#-1: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -1). I am choosing not to get my hopes up about this program's season, for the first year of Head Coach Marlene Stollings, let alone the year-long loss of Rachel Banham. But their conference-opening victory over Nebraska stands out, and alone makes this team the one in the top spot for the final WMNSS of 2014. They were down by as much as 17 points in the second half before going on a 20-4 run to get back into it. Big Ten Player Of The Week Amanda Zahui B. poured in 20 points and hauled in 15 rebounds (her ninth double-double of the season) to oust the Cornhuskers -- make that either the 12th- or 14th-ranked Cornhuskers -- 72-69 Monday evening at Williams Arena. I thought they would have a chance to oust Nebraska with Banham, but none without her. I was wrong, and am gleefully so. Very impressive, and a sign that this squad will be able to overcome obstacles in a way that their male counterparts simply cannot.
Now they go on the road this week: Purdue New Year's Day, Wisconsin Sunday afternoon.
#-2: Wild (Last Week: -6). Don't call it a turnaround, not when you complete an 0-4 homestand with an overtime loss to The Bastard Atlanta Thrashers. (Say what you will, but three of those four defeats came in OT, which means the Mild get three points in the NHL, where you're sure you're never out of the playoff race!) But 48 hours later, north of the border, they were able to stop their losing streak at five with a tight 3-2 regulation win over Winnipeg, a game where the Goaltender (in this case Darcy Kuemper) was actually able to man the fort as the Jets bombarded him with shots. They remain well out of the playoff picture, but honestly, with the way the other teams in this town are playing, a simple win gets you second place.
As I type this the club is playing at Columbus. They then come home to meet Toronto, travel down to play The Bastard North Stars, then begin a three-game homestand Tuesday against San Jose.
As I type this the club is playing at Columbus. They then come home to meet Toronto, travel down to play The Bastard North Stars, then begin a three-game homestand Tuesday against San Jose.
#-3: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -2). Finished the non-conference portion of their schedule Saturday with a 26-point dismantling of North Carolina-Wilmington, running the table in their cupcake six-game homestand.
They then began B1G play today (Tuesday/New Year's Eve afternoon) at Purdue. I was able to the first half on satellite radio, where they were up by 11 at the break. I thought, Well, the Boilermakers are suffering another down year, but I'll take it. Impressive! But I got home and saw that they fucking blew that 11-point lead and lost, 72-68. Oh my God, this team is not making the strides a defending NIT champion is supposed to make. What the fuck happened?
This week: At Maryland, home to Ohio St.
#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -4). Hung tough, I guess, in losses at Denver and Utah; they even had a lead late against the Jazz! That was sandwiched around a blowout loss at Golden State. Seriously, in yet another trying winter for Twin Cities sports, it is still the Woofie Dogs that appear to be the most moribund. And besides Andrew Wiggins, the recent ascendancy of Shabazz Muhammad and the potential of this team to magically become competent once Ricky Rubio returns from injury (which now appears to be the middle of January), there is no reason for hope for this club. After that roadtrip they begin the New Year with four straight at home, three of them this screening week: Sacramento New Year's Night, the Jazz again Saturday, the Nuggets again Monday.
#-Infinity: Vikings (Last Week: -5). Like Brandon Mileski said this week while filling for The Common Man, this may be the most enthusiastic Vikes fans have been for a team that finished 7-9. We are finally able to put Mike Zimmer's rookie season behind us, and the suffering wasn't so bad. Not after Sunday's 13-9 win over the Chicago Bears, which fired both Head Coach Marc Trestman and General Manager Ray Emery the day after the game. Sure, the first half may have been slow, but most of them this season have been.
I'm a little more concerned about the lack of offensive output. But once again, don't blame it on Teddy Bridgewater. I think he had a very good first year, one in which he wasn't even supposed to play. His throws seem to flutter, almost levitate off the ground so that a Cornerback could pick it off. But yet, more often than not, they went to the receiver he meant to throw to. Nor does he lack confidence in trying to put the football into tight spaces before they close entirely. He has the vision and the balls, and although he only threw one Touchdown pass all afternoon, he showed he was able to make the most of a one-dimensional running game, a below-average receiving corps, and an offensive line in need of a shake-up, if not an overhaul. (Oh, and the ability to see that Adam Thielen was wide open on that TD also is a testament to his field sense.) If the parts surrounding him get an upgrade, Bridgewater could be a very good Quarterback every year.
So now we face the future, one where I doubt could be as bad as this one. For a team that finished just below .500, getting a draft pick as high as eleventh seems to be a fortuitous anomaly. Wither Peterson? I'd say you ask him to sign for much lower than he's getting, and be ready to cut him loose if he says no. It looks like Chad Greenway, ever the loyal soldier, will be let go. The secondary has become above average, if not good, and maybe another year may make it gel into something even better. Find some O-line help (San Francisco free agent Mike Iuapati?) and draft for a receiver or a linebacker, and there's nowhere to go but up.
Yep, 7-9 is No-Man's Land; if you can't make the playoffs, at least be so terrible that you get a top-ten draft pick. But this isn't bad. Not at all.
I'm a little more concerned about the lack of offensive output. But once again, don't blame it on Teddy Bridgewater. I think he had a very good first year, one in which he wasn't even supposed to play. His throws seem to flutter, almost levitate off the ground so that a Cornerback could pick it off. But yet, more often than not, they went to the receiver he meant to throw to. Nor does he lack confidence in trying to put the football into tight spaces before they close entirely. He has the vision and the balls, and although he only threw one Touchdown pass all afternoon, he showed he was able to make the most of a one-dimensional running game, a below-average receiving corps, and an offensive line in need of a shake-up, if not an overhaul. (Oh, and the ability to see that Adam Thielen was wide open on that TD also is a testament to his field sense.) If the parts surrounding him get an upgrade, Bridgewater could be a very good Quarterback every year.
So now we face the future, one where I doubt could be as bad as this one. For a team that finished just below .500, getting a draft pick as high as eleventh seems to be a fortuitous anomaly. Wither Peterson? I'd say you ask him to sign for much lower than he's getting, and be ready to cut him loose if he says no. It looks like Chad Greenway, ever the loyal soldier, will be let go. The secondary has become above average, if not good, and maybe another year may make it gel into something even better. Find some O-line help (San Francisco free agent Mike Iuapati?) and draft for a receiver or a linebacker, and there's nowhere to go but up.
Yep, 7-9 is No-Man's Land; if you can't make the playoffs, at least be so terrible that you get a top-ten draft pick. But this isn't bad. Not at all.
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