MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-29-17

A bit more reshuffling of the deck on this Sunday after yet another interesting week of action:


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


Well, it's finally here.  The showdown we have all been waiting for this season.  The Gusties had to hang on for dear life up in Moorhead on Wednesday night but found a way to get the job done and then promptly destroyed SMU yesterday back in the friendly confines of Lund Arena to move to 19-0 on the season.  I just want to say here that I have to give a lot of props to GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly on getting her program to this point.  I look back a few years ago and realize that I was hard on her and her program for the struggles early on but she's done things her way and they've been improving ever since and now here they are getting ready for perhaps the biggest game the Gusties have ever played and you have to respect how she's been able to get the program back to elite status - her way.  UST meanwhile keeps methodically rolling along with a big home win over Macalester on Wednesday night and then a stomping of CSB up at Claire Lynch yesterday.  All I'm going to say right now is that this upcoming game Wednesday night down in St. Peter may be one of the most titanic match-ups in MIAC Women's Hoops EVER and if you can get down there, I strongly suggest you doing so.  I know damn well that I'll be there and I'll likely have more to say about this game before Wednesday night.

Bethel meanwhile recorded two routine wins this last week as expected; crushing both St. Olaf on Wednesday night down in Northfield and then Macalester yesterday at home in Robertson Center.  But this next week could be a tricky one for the Royals as they have to make a return trip on Wednesday night back down to Northfield to take on a surging Carleton team which is on a roll with a five-game win streak before hosting an unpredictable CSB team back home in Robertson Center on Saturday.  Meanwhile for the Blazers, a mixed bag this last week as they stole one on the road at St. Kate's in a thriller at Butler Center on Wednesday night and then promptly got punched in the mouth at home against fourth-ranked UST yesterday.  Ditto for St. Kate's with the aforementioned game this last Wednesday but then rebounding yesterday to get a tough win at Augsburg to sweep the series for this season.  As such, I feel compelled to have the Blazers and 'Cats together in the third spot in my power rankings.  Don't be surprised to see these two squads together again on Super Bowl Sunday as CSB has St. Olaf at home on Wednesday night before making the trip to Bethel on Saturday while St. Kate's has Macalester at home on Wednesday night but then goes up Cleveland Avenue on Saturday to play at UST.

For the second straight week, the big mover in my power rankings are those tricky Carleton Knights who are riding a five-game win streak.  They went over to Winona this last Wednesday night and dough-popped SMU by a 65-48 count and then held off a late challenge by always-dangerous Hamline at Hutton Arena yesterday.  Anne Hamilton's return to the floor has really helped make everyone on this team better and it's showing in all aspects of the game.  The Knights begin a three-game homestand this next week but the first of the visitors to West Gym this coming Wednesday night will be Bethel and we'll find out if this little run by the Knights is a mirage or something more.  Meanwhile, a rough, rough week for SMU with the aforementioned game with Carleton at home on Wednesday night and then yesterday's disaster at GAC.  Needless to say, a lot of feathers got ruffled for sure but the Cardinals may (or may not) have it a bit easier this coming week with a trip to Hamline on Wednesday night before getting St. Olaf at home on Saturday.

Nobody expected to get Macalester to get through a gauntlet which included the likes of GAC, UST and Bethel in their last three games without getting roughed up and this next week could be just as bad with a short hop over to St. Kate's on Wednesday night before hosting Concordia on Saturday.  The Auggies came away with a split this last week and they have to find some sort of consistency down the home stretch and it won't be easy this next week as they make the long roadie up U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline up to Moorhead to take on Concordia on Wednesday night and then down to play surging Carleton in Northfield on Saturday.  Hamline is always dangerous and they're competitive in most games and they gave Carleton all they could handle yesterday.  They just can't seem to win games as their seven-game skid suggests.  Concordia gave GAC a real scare on Wednesday night at home before falling and then finally managed to get out of the basement as they knocked off St. Olaf yesterday down in Northfield.  The Corn has a chance to make a few amends on this incredibly disappointing season with a home date against Augsburg on Wednesday night before a trip back down to the Cities on Saturday to take on Macalester.  Slumping St. Olaf has now lost four straight and their prospects look dim at best as roadies against CSB on Wednesday night and SMU on Saturday are in the offing.