Sid Hartman: Vikings TE Dugan taking a bigger role

Vikings tight ends coach Jimmie Johnson, himself a former great tight end with the Eagles, said one reason he believes he has the best trio of tight ends in the NFL is because Jeff Dugan has become a great contributor.

The other tight ends, Jim Kleinsasser and Visanthe Shiancoe, have seen a lot more action in the past than Dugan.

This is Dugan's sixth year with the Vikings, and he caught a total of 17 passes for 109 yards in his previous five -- blocking and protecting the quarterback are Dugan's strong suits. He also fills in at fullback.

"We're glad we have him; he's very reliable and dependable," Johnson said of the former Maryland player.

"His strong point is he's very intelligent," Johnson said. "He's a very smart player, does everything the way you want it to be done and will always be in the right place at the right time. A very hard worker, great work ethic; you can't have enough Jeff Dugans on your ballclub.

"Oh yes, without a doubt, there's no situation too big for him regardless of where we're at on the field. If we call a play, we know we're going to get what we're looking for when we put him in the game.

"It looks like he's extended that role here as of late. Got him a big pass from Brett [Favre] early in the season, a 25-yard gain, got a touchdown [against the Packers], and he's starting to extend his role."

Speaking about Kleinsasser, Johnson said the 11-year veteran from North Dakota is having an excellent year.

"He's blocking, doing a great job in pass protection -- those are the things that we ask him to do the most," Johnson said. "Can he run routes and catch the ball? Without a doubt, definitely. But his strong suits are handling the line of scrimmage, and he does a great job of that."

As for Shiancoe, he is tied for fifth in the NFL with six touchdown receptions and has caught 13 during the past two years, trailing only Tony Gonzalez, who has caught 14, among tight ends. For the season, Shiancoe has 22 catches for 203 yards.

"Shiancoe is having a hell of a season; he's picked up where he left off from last season in terms of catching the ball," Johnson said. "We all put a lot of work in after practice, and it's showing during the games this season."

Johnson said Shiancoe's strong points are that he has a lot of confidence, he knows the system and he has good rapport with Favre.

"Everything is just falling in place for him," Johnson said.

"In terms of stretching the field and getting down the field and making plays -- short or intermediate, or going deep for that matter -- with his speed, he does a great job of doing that," the coach added.

When practice is over, you will see the tight ends running the big embankment on the practice field -- and Johnson right with them.

"I just try to do the best I can to make them better every day," he said.

The Gophers could greatly improve their chances for a bowl game Saturday. They play host to South Dakota State on Saturday, a Football Championship Subdivision team they should handle without too much of a problem. A victory would make them bowl-eligible. No. 15 Iowa, their next opponent, took a big blow last week when they lost starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi, and is a 14-point underdog against No. 10 Ohio State.

You look back on the Gophers schedule this season, and they won at Syracuse by three, beat Air Force by seven, lost by 14 to California, beat Northwestern by 11 and lost to Wisconsin and Illinois by three.

I'm assuming that a South Dakota State team that lost at home to Southern Illinois by 19 points should not be too much of a problem for the Gophers.

So maybe a beat-up Hawkeyes team is going to be pressed at Ohio State while the Gophers have an easy home game will put them in a position to score a big upset at Iowa in their final game of the regular season.

Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith said he isn't going to make a decision on the future of Royce White until he visits with members of White's family and then sees what the legal system does. White has been charged with shoplifting and assaulting a security guard, and is being investigated for a theft from a dorm room he did not have permission to be in.

Winning is important, but one thing about Smith: He is a class act, and if players don't behave -- no matter how good they are and how important are to his team -- they aren't going to play for him. If you want my opinion, chances are not very good that White will play for the Gophers this year.

Apparently, one of the television networks has checked with the Gophers football team on opening the season next year at Middle Tennessee State on a Thursday night. ESPN televises a game nearly every week on Thursday nights. ... Former Gophers golfers Bronson La'Cassie, Justin Smith, Clayton Rask and Niall Turner are competing for their PGA Tour cards. They are competing in the second stage of PGA Tour school. Former Gophers Antti Ahokas, Victor Almstrom and Wilhelm Schauman are competing in Europe this week for the second stage of European Tour school.

Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves' first-round draft pick, is playing for Regal F.C. Barcelona in Spain this season, competing in both the Euroleague and the Spanish basketball league. Through six games in the Spanish League, Rubio is averaging five points, 5.2 assists, and 2.2 steals in 19.2 minutes per game, and through three games in the Euroleague, Rubio is averaging 6.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals in 22.7 minutes per game.

Nikola Pekovic, the Wolves' second-round draft pick (31st overall) in 2008, is playing for Panathinaikos Athens in Greece. Through three games in the Euroleague, the 6-10 center is averaging 19.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and through three games in the Greek League, Pekovic is averaging 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Minneapolis native Khalid El-Amin is playing in the Ukraine this season for Budivelnyk Kyiv, and through six games is leading his team in four statistical categories with 27.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.5 steals in 32 minutes per game.

O.J. Mayo, whom the Wolves traded on draft night for Kevin Love in 2008, had a career-high 40-point game against the Denver Nuggets in a 133-123 loss earlier this month. Mayo is averaging 18 points and 3.3 assists per game for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. • shartman@startribune.com