SID's JOTTINGS

• Because a healthy Desmond Bishop had a fantastic season for the Packers two years ago, it was hard to believe that Green Bay released him, allowing the linebacker to sign so cheap with the Vikings — a one-year deal at $1.35 million maximum if he reaches all his incentives. The word is that if Bishop makes the team he will get least $850,000, and if he doesn't, he will get just $50,000.

• Tyus Jones, the outstanding Apple Valley guard who for a long time was ranked No. 1 player in the country in the 2014 class by ESPN, is now No. 3. The only official visit that Jones has scheduled is for Baylor where his cousin Jared Nuness is an assistant coach.

• Five Gophers — defensemen Brady Skjei, Michael Brodzinski and Tommy Vannelli and forwards Taylor Cammarata and Hudson Fasching — are trying to earn a spot for coach Don Lucia's U.S. national junior team this winter.

• Gophers basketball recruiting might be over for now with the signing of Rakeem Buckles. Also, with summer school over, most of the players will go home for a month before the fall semester begins.

• If the Gophers want a future nonconference game to sell out, they should book Tubby Smith and Texas Tech and Rick Pitino and Louisville. They have to do something about their home nonconference schedule.

• The Gophers football team is offering a ticket package where fans can pick one nonconference home game and one conference home game for $70-$95.

• Ricky Rubio spoke with 20minutos.es out of Spain and said the Timberwolves were more than encouraging of him going to play in the Eurobasket Championships next month. "After nine months off, I started playing in December and then the season was over for us April 17," he said in Spanish. "Another break of six months was [too] long."