SID's JOTTINGS

• Gophers men's basketball coach Richard Pitino might have recruited his first blue-chip player in Ahmad Gilbert, who led his Philadelphia Constitution High School team to the Class 1A (small-school) state title this season. Gilbert scored 28 points, going 6-for-12 from the three-point line, and had 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 85-53 victory over Farrell.

• Shattuck-St. Mary's hockey graduates coached by Tom Ward that are in the NHL playoffs include the Rangers' Derek Stepan, the Islanders' Kyle Okposo, the Blues' Chris Porter, the Ducks' Emerson Etem, the Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews and the Wild's Zach Parise and Erik Haula. On the present Shattuck roster are two players whose relatives played in the NHL: Niko Esposito, the grandson of Hall of Famer Phil Esposito; and Marcus Chorney, whose father, Marc, who played with the Penguins and Kings in the 1980s.

• The 2016 Gophers football schedule is favorable by starting with three nonconference games at home, against Oregon State, Indiana State and Colorado State. Their fourth game is at Penn State, one of five Big Ten road games they play as the conference begins a nine-game schedule.

• Bill Given reports his Minneapolis-based Prom Catering company will cater or has already catered 32 of the most prestigious golf tournaments this year, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open, Greenbrier Classic, U.S. Women's Open, 3M Championship, Bridgestone World Golf Championship and PGA Tour Championship.

• 2016 is a big year for conference championships at the University of Minnesota with the WCHA women's hockey championship, the Big Ten men's tennis championship and the Big Ten's cross-country championship all set to be held on campus.