Positive Numbers: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: 0). This was a tough week to pick a top team. These guys and the wrestling squad had smashing performances, good enough to rise above negative territory. In the end, I had to roll with the team that was "above below" last week because they didn't do anything wrong besides coming from behind late in Friday's game against Alaska-Anchorage with the help of a gift major/game misconduct on the Seawolves' Tyler Currier for checking, I think, Nick Bjugstad from behind even though Bjugstad was turning his way when the check happened.
That was a blip, although it was a close call, too. I think a more accurate image of this club came in their other two wins: a no-doubt 7-1 ass-kicking of UAA Saturday and, in a 1-vs.-2/3 matchup that should have been much closer than what happened, they put away Notre Dame in a special non-conference midweek contest 4-1. I was at that game, and the Gophers looked a lot better than the Irish. Maybe the Irish are overrated? Possibly, but barring injury, at their best, the U. will be a prime contender to win it all. Seriously, y'all, they're that good.
They put up their #1 ranking and continue their eight-game homestand this weekend with something kind of special: The last series against North Dakota as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. You know, I think most of the fans there are racist, or at least clueless in thinking the "Fighting Sioux" nickname wasn't insensitive to Native Americans. But I'll miss those guys. I don't know if I like this hockey realignment. Games are Friday and Saturday, per usual.
#0: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -4). Seems as if this team only has issues with programs ranked above them or a spot below them -- Penn St., Oklahoma St., Iowa. If the school is ranked at least two spots below them, they seem to roll over them. Take, for example, Ohio St., who were ranked fifth according to a poll. In the same poll, the U. was third, and there was no upset in Columbus Friday. Boy, there wasn't: 25-9. Indiana is ranked much lower, and no home cooking didn't stop Minnesota from pinning three Hoosier wrestlers on their way to a 41-3 demolition. It feels great to see a program that can regularly go into hostile territory and win easily. Not many programs can do that.
The Gophers, ranked fourth according to InterMat, will come home for the first of three straight duals on campus. The first comes Monday vs. Illinois, ranked eighth on InterMat.
#-1: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -3). More wins than losses so far into the Big Ten season -- that's a good thing. In their only contest this screening week, the squad pulled away from Minnesota native Tayler Hill (she of the "ETATS OIHO" school announcement debacle) in the first half and held on to beat Ohio St. in their home conference opener, 83-74.
They are now 13-4 overall, which, if the trends hold, should result in at least a WNIT bid. That's progress, right? ESPN's Charlie Creme, for one (actually he may be the only one because I don't know another bracketologist specializing in women's college basketball) has the Goofs as one of the "First Four Out." Actually that should be the "Last Four Out." Saying "First Four Out" is like saying the selection committee decided the U.'s fairly good record is one of the first teams they could eliminate from discussions. It's a big pet peeve of mine.
This week: at Purdue, then home to Nebraska.
#-2: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -1). No, there are no moral victories, especially for teams that have talent. But I've got to say, I am more impressed with the way the club came roaring back from 23 down at halftime to scare the living hell out of Indiana in their loss Saturday than I am in their 84-67 victory in Illinois earlier in the screening week. If you could only imagine, down three and after that Indiana player blew both free throws, that Trevor Mbakwe could have corralled that rebound and they come down to drain a three-pointer to tie the game. Assembly Hall would be in shock. Unfotunately Mbakwe somehow went to his side and totally missed the loose ball. Another Hoosier was there to collect the ball, and he made his free throws to put the game away, 88-81.
But with their ability to score in bunches, their defensive intensity, their focus and their belief in never giving up, never ever giving up, I hope they learned a lot from the loss. They could have just quit the game; instead, they knew they had the talent to come back. Turns out it was too big of a hole to climb out of, but you have to consider that Indiana shot over 66% (?) in the first half. Really, they were one rebound away from what could have been an historic comeback -- and on the road against the fifth-ranked team in the nation, no less. I hope Tubby Smith emphasized to this team what they almost accomplished and what they did accomplish in getting to that point. If they take this to heart and are able to implement that team chemistry throughout the season ... shit, the sky's the limit, you know?
One game for the week, but it's a big one, a huge one: They host #5 Michigan Thursday. This could have been a case of #1 visiting #2 had the Gophers won that game in Indiana and if Michigan was able to pull out a win at Ohio St. Sunday. Neither happened, nevertheless this will be the first game at Williams Arena between teams both ranked in the Top 10 since 1977, when the U. (ranked tenth at the time, ninth now) hosted, coincidentally, Michigan (also ranked fifth then). I want to go to the game, but tickets will probably be sold on the street for at least $50, so I think I'll pass.
#-3: Swarm (Re-Entry!). They're back! And they began the season with a come-from-ahead loss!! They were leading at Buffalo 10-7 when David Earl (was he on the team last year?) socred 2:31 into the fourth quarter. But the Bandits stormed back to tie the game at 12 with about 4 1/2 minutes left to go, and 23 seconds after they tied the game, Buffalo's Dhane Smith scored to win the game. Ooh-boy, what a way to start your season.
The Smarm have 13 days to lick their wounds from this loss. They seem to be getting their byes out of the way; they didn't play in Week 1 (even though all but two of the nine teams in the National Lacrosse League didn't play Week 1) and they won't be playing Week 3. By the way, Captain Andrew Suitor had to sit out this game and will sit out the next game (in Toronto January 25) for a game misconduct penalty last season. Wow, a game misconduct means you're suspended two games? That's a big punishment. Maybe even disproportionate.
#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -5). This season is rapidly going sideways, if not downhill, for our Woofie Dogs. After a close win at Tar-zhay against Atlanta, they hit the road the rest of the week and were beaten all four games. Moreover, Kevin Love has become a true injury liability: His hand, the one he broke before the season, he re-broke in a game against Denver on the 3rd and will need to have surgery on it. He'll be out 8-10 weeks, so he'll return in time for playoffs ... if the Timberwolves make the playoffs (duh-duh-DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!!!!!!!!!!!!).
For a team whose management acted like they're all-in on this season, playoffs or bust, the outcome could not have been more disastrous. I thought that with both Love and Ricky Rubio not available at 100% from the start you needed to give yourself some latitude this season. But David Kahn and Rick Adelman boxed themselves into a corner. If they're true to their word, this is a debacle of a season and you need to blow up the team. Is that what's going to happen?
Oh well, at least we have the Mild back. This week: home to The Bastard Buffalo Braves and Houston, then at Atlanta.
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