Well, here we are in 2024 already and it's time for my first MIAC Power Rankings of the 2023-24 season. So let's get right to it.
1. GAC
2. Concordia
3. CSB
4. St. Kate's
5. Bethel
6. Hamline
7. Augsburg
8. Macalester
9. St. Scholastica
10. St. Olaf
11. SMU
So, little doubt about the number one spot as the Gusties had to fight back from a 12-point halftime deficit against Concordia on Wednesday evening to claim the hard-earned 64-60 win and then routinely took care of business yesterday against Bethel. GAC will hit the road this coming week with a date in Winona on Wednesday night against SMU before coming up to the Twin Cities this next weekend to face off against Hamline at venerable Hutton Arena........I still give the edge to Concordia at the number two spot although they missed out on a golden opportunity at GAC this last Wednesday night to pull off a huge upset and pocket a W against a regionally-ranked team. But the Cobbers will have a chance to pad that ledger this coming week although both of those games will come on the road - at St. Olaf on Wednesday night and then at St. Scholastica next Saturday where they'll be prohibitive favorites in both.
I have CSB firmly placed - for the time being anyway - in the third spot as they took care of business against St. Olaf this last Wednesday night in Claire Lynch but had to fight to survive on the shores of Gitche Gumee yesterday holding off an improved St. Scholastica team with a narrow 66-61 victory. This week could be a tricky one for the Bennies as they will host Bethel on Wednesday night but then have to come down to the Cities on Saturday to take on a very tricky St. Kate's team........Okay, so let's talk about those Wildcats whom I have (somewhat surprisingly perhaps?) in that fourth spot this morning. Look, I think at the very least you have to give St. Kate's their due diligence here as they held firm over at Macalester on Wednesday night and then smacked St. Olaf yesterday down in Northfield. Of course, the big question surrounding this team is if they can hold onto this spot for the long-term as we've seen time and time again where things start falling apart for the 'Cats like the makeup on Mrs. Doubtfire's face. To be sure, this week will be a challenging one for Head Coach Don Mulhern's squad as they have to run over to Si Melby Hall on Wednesday night to face a resurgent Augsburg team and then host said CSB team next Saturday. So this could conceivably be a very telling week for the Wildcats.
Below this is where things always seem to get a little tricky. With that said, I currently have Bethel in the number five spot because, even though we knew things would kind of go the way they did at GAC yesterday, they still showed that they have the ability to take care of the lower teams with the big win at St. Scholastica this last Wednesday. So, I have to give them that. It could be more of the same for the Royals this next week as they visit CSB on Wednesday night before hosting St. Olaf next Saturday.......To me right now, Hamline is the real enigma of the MIAC Women's Hoops scene. This is a team that seemed to have so much going for it out of the gates this season and then things - for whatever reason - have spiraled downward since with the latest blemish being the 58-55 loss they suffered at the hands of Augsburg yesterday in their own crib of Hutton Arena no less. The Pipers have just shown so much vulnerability lately that you wonder at times if they can get this thing turned around. Perhaps they can but they'll likely be looking at a split this coming week as a best-case scenario as they travel up to the shores of Gitche Gumee on Wednesday night to face St. Scholastica before GAC comes rolling into Hutton Arena on Saturday.........And I think you have to give props to this Augsburg team after that big win yesterday over at Hamline. They haven't always been perfect by any stretch this season but they found a way to get it done yesterday. I think we still need to see more of this Auggie team to have a better idea of the whole package but with a date at St. Kate's on Wednesday night before hosting Macalester this next Saturday, it's not out of the realm of possibility that this team could get on a bit of a roll here.
So there's things in a nutshell right now the way I see it. As always, please feel free to fire away with any thoughts.
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