felt it was important to get a proven scorer and three-point shooter like Gary," said Wolves President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Flip Saunders. "Gary was a solid rotation player with San Antonio for three years and an important contributor in the Spurs’ playoff runs. We also get a second round pick, which is another future asset for us.”

Neal, 30, is in his fifth season in the NBA and has career averages of 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.5 minutes per game. He has appeared in 43 games for Charlotte this season, averaging 9.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 21.7 minutes per game. In 2013-14, Neal played for Milwaukee (30 games) and Charlotte (22 games), averaging a career-high 10.5 points in 21.4 minutes per game. Neal spent his first three seasons in the NBA with San Antonio (2010-13), where he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 207 games. He has appeared in a total of 45 playoffs games with San Antonio and Charlotte, averaging 7.5 points in 18.3 minutes per game.

Williams, 32, is averaging 12.2 points and 6.4 assists per game in 41 games (19 starts) this season with Minnesota after being signed as a free agent this past summer. He tallied eight double-doubles, his most in a season since tallying 12 during the 2010-11 season. An 11-year NBA veteran, Williams has averaged 13.3 points and 5.0 assists in 750 career games between Cleveland, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Portland, L.A. Clippers and Utah.

Daniels, 23, appeared in 19 games for the Wolves after being acquired from the Houston Rockets on Dec. 23, 2014, averaging 2.8 points in 8.1 minutes per game. For the season he is averaging 2.8 points in 7.3 minutes per game.

Wolves Acquire Forward Adreian Payne from Atlanta

Minneapolis/St. Paul — The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired forward/center Adreian Payne from Atlanta for a protected future first round draft pick.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Adreian to Minnesota," said Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders. "Adreian fits the mold of a young, athletic and talented player who we believe will fit in well with our young and talented core. We’ve liked him for a while and look forward to seeing him grow with us in a Wolves uniform."
Payne, 23, was selected by Atlanta with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He's appeared in three games with the Hawks this season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game. Payne has appeared in 17 games between the Fort Worth Mad Ants and Austin Spurs in the NBA D-League, averaging 12.9 points, on 48.3% shooting, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 27.2 minutes per game.

Drafted out of Michigan State, Payne averaged 16.4 points on 50.3% shooting (42.3% from three-point range) and 7.3 rebounds per game as senior in 2013-14 with the Spartans. His play earned him Second-Team All-Big Ten and Honorable Mention Associated Press All-American. Payne finished his collegiate career as one of just nine players in MSU history with 1,200+ points and 700+ rebounds, as well as wrapping up his career as the school's all-time leader in blocked shots.

Bruno, Reeve & Staley To Be 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team Assistant Coaches

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After assisting USA head coach Geno Auriemma (University of Connecticut) to the gold medal and a 6-0 record at the 2014 FIBA World Championship, USA Basketball today announced DePaul University’s Doug Bruno, the Minnesota Lynx’ Cheryl Reeve and University of South Carolina’s Dawn Staley will return as assistant coaches for the USA Women’s National Team through the 2016 Olympic Games. The coaching staff was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Steering Committee, approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors and is pending approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The three coaches will work with Auriemma at various USA National Team training camps in 2015 and 2016 and with the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team at the 2016 Olympic Games, which will be held Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This marks the second Olympic assistant coach assignment for both Bruno and Staley. Bruno was an assistant for Auriemma and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team that also earned a perfect 8-0 mark and upped the USA’s Olympic gold-medal streak to five, a record for women’s traditional team sports. After retiring from international play in 2004 following her third Olympic gold medal, Staley was an assistant for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that compiled an 8-0 record and captured the USA’s fourth-straight Olympic gold medal.

While the Rio Olympic Games will be Reeve’s first Olympic experience, she has plenty of experience coaching Olympians. Reeve won a pair of WNBA titles as a head coach with the Lynx (2011 and 2013), which featured three U.S. Olympians (Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen), and two as an assistant coach with the Detroit Shock (2006 and 2008), which also boasted a trio of Olympic champions (Swin Cash, Ruth Riley and Katie Smith) during her time.

A total of 12 nations will compete in the Olympic women’s basketball competition, including host Brazil and the USA, which earned its berth by virtue of claiming the gold medal at the 2014 FIBA World Championship. The gold-medal winning nations from each of the five FIBA zone Olympic qualifying tournaments in 2015 will also punch their tickets to Rio, while the remaining berths will be awarded to the top five finishing teams at the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD).

Having earned a record seven gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal in Olympic play, USA Basketball women’s teams are 58-3 all-time in Olympic competition and will enter Rio riding a remarkable 41-game Olympic winning streak that dates to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics bronze medal game.

Since the inception of the 1995-96 USA Basketball Women’s National Team program, the USA National Team, in addition to its record five-straight Olympic gold medals, has captured four FIBA World Championship gold medals, one FIBA World Championship bronze medal and one FIBA Americas Championship gold medal, while compiling a stunning 86-1 record for a .989 winning percentage in those events. Further, USA National Teams in exhibition contests since 1995 boast of a 186-15 record (.925 winning percentage).

NDSU's Alexander Claims 3rd Career Summit League Player of the Week Award

ELMHURST, Ill. – North Dakota State’s Lawrence Alexander was named The Summit League’s Player of the Week following his performance in two Bison victories on Feb. 5 and Feb. 7.

Alexander, a senior guard from Peoria, Ill., earns his second Player of the Week honor this season and third of his career after setting a new North Dakota State single-game record with eight three-pointers in the 71-47 victory over South Dakota on Feb. 7. He totaled 31 points, including the first 15 points of the game for the Bison, and grabbed five rebounds with a pair of assists against the Coyotes.

In Thursday’s win over Omaha, Alexander scored 18 points with three steals and two assists. He averaged 24.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the week, shooting 62 percent (16-of-26) from the field and 58 percent from three-point range (11-of-19).

With the two victories, Alexander also set a new Bison career wins record with 84 in his career. He climbed from 11th to eighth on the NDSU all-time scoring list with 1,577 points.

On the season, Alexander has made 76 three-pointers – the same amount he made in the last two years combined. Only seven players in the country have made more treys this season.

UMC's Moenkedick Named NSIC North Player of the Week

CROOKSTON, Minn. - University of Minnesota Crookston women’s basketball player Katrina Moenkedick (Jr., F, Perham, Minn./Applied Studies) was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) North Division Player of the Week after averaging a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds in UMC’s wins over University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State University.

Moenkedick has earned the award twice this season, after being honored Dec. 1. The Golden Eagle women’s basketball team has received a program-record four NSIC weekly honors on the season with Alexa Thielman (Jr., G, Buffalo, Minn./Health Science) earning the accolades Jan. 19 and Emily Gruber (Fr., F/C, Monticello, Minn./Undecided) earning honors Dec. 15.

Moenkedick helped the Golden Eagles claim sole possession of third place in the NSIC North as they improved to 10-8. Moenkedick tallied 22 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Sioux Falls as she was 9-of-21 for 42.9 percent from the field against the Cougars. She added two assists and three steals in the game. Against SMSU, Moenkedick tallied 10 points and 11 rebounds, claiming her second double-double of the weekend. The junior was 3-of-5 from the field and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. She added four assists and two steals. 

Moenkedick is also approaching the 1,000 point milestone for UMC as she currently has 984 points in her career at UMC and ranks ninth all-time in school history.

Wayne State College’s Jordan Spencer earned NSIC South Division Player of the Week.

Minnesota Lynx Re-Sign Nadirah McKenith

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has re-signed guard Nadirah McKenith. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

McKenith, a 5-7 guard, signed with Minnesota on June 24, 2014 and appeared in six games for the Lynx averaging 0.7 points and 0.7 rebounds. Prior to joining the Lynx, McKenith appeared in 32 games for the Washington Mystics in 2013, averaging 2.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 8.8 minutes per game. 

Entering her third season in the league, McKenith was originally selected by the Washington Mystics with the 17^th pick in the second round of the 2013 WNBA Draft. She averaged 10.3 points and 4.8 assists per game during her collegiate career at St. John’s in New York. She led the Big East Conference in assists (165) during her senior campaign and earned All-Big East First Team honors.

The Lynx will kick off their 17th season in the WNBA at home on Friday, June 5 against the Tulsa Shock at 7 p.m. A limited number of lower level full-season memberships are currently available by visiting Lynxbasketball.com or by calling 612-673-8400.

NDSU's Teschuk Named Summit League Athlete

ELMHURST, Ill. – The Summit League has selected North Dakota State women’s track & field athlete Erin Teschuk (Winnipeg, Manitoba) as the Female Athlete of the Month for January.

Teschuk captures the first Athlete of the Month honor of her career after clocking the NCAA’s fastest time in the mile this season. The junior crossed the finish line with a converted time of 4:32.09 at the Jack Johnson Classic. Her first-place time set new school, meet and facility records and ranks eighth among all women in the world this year.

Earlier in the month, Teschuk placed first in the mile at the Bison Classic with a time of 4:41.19, which was ranked second in the nation at the time. She was named Summit League Athlete of the Week on Jan. 20 and Feb. 3, and she has trimmed 16 seconds off her previous personal-best in the mile entering the season.

Bison men’s basketball standout Lawrence Alexander was NDSU’s nomination for the league’s Male Athlete of the Month Award.

NDSU's Kading Earns Spot on Capital One Academic All-District Team

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University junior Chris Kading was voted to the Capital One Academic All-District men’s basketball team announced Thursday, Feb. 5, by the College Sports Information Directors of America

Kading, a De Pere, Wis., native, advances to the national ballot for Capital One Academic All-America honors to be announced later this month.

To be eligible for Academic All-District and Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution.

Kading owns a 3.80 cumulative GPA in exercise science. He is averaging 5.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for the Bison this season. Kading scored a season-high 13 points at Montana State on Nov. 30 and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds at IUPUI on Jan. 22.

Kading has played in 87 of 89 games in his career, ranking ninth in school history in blocked shots.

Capital One Academic All-District Team (District 6)

Division I

First Team

Name, School, Year, Hometown, GPA, Major

Brandon Bos, South Dakota, Sr., Markham, Ontario, 3.57, Kinesiology & sports science

Mike Gesell, Iowa, Jr., South Sioux City, Neb., 3.93, Finance

Chris Kading, North Dakota State, Jr., De Pere, Wis., 3.80, Exercise science

Tylor Ongwae, Louisiana-Monroe, Sr., Eldoret, Kenya, 3.45, Business management

Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa, Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 3.34, Economics

NDSU Baseball Picked Fourth in Summit League Preseason Poll

ELMHURST, Ill. – The defending Summit League tournament champion North Dakota State baseball team was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League in a preseason poll of the league's six head coaches released Thursday, Feb. 5.

For the second consecutive season, Omaha has been tabbed to claim its third-straight Summit League regular season baseball title. The Mavericks received three of six first-place votes and a total of 23 points. Oral Roberts placed second with the other three first-place votes and 21 points. South Dakota State came in third with 17 points followed by the Bison with 15 points. Western Illinois (8 points) and Fort Wayne (6 points) rounded out the poll.

NDSU captured its first tournament championship in program history last season and are led by MVP Reed Pfannenstein with a 4-1 record and 2.86 ERA. Also returning to the mound for the Bison are second team all-leaguers and all-tournament team selections Parker Trewin (7-3, 2.57 ERA) and David Ernst (3.60 ERA, 48 K). Reliever Trevor Jaunich also returns after leading the team with seven saves. At the plate, all-tournament team performer Jon Hechtner is welcomed back after batting .278 with 27 runs.

The Bison begin the 2015 season on Friday, Feb. 13, at Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Ariz. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT (8 p.m. CT). 

2015 Summit League Baseball Preseason Poll

Place	Team	Points (1st)	2014 Record
1.	Omaha	23 (3)	31-20 (15-9)
2.	Oral Roberts	21 (3)	30-26 (N/A)
3.	South Dakota State	17	28-29 (11-11)
4.	North Dakota State	15	25-26 (10-12)
5.	Western Illinois	8	21-32 (11-13)
6.	Fort Wayne	6	19-36 (11-13)

**Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.