Hard to believe another MIAC regular season has come to a close and this is my last MIAC Power Rankings of this season. But we've obviously got a lot to look forward to as of today so let's get this out first before we start looking ahead.
1. (tie) GAC & Bethel
2. Hamline
3. (tie) Concordia & CSB
4. SMU
5. St. Kate's
6. St. Scholastica
7. Macalester
8. Carleton
9. St. Olaf
10. Augsburg
So, yeah, I really had a tough time with this as you can tell and it all starts at the top spot where I have both GAC and Bethel sharing their respective spaces at the top of the mountain. You have to give each team its due as both the Gusties and the Royals took care of business convincingly this last week and wound up as MIAC Regular Season Co-Champs. As we know now, Bethel won the coin flip on Friday that gives them the number one seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs (and I'll have more on this later in my MIAC Playoff Preview) but the Gusties are still in great shape to claim yet another MIAC Championship Game but what's really cool is that both teams are not only "locks" for the NCAA Tournament but both also will likely host a 1st and 2nd round NCAA pod at their place so that's really exciting for both of these programs.
Right below the top two is Hamline which has seemingly had nowhere to go up or nowhere to go down. To their credit, the Pipers did routinely take care of business this last week, bopping St. Kate's over at Butler Center this last Wednesday night before dismissing St. Olaf yesterday at home in venerable Hutton Arena and they've sewn up the third seed in the MIAC Playoffs......Tied for the third straight Sunday for the number three spot on my Power Rankings are Concordia and CSB and both came away with a split this last week as the Cobbers looked absolutely lost in the debacle over at Leonard Center against Macalester this last Wednesday night before doing just enough to get a ten-point win over Carleton yesterday. The Bennies meanwhile got a big home win this last Wednesday night against Augsburg but were predictably worn down by Bethel in the second half yesterday. Because Concordia swept CSB in the regular season, the Cobbers get the coveted number four seed and the home game that comes with which will bring the fifth-seeded Bennies up to Moorhead on Tuesday night to settle things once and for all between these two.
With the bunched-up group laying their claims to the first three spots, the new kid on the block, SMU, has the number four spot in my Power Rankings all to themselves on this day and deservedly so as the Cardinals finished the regular season on a tear; their latest victims being St. Olaf this last Wednesday night and Macalester yesterday. I don't think anybody would have predicted that SMU would be in this position back in November/December; much less that they would lay claim to the number six seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs yet here they are.......It was a disappointing finish for the Wildcats as they dropped their last two games - at home against Hamline this last Wednesday night and then predictably at big bad ol' GAC yesterday. A lot of things went wrong for St. Kate's this season and they simply weren't able to overcome all the obstacles they faced this year. But with the younger players they have on this team, the future could be quite bright for them.
Things were looking very good for St. Scholastica at the beginning of February but then the Saints went into an absolute tailspin; dropping five straight games before closing out the season with a win at Augsburg yesterday......Macalester is another team that had the flame flickering for a while but the Scots simply weren't consistent enough when it counted to get themselves into position for a playoff spot but they did pocket some very good wins this season; including beating St. Kate's at Butler Center and knocking off Concordia this last Wednesday night at home in Leonard Center.......Carleton had a rough season but considering what happened last year, it was just good to have the Knights back in the mix and they've got a good nucleus of young and up-and-coming players.....And it was predictably rough for both St. Olaf and Augsburg this season as the wins were few and far between for the Oles and the Auggies.
Well, that wraps up this regular season. NOW it's time to look ahead and I'll have my MIAC Playoff Preview and what we can expect out very soon.
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