Wolves, like so many, learned a thing or two from Newell

Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

In this Dec. 2006 file photo, Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight, right, hugs former coach Pete Newell before the start of an NCAA basketball game against Stanford in San Jose, Calif. Newell, the Hall of Fame basketball coach who won an NCAA championship and Olympic gold medal and later tutored some of the game's greatest big men, died Monday, Nov. 17, 2008. He was 93.

Pete Newell last coached basketball in 1960, but his influence was still felt on several members of the Wolves.

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: November 20, 2008 - 8:02 AM

Pete Newell coached his last basketball game in 1960, winning a gold medal at the Rome Olympics. Nearly fifty years later, the former college coach's influence on the game passes through the Timberwolves, from veteran Jason Collins and rookie Kevin Love to coach Randy Wittman.

Newell, who died Monday at age 93, coached at San Francisco, Michigan State and Cal and won the 1959 NCAA title with the Bears and lost the 1960 championship game to an Ohio State team that featured Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and some guy named Bob Knight. He retired at age 44, citing his health. In 1976, he started a summertime "big man" basketball camp with one pupil and later tutored the likes of Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal.

Collins attended Newell's camp during his first two seasons at Stanford. Love learned to use his body against his opponents by studying Newell's big-man instructional videotapes that Love's father, Stan, gave him. Wittman remembers Newell watching practice when Wittman played at Indiana under Knight, whom Newell mentored and coached.

"He was a great man," Collins said. "Going to his camps was a tremendous learning experience. They gave me a tremendous amount of confidence. The great thing about the Newell camp is there were players from the pro and the collegiate levels together. The list of players who went there is so long. You knew it was a special place."

Foye returns

Wolves point guard Randy Foye returned to the starting lineup Wednesday against Philadelphia for the first time since the season's fourth game. Wittman moved him to the bench and started Sebastian Telfair at Sacramento nearly two weeks ago after Foye struggled mightily.

At the time, Wittman said he wanted to relieve Foye of pressure so he could play more freely. He scored a season-high 18 points Sunday at Denver, where he played 39 minutes and Telfair played five. Wednesday, he put him back in the starting lineup hoping the shooting of Foye, Mike Miller and Ryan Gomes would create more space for Al Jefferson to work inside.

"I don't know, you're playing psychologist," Wittman said when asked if he thought the move to a reserve's role helped Foye. "I think it's helped."

McCants injured

Reserve guard Rashad McCants left the game because of back spasms in the second quarter after playing less than seven minutes.

Reunions

Wednesday's game reunited Wolves Kevin Ollie, Calvin Booth and Rodney Carney with their former 76ers team and brought Theo Ratliff, a Wolf for part of last season, back to Target Center. Ollie's former teams are many -- 11 in 12 NBA seasons -- but he played six of those in Philadelphia and probably will always consider himself a 76er.

"That's who I say I'm connected to, that team," said Ollie, who was on the Wolves' inactive list Wednesday.

Parting words

Wittman, when asked about Kevin Garnett playing at Target Center on Friday for the first time since he was traded to Boston in July 2007: "We play them Friday? I never look too far ahead."