Better grab onto something and hold on tight as the power rankings get shaken up again; particularly at the top after a monumental Saturday alone. And, I've a feeling we may not be done just yet, either.
1. SMU
2. Concordia
3. UST
4. Bethel
5. St. Olaf
6. GAC
7. CSB
8. Augsburg
9. Hamline
10. (tie) Carleton & St. Kate's
11. Macalester
After getting their feathers plucked by the Tommies last weekend, SMU sought revenge - and got it - although they had to hang on for dear life in St. Peter yesterday against GAC where they got out alive in OT with a 69-62 win that puts them all alone back in first place in the standings and here as well. But the Cardinals arguably also got a big dose of assistance yesterday from one of the teams that they find nipping on their heels at the moment - Concordia - which again found a way to deal with their nemesis from the St. Paul-side of town as they claimed a huge 60-57 victory in a defensive bloodbath up in Moorhead. For the Tommies, I guess all you can say is that this loss yesterday was about as costly as it gets. Never mind the fact that UST was a ghastly 0-12 from behind the arc yesterday (YIKES!). There's more important things to worry about here; mainly going from a possible number one seed and having home-court advantage to now facing the almost likely prospect of being knocked down to a three seed. Not that it's the end of the world for UST. They've been there before and have done it from the fifth spot. But the reality here is that if they're going to make that magical run to the MIAC Championship Game AND the Final Four like they did two years ago and were being bandied about to do it again by most experts (including yours truly), they're going to have to do it the hard way. I still hope the Purple can get that bid to the NCAA Tournament should they fail in their bid to win the MIAC playoffs and I think they're more than deserving.
Bethel, which is currently dealing with something of an emotional roller-coaster as of late, showed how resilient and tough they are by getting two road wins - Wednesday at GAC and then yesterday at Augsburg. God bless Hannah Niewald and her family. St. Olaf recovered from the expected pounding they received at the hands of UST on Wednesday night and delivered a similar punishment to Hamline down in Northfield yesterday. While the Royals and Oles have their playoff spots locked up, things get incredibly interesting for that all-important and last sixth spot. GAC, suffering home losses to both Bethel and SMU, is trying to grasp as hard as possible on that sixth spot to the point where they're gritting their teeth in doing so. It seems incredibly hard to believe but CSB's playoff hopes, which were all but gone, now suddenly have new life. But it may take some divine intervention of massive proportions (read a 1969 Chicago Cubs-style collapse by GAC) to steal that sixth spot away. The Blazers not ONLY have to get a win on the road up in Moorhead against Concordia on Wednesday night but then have to host a PO'd UST team Saturday in St. Joe. On top of that, they have to hope that, somehow, GAC loses to that same PO'd UST squad in St. Paul on Wednesday night (ahem...doable) AND then count on St. Kate's to pull off a massive upset of the Gusties at Butler Center on Saturday (not out of the realm of possibility). Should the Blazers come up short in their quest, they'll only have themselves to blame, of course, but don't be surprised if black cats suddenly find themselves milling around the GAC bench this coming week.
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