MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-23-14

Here's the last of the Power Rankings as the regular season comes to a close.

1.  SMU
2.  Concordia
3.  UST
4.  Bethel
5.  St. Olaf
6.  GAC
7.  Augsburg
8.  CSB
9.  Hamline
10.  Macalester
11.  (tie) Carleton & St. Kate's

Congrats to the Cardinals on winning their first MIAC regular season title since the Reagan Administration.  Not many (including yours truly) gave this squad a snowball's chance in hell of doing what they did but yet this young squad kept coming after it and refused to buckle when seasoned teams such as Concordia and UST were right on their heels the whole time.  Speaking of Concordia, they keep doing what they normally do - win games quietly and efficiently and stay under the radar - just how Head Coach Jessica Rahman likes it.  And they're a solid, solid number two in my rankings.  UST gained some measure of revenge this last week as they laid a pasting on GAC at home on Wednesday night and then went up to St. Joe yesterday to unceremoniously dump CSB to show that they're still a force to be reckoned with.

Bethel capped off a fabulous regular season this last week getting wins against both St. Kate's on Wednesday and then taking care of St. Olaf yesterday in what was a preview of their first round playoff game this next week Tuesday night.  The Royals, who finished the MIAC regular season with a 17-5 record and 19-6 overall will have a chance to notch win #20 and who knows what happens after that?  St. Olaf meanwhile, slipped badly this last week; losing at Macalester on Wednesday night (for the third year in a row) before yesterday's loss at Bethel.  GAC was on the wrong end of a 90-56 beatdown from UST on Wednesday night but finally ended all doubt and managed to shoo away any potential black cats as they clobbered St. Kate's to come away with that sixth spot in the playoffs.  Augsburg managed to get a road win down at Carleton on Wednesday night and congrats to Macalester as they won their last two games against St. Olaf on Wednesday night and then at Carleton yesterday to take away some of the bitterness of a long season.

Tomorrow I'll handicap the upcoming MIAC playoffs and try and break things down as much as possible.  As always, it should be a fun week!