The Gophers football program added Purdue transfer offensive lineman Jaden Ball on Saturday.

Ball, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, did not play as a freshman with the Boilermakers and has four years of eligibility remaining for the U.

Ball was a three-star prospect coming out of Bloom-Carroll (Ohio) High School. He had roughly 20 scholarship offers, including Kentucky, but Minnesota was not in the mix.

The Gophers have now added five players via the portal this spring, including Purdue defensive tackle Mo Omonode. The U added Boilermakers tight end Drew Bieber before spring semester.

News of Ball was first reported by On3.

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The Twins haven’t been able to solve lefties for the early part of this season but seemed to have no such problem with Los Angeles Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday.

Four straight hits off Kikuchi began the bottom portion of first inning. By the time it was all said and done, the Twins had collected six hits and scored three runs. They never looked back, chasing Kikuchi early in their 5-1 win over the Angels on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.

Kikicuhi lasted just two-plus innings, at which point he had given up four runs — but had flirted with much worse disaster. Nine hits and four walks meant the Twins were clogging the bases early in Saturday’s game.

Carlos Correa, who historically has hit Kikuchi well, had a pair of RBI singles in his first two at-bats. A handful of other Twins also had a pair of hits, including Jonah Bride, Ty France and Brooks Lee, each of whom drove in a run as the Twins won the first two in a three-game series that concludes Sunday.

In each of the first three innings, the Twins stranded the bases loaded. Through four innings, they had left 11 on, threatening to break the game wide open early. Though they never quite did, they had a healthy enough lead for starter Simeon Woods Richardson and their bullpen.

Woods Richardson lasted into the sixth inning, allowing just one run on a Zach Neto home run in the third inning off an 82.8-mph slider. Neto finished with three of the Angels’ five hits. At one point during his outing, Woods Richardson struck out four straight batters on his way to seven total.

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After addressing virtually all of their weaknesses in free agency via a $300 million spending spree, the Vikings used the 2025 NFL Draft to add depth across the roster.

Though they didn’t have many picks at their disposal, the Vikings still managed to add talented players on both sides of the ball. It will be interesting to see them up close and personal next month during rookie minicamp

Here’s a look at the full 2025 draft class:

Donovan Jackson (Round 1, Pick 24)

Position: Left Guard

College: Ohio State

Analysis: It’s safe to assume that Jackson is already the favorite to take over at left guard. He has has the power needed to anchor in the pass game and pave the way in the run game. He also has a good combination of speed and quickness that should help him excel in the trenches at the next level. The biggest competition for Jackson as of right now is Blake Brandel. He was the incumbent at left guard from last season and will still try to prove himself as a viable option.

Tai Felton (Round 3, Pick 102)

Position: Receiver

College: Maryland

Analysis: The speed that Felton brings to table stands out above everything else. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds, which, in turn, should help him be able to take the top of the defense whenever he’s on the field. After working on the outside for most of his career, Felton has recently started to develop his craft on the inside. He also has the ability to contribute on special teams if that’s what he’s asked to do.

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (Round 5, Pick 139)

Position: Defensive Tackle

College: Georgia

Analysis: The fact that Ingram-Dawkins can play multiple positions on the defensive line could help him carve out a niche for himself sooner rather than later. Think kind of like what Jihad Ward did last season in his limited snaps. The athleticism that Ingram Dawkins possesses should allow him to make an impact as a rotational pass rusher right off the bat.

Kobe King (Round 6, Pick 201)

Position: Linebacker

College: Penn State

Analysis: There’s a violence to the way that King tackles that fits the way Brian Flores like to play defense. It’s not hard to imagine King being able to stop the run should translate from the onset. He will need to show improvement in coverage in order to garner more playing time. If he wants to see the field early in his career, King would be wise to make himself useful on special teams.

Gavin Bartholomew (Round 6, Pick 202)

Position: Tight End

College: Pittsburgh

Analysis: Looking at Bartholomew, he’s certainly more T.J. Hockenson than he is Josh Oliver. He has showcased some natural skills catching the ball. He will needs to continue to prove himself as a blocker. Luckily for Bartholomew, he won’t be asked to do too much right away with Hockenson and Oliver in front of him.

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There comes a point when Timberwolves guard Mike Conley believes his team simply stops thinking and shifts into a gear with a sole purpose: “We just do what is necessary at that moment.”

Minnesota entered that mode in the third quarter of its critical Game 3 victory.

The Lakers buried four triples over the final five and a half minutes of the frame, and yet Minnesota’s lead didn’t shift an inch in the aggregate. Because everything Los Angeles did via its shotmaking was offset by what the Wolves produced via hustle and grit.

Minnesota produced four buckets over a three-minute span near the end of the third quarter in a stretch that defined who this team is when it’s at its best.

Three minutes of Timberwolves, described in four plays:

No. 1: DiVincenzo’s tip in

Minnesota led 72-70 with just north of five minutes to play in the third quarter when Jaden McDaniels missed a turnaround, mid-range jumper. But Donte DiVincenzo, who struggled from the field Friday, soared in for a tip-in bucket.

Luka Doncic, who defended McDaniels well on the play, threw his hands in the air at the play’s conclusion.

No. 2: Ant’s steal and dunk

With the Wolves up 74-72, Anthony Edwards and McDaniels both missed 3-point tries on a Wolves possession, which seemingly ended with a Luka Doncic defensive rebound.

But rather than retreating on defense, Edwards snuck around the backside to poke the ball away from Doncic. It ricocheted back to the Wolves’ star guard, who first retreated to the corner before identifying an open path to the bucket.

He went at Doncic with a head of steam and finished a flush.

No. 3: Gobert’s steal to McDaniels’ finish

Doncic’s game-winning triple in last year’s West Finals lives forever in two places: social media and the nightmares of Wolves’ fans.

But Gobert exacted a smidge of revenge with Minnesota leading 77-75. He was again isolated against Doncic on the perimeter, and when Doncic went to gather the ball for a jumper, Gobert poked the ball away.

McDaniels scooped up the loose ball and raced down the floor, scoring a bucket while being fouled in transition.

No. 4: Alexander-Walker’s poke-away

Leading 80-78, Julius Randle’s 3-point attempt misfired and Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt scooped up the board.

But Nickeil Alexander-Walker pinned Vanderbilt to the baseline and poked the ball away and collected possession.

He delivered a shovel pass to Randle, who tallied the and-1 finish.

DiVincenzo said it was that stretch of plays that “changed the game” for Minnesota.

“Loose balls, just getting our hands on deflections, getting blocked shots, getting out in transition,” he said. “All those little plays that we’ve made throughout the course of the year for stints. It’s key for us in the playoffs. That’s what wins games, and that’s what won it for us (Friday). … Those hustle plays, those energy plays give us that edge and get us six, eight points. That’s the difference-maker.”

Conley described the plays as a combination of high IQ and effort. When they’re making those efforts and producing something from them, “I think that’s when we’re at our best.”

They’re plays of desperation, in all the best ways. The mere thought of losing drives the Wolves to a place of urgency that can often not be matched by the opponent over the course of a contest.

Then they play that way, they eventually will wear you down.

“Our team is built that way. It’s a 12-round fight with us every time. It’s not going to be easy,” Conley said. “We’re going to be physical. We’re going to throw a bunch of different lineups and a bunch of different bodies at you. That’s been an advantage for us all season long. Especially now in the playoffs, we want to try to just be the team that wants it just a little bit more on every possession. If we can do that, we can find ways to win.”

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