Minnesota connections

Four players with Minnesota ties are participating in this week's NBA draft combine in Chicago:

Trevor Mbakwe: 6-8 power forward from St. Paul and the University of Minnesota. Scouts question his size and old age (24) but not his motor.

Nate Wolters: 6-4 point guard from St. Cloud, Minn., and South Dakota State. Probably has best chance of these four to sneak into the first round.

Mike Muscala: 6-11 center from Rose- ville and Bucknell. A 6-1 wing player when he was a ninth-grader. Still has perimeter shooting touch.

Colton Iverson: 6-10 center from Yankton, S.D., and Colorado State. The former Gopher reportedly measured 7 feet in his sneakers at combine.