Gopher associate athletics director Marc Ryan e-mailed with news about the NCAA Final Four: “The NCAA has made the decision to go to a raised floor for the Final Four starting in 2009. The main reason is to improve the sightlines, and they referenced ‘The Barn’ (Williams Arena) as an example. They even asked us where we get our stools from that the coaches use to sit up on the floor since that…will be needed as well once this is implemented.”

If the Gophers participate in the NIT it will be a first for coach Tubby Smith.  In 17 seasons of coaching Smith has never had a team in that post-season tournament.  He’s coached 14 consecutive NCAA tournament teams.

Johan Santana is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.  The headline:  “Happy Days, Johan Santana Lifts the Mets Without Throwing a Pitch.”

The verbal commitment of Bloomington Jefferson junior quarterback Moses Alipate to the Gophers is interesting not only because he’s regarded by many as the state’s best prep player in the junior class.  His commitment may give Minnesota momentum and more success with some of the state’s other top recruits.  Holding Minnesota kids home is an issue for the Gophers.  Also, Alipate is of Polynesian descent and his commitment could bring other Polynesians here.  The last 10 years has seen an influx of talented Polynesians at college football programs, particularly western schools.  His father Tuineau played for Washington State and later was a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings issued a one sentence press release on Wednesday regarding the release of controversial safety Dwight Smith.

Three Minnesota Wild players will make fan appearances and sign autographs during the next few days. Brent Burns is scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. tonight (Friday) at Coburn’s, 225 33rd Street West in Hastings. Niklas Backstrom is booked from 6 to 7 p.m. tonight at Festival Foods, 2218 Bunker Lake Blvd. Northwest in Andover. Mark Parrish is scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. at Best Buy, 12905 Elm Creek Boulevard North in Maple Grove.

Gigi Marvin of the Gophers leads the WCHA in overall scoring with 44 points.  Earlier this week she was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season.

The Gopher men’s hockey team, 12-13-7, and hoping to improve its offensive production, hosts Wisconsin tonight and tomorrow night.  Minnesota has 10 goals in the last eight games.  The last time Minnesota scored fewer goals in an eight-game period was during January of 1930.  Goalie Alex Kangas has been outstanding.  In his last 11 games he has 1.75 goals against average and .935 save percentage. For the season Kangas ranks 13th nationally with a 2.14 goals against average and 12th with a .923 save percentage. Both of those numbers rank second among all freshmen goaltenders. Colorado College’s Richard Bachman ranks first.

St. Thomas’ Tom Hodgson was named MIAC men’s Coach of the Year and women’s Co-Coach of the Year after Saturday’s conference swimming and diving meet. It was the second consecutive time Hodgson has won the women’s award.  Hodgson’s athletes won four MIAC races and broke 14 of a possible 38 school records in swimming events this year, 13 of those at the MIAC meet.

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In an interview with Sports Headliners on Monday, former NHL player and executive Lou Nanne evaluated the Minnesota Wild and talked about players who have surprised him this season.  “This is the best team they’ve ever had,” Nanne said.  “They’ve got more depth.  They’ve got more skill, and they’re more physical, so all around they’re a better team.”

The Wild are in first place in the Northwest Division and rank fourth among Western Conference teams in points (tied with Anaheim).  Nanne said that’s about what he expected before the season started.  “If their goaltending stays real consistent the rest of the way, they should be able to hold on to first place in their division and be about fourth in their conference,” the former Minnesota North Stars player and president said.

With the regular season ending April 6, Nanne was asked what fans can watch for to evaluate the team.  The Wild aren’t as “good” in goals-against as in the past, he said.  The team needs to score more goals than it gives up and the margin between the two can be indicative of how effectively Minnesota is playing, he explained.

Surprises?  Nanne said the “best surprise” has been that star forward Marian Gaborik has been “healthy most of the year.”  He also mentioned other players including defenseman Brent Burns, and forwards Aaron Voros and James Sheppard.

Nanne said about Burns: “He’s probably been a surprise in the fact that he’s made such a huge jump from last year, not from the playoffs but during the regular season to how he is now.  He’s been terrific.  A big help offensively to the defensemen.

“And Voros coming up and making the team and doing what he does has been a pleasant surprise, I am sure.  He’s given them some physical-ness on the third line and fourth line.  He and (Todd) Fedoruk coming in there make the Wild harder to play against.

“And Sheppard has been a great young addition to the hockey team.  He looks like he’s going to be an excellent hockey player and have a great career.”

With more than a month to go in the season, Burns already has career highs in goals, assists and points.  Voros, acquired from New Jersey last March, has played in 42 games in his first season with the Wild.  The 6-3, 205-pound Voros and the 6-2, 240-pound Fedoruk are two physical forwards.  Sheppard, the ninth overall pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft, is the Wild’s youngest player at 19 but has shown goal scoring ability in his first season with Minnesota.

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Williams Arena, built in 1928, is 80 years old this year.  It’s the oldest basketball facility in the Big Ten Conference by a few decades and one of the most historic college arenas in the country.  Gopher coach Tubby Smith generated conversation late last year when he told a writer for the New York Times that he wanted a new building.

In an interview with Sports Headliners last week athletics director Joel Maturi said that today’s college basketball is all about recruiting and he believes his coach was responding to a question about attracting players to Minnesota.  Anyone who has seen an empty Williams Arena, including Maturi and Smith, know the facility is about as appealing as a $1,000 car on the budget lot. “When you come in here and it’s filled, and it’s electric, and they’ve got the raised floor, it’s about as exciting…a place as there is in college basketball,” Maturi said.

He acknowledged that given its age, Williams Arena will eventually need to be significantly remodeled or replaced but that day isn’t likely to come any time soon, probably not during the tours of duty by Maturi and Smith.  “I am not so sure Tubby even believes he’s ever going to play in a different arena here,” Maturi said.  “I think his first priority is a practice facility and I think that is a realistic expectation.  And we’re hopeful that we can find a way to make something like that happen in the near future.”

The Gophers practice in Williams Arena.  Smith wants a separate practice facility similar to what many other schools have.  Such a venue would be more practical than the antiquated practice set up at Williams Arena and more impressive to potential recruits.

Williams Arena was remodeled in the 1990s.  Chair backs and private suites were added. Total seating has been reduced over the years to the present capacity of 14,625.  Maturi said further enhancements are pretty much nil, mentioning that corridors can’t be widened or restrooms added.

A question was asked about whether the athletic department might look at lowering the floor as a means of improving sightlines and adding seats.  Maturi and others cherish the building’s elevated playing floor and that signature element “isn’t going away” as long as he’s athletics director.

Maturi thinks Williams Arena has enough seats, although there are seven venues in the conference with larger capacities.  The Gophers have traditionally grossed more dollars than bigger arenas because of higher ticket prices and fewer students buying tickets.  “We’ll keep filling it (Williams Arena) with Tubby here,” Maturi said.

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