SID's JOTTINGS
• The Gophers men's basketball team went from a ranking of 93 to 79 in the RPI after beating Michigan State on Thursday. That's not good enough to reach the NCAA tournament, but it could help get them an NIT invitation.
• One of the highest-recruited players in recent Minneapolis North High history is Tyler Johnson, who stars in basketball and football. The junior has received some basketball offers, but in football he has drawn interest from Florida State, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota State, UNLV, Wisconsin and the Gophers.
• The Dallas Morning News published the coaching salaries of every Big 12 coach, and former Gophers coach Tubby Smith has a salary of $1.7 million this season with potential bonuses of up to $400,000. His Texas Tech squad has struggled, although it beat Oklahoma State on Saturday to improve to 13-18 overall and 3-15 in the Big 12. … Dan Monson's Long Beach State squad has taken a fall after starting the season 7-1 in the Big West, although it beat Cal State-Fullerton 70-47 Saturday to end a five-game losing streak. … Jim Molinari, the Gophers interim coach after Monson was fired, is an assistant at Nebraska, which is 13-15 overall and 5-11 in the Big Ten.
• Former Gophers hockey player Cory Laylin has done wonders as the coach at Hamline. The St. Cloud native inherited a team that won just three games in 2014, but this year the Pipers are 13-10-4 and in the MIAC playoff finals after beating St. Thomas 6-3 Saturday and Augsburg 4-3 Thursday.
• Former Gophers center Gabe Guertler is with Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League and has 24 goals and 24 assists in 58 games. … Former Gophers and Wild player Jeff Taffe leads the Swedish Hockey League in scoring with 17 goals and 39 assists for Linkopings.
