Minnesota Scene: Gophers get commitment from JUCO point guard

Gophers coach Richard Pitino added his second recruit to Minnesota's incoming 2013-14 class Tuesday, getting a commitment from Dre Mathieu, a junior college guard from Central Arizona College in Coolidge.

Mathieu had several of his teammates announced his decision via Twitter on Tuesday.

The 5-11 point guard visited Minnesota last weekend along with Allerik Freeman, who just committed to Baylor and Joseph Uchebo, who committed to Pittsburgh. In an earlier interview with the Star Tribune, Mathieu — who will have two years of eligibility left — noted that Pitino and the Gophers were a very late addition to his recruiting process, but that the Minnesota coaching staff had impressed him with their enthusiastic approach.

"If it's not [assistant] coach [Kimani] Young calling me, it's [Pitino]," Mathieu said. "They switch days. Every day I get a call from either one of them. Or at least a text to make sure I'm doing all right. Some days, both of them will call me. They sure are letting me know that they want me."

Mathieu averaged 17.1 points and 6.5 assists for Central Arizona College as a sophomore. He played high school basketball in Tennessee at Knoxville Central.

Mathieu joins commitment Daquein McNeil and will help to bolster an already solid backcourt at Minnesota. The Gophers have two available scholarships left.

AMELIA RAYNO

MacIntosh, 23, was named the league's Transition Player of the Year last week He had 27 goals and 28 assists in his second NLL season, and ranked second in the league in loose balls (197) and fourth in faceoffs won (241) in 16 games.

Crawford, 28, led the Swarm in scoring with 32 goals and 63 assists for 95 points, fourth in the NLL. The eight-year NLL veteran, named the Swarm's interim captain midway through the season, ranked fourth in the league in shooting percentage (.239). In March and April, he had a six-game stretch with at least eight points every game.

Forward Brandon Wahlin and defenseman Cody Dixon of the Austin Bruins were named to the six-member, all-North American Hockey League team.

Wahlin, of White Bear Lake, had 49 assists and 69 points — tied for second and second in the league, respectively — in his second season with the Bruins. He has committed to the University of Massachusetts.

Dixon, of Hales Corners, Wis., was second in the NAHL among defensemen in goals with 14 and in points with 41.

Nahom Tariku Mesfin, a two-time Ethiopian Olympic steeplechaser, and 2010 runner-up Sarah Brown, of Atlanta, are the final pro runners to sign up for the Medtronic TC 1 Mile on Thursday on the Nicollet Mall. The first of seven races will start at 6:53 p.m.