MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-12-23

 While things haven't changed at the top on this Super Bowl Sunday, there's been some more movement in the middle of the pack so let's get to it as we're heading into the final week of regular season play:

1.  GAC

2.  Concordia

3.  Hamline

4.  CSB

5.  (tie) Bethel and St. Kate's

6.  St. Olaf

7.  (tie) Augsburg & SMU

8.  Macalester

9.  Carleton

10.  St. Scholastica

So little doubt about the top spot as the Gusties obliterated their primary challenger to the top spot this last Wednesday night down in St. Peter and although yesterday's 69-55 win over St. Kate's might seem like a ho-hum affair, the bottom line here is that GAC has not only solidified their grip on the top seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs but they're also making a strong case to be in the top spot in the Regional Rankings for Region 9 (which I'll talk more on later this week).  To be sure, this last week of the regular season could be the trickiest of all for the Gusties as they not only have to come back up to the Twin Cities on Wednesday night to face an incredibly dangerous Hamline team at venerable Hutton Arena, they also close out the regular season with a trip over to Winona to take on an SMU team that has quietly won two out of their last three games so GAC can ill-afford any let-up at all this coming week as their lofty hopes and plans could easily go kablooey right in their face if they don't take care of business.......Concordia meanwhile recovered nicely from Wednesday night's disaster down in St. Peter as they trounced St. Scholastica as expected yesterday.  Whether the Cobbers got any "style points" for that or not is unclear but these last two regular season games are going to be vitally important for Concordia as well.  And, unlike the Gusties, they get these last two regular season games at home in cavernous Memorial Auditorium with Carleton coming to town on Wednesday night and then the really big one to close out the regular season when Hamline does likewise next Saturday.

And, speaking of the Pipers, they've definitely been turning heads as of late; winning six of their last seven games which includes last Wednesday win over St. Scholastica and then the thriller yesterday against Augsburg which has Hamline firmly entrenched in the third spot - not only in my Power Rankings but also in the MIAC Playoff race as well.  But now the two big tests await for Hamline this next week to close out the regular season as the big bad Gusties come a' callin' on Wednesday night and then the Pipers have to take their show on the road as they'll bound up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to face Concordia next Saturday......If anyone needed victories and a shot of confidence worse than CSB did this last week, I'd sure like to meet them as the Bennies got back into the W column twice this last week with home wins over both Carleton on Wednesday night and then SMU yesterday.  But the Bennies have to take their show to the road as well on the last week of the regular season as they visit Macalester on Wednesday night and then go to Bethel next Saturday and CSB can ill afford to go back into the tank like they did a week and a half ago if they want to host a playoff game.  

It was probably thought that Bethel had taken the same course as CSB did when they bounced St. Kate's this last Wednesday night at Robertson Center.  But, the joy of getting back into the win column was a short-lived experience for the Royals as they were upended by St. Olaf down in Northfield yesterday and, considering that Bethel has now lost six of their last seven games, they'll likely limp into the MIAC Playoffs as the fifth-seed considering they have to go down US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to Winona to face SMU and then host CSB Saturday and it's not inconceivable that the Royals could wind up on the wrong side of the ledger in both of these contests the way things have been going as of late.......With St. Kate's, it's not so much that they lost but rather, the timing of it all and makes the heartbreaker the weekend before against Concordia that much more painful.  You would have thought that the Wildcats would have had a reasonable shot at Bethel this last Wednesday night but things went awry there and the odds were arguably stacked against them yesterday at GAC and things went as expected there.  But now the 'Cats have a chance to right the ship in this last week of the regular season as they make the short jaunt over to Si Melby Hall on Wednesday night to face an Augsburg team that's been circling the drain for the last month and then host a much-improved St. Olaf team this next Saturday at Butler Center.  You get wins in both of these games, that COULD possibly change the way things shape up for the MIAC Playoffs.  

Like I said, one more week of the regular season before the REAL fun begins.  Fire away with thoughts.