Okay, someone - ANYONE - help me here. The MIAC has to be one of the craziest conferences out there and I've been struggling all morning long in deciding how things should shake out today. Everything just seems to be going kablooey all of a sudden.
1. UST
2. GAC
3. Concordia
4. SMU
5. CSB
6. (tie) Bethel & Hamline
7. Carleton
8. Augsburg
9. St. Kate's
10. St. Olaf
11. Macalester
Except at the top spot, of course, which safely belongs in the hands of mighty UST which is simply mowing down anything and everything that gets in their way and I fully expect that trend to continue. Despite the loss to SMU yesterday, I'm perfectly fine at keeping the Gusties in the number two slot but again, as I said last week, it's not a given that they'll keep it and it's going to be up to them to stay there. Despite the rough day at the office yesterday over at Anderson Athletic Center, I have to have the Cobbers in the number three position as they easily took care of Macalester on the road and dumped Bethel back home in Moorhead.
After those three, though, it gets very tricky. I put the Cardinals into the number four spot by virtue of their big win at home over GAC yesterday. SMU needed that win badly after having been upset on the road earlier in the week at St. Olaf. Now the question becomes can the Cardinals sustain that momentum given the injury to starting point guard Bridget Pethke yesterday? We won't know that for sure just yet but I am keeping my fingers crossed for a full and swift recovery for Pethke. In addition to the win over Bethel at home last Saturday, CSB went into Hutton Arena on Wednesday night and shocked everybody by thumping a very good Hamline team and followed that up with a home win over Carleton yesterday. They travel to Winona this coming Wednesday night for a HUGE game with said SMU team. Bethel had bloody well better get their act together - like ahora. After the long ride back this last Wednesday from Moorhead after getting thumped by the Cobbers, they had to scratch and claw to get by Augsburg yesterday. For a team that had so many high hopes and so many things going for them; including a favorable schedule, this is not a positive development. I still have faith in the Pipers despite the loss to CSB and yesterday's demolition of St. Olaf down in Northfield reaffirms that faith. They go down to Northfield again this coming Wednesday night for a huge game at Carleton. And, speaking of the Knights, are they for real or not? I'm not sure what to think here at the moment but I'm guessing that they'll falter sooner rather than later. And now, I'm having huge concerns about Augsburg as they seem to be faltering as well and the road ahead looks rough at best for them. Finally, is there a more baffling team than St. Olaf? Lose a heartbreaker to GAC in overtime at home last Saturday. Then somehow pull off a Houdini act on Betsey Daly's last-second lay-up to upset SMU at home on Wednesday night. Then just get pummeled by Hamline in the comfortable confines of Skoglund Center yesterday?
Well, there you have it. Fire away with any thoughts if you have them.
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