It's a topsy-turvy in that the teams that had the most successful weeks are the ones having the worst seasons. I couldn't decide between the penis ballers and the grapplers. In the end, that the U. men's basketball team is currently on a winning streak, albeit at two after throttling true Big Ten bottom-feeders Rutgers, was the tiebreaker.
Look, Richard Pitino and this team is having an absolutely shitty season. But that upset win over Maryland last week may have been The Most Important Game Of Pitino's Coaching Career. If his team ends this season only with a sweep of the Scarlet Knights, the pressure really is on for him to win with his vaunted class of recruits, and win quickly. In fact, I would not have ruled out a midseason firing if, say, the team was treading water at .500 overall. But I think the athletic program, which still is in flux because they don't have a permanent Athletic Director, will look at that upset win over the Terrapins, see all the close defeats against teams that should have blown them out of the gym, concluded that the players still will play for Pitino (don't know if that's true or not, but it seems true), and give him some leeway next year. Like, the whole of next year. Now, if they miss the tournament again next year, all bets are off. But it now seems like Pitino has more rope with which to hang himself than before, if that makes any sense.
Nevertheless it'll probably be back to losing for the club. Sunday they visit struggling Illinois, and even if they win a third consecutive game, they come home to Williams on Senior Night and face a now extremely hot Wisconsin outfit.
#-2: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -6). In case you missed my dilemma in last week's survey, both the Golden Gopher wrestling and women's hockey teams were playing on the same night. Both hosted opponents that I found particularly intriguing; the wrestlers had Iowa St., a powerhouse program from another conference who I had never seen while the hockey team, which was ranked third at the time, faced off against second-ranked Wisconsin.
I was so torn by picking between these games that I decided to do something I've never done before: Start at Ridder Arena, where the hockey teams would drop the puck at 7, go to The Barn, where the wrestlers would throw down starting at 7:30, and alternate between the two. The venues couldn't be more than a football field away from each other, I could get exercise and I would get to "see" both games, something I've never done before.
Well, I couldn't do that because there is no in-out entry at Ridder, and maybe at all U. events. I was OK; the hockey team was up 2-0 by the time 7:30 rolled around, and I figured the Cyclones would make quick work of the U. But I was wrong; turns out that the Gophers tripled Iowa St. 30-10. Back-to-back made it 18-3 after five matches, so although it would have been fun to take in a raucous atmosphere that knew its good guys have already won, the outcome was not in doubt early. (Actually, neither game was in doubt; the women's hockey team shut out Wisconsin 4-0 in my game, so I didn't have to regret going to the "wrong" game.) As bad as the program is right now, whatever happened to Iowa St.?
Oh, well. Season's over, now the conference championships are up, though not till next week.
#-3: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -5). Things take a step down from here. The best of the bunch, I've surmised, is the vaginal ballers of Dinkytown, who are making a late (maybe too late) run to reach the Big Dance.
In the meantime, though, Rachel Banham is having one hell of a finishing kick to her college career. I had doubts she could break the conference mark for most points in a career, but she did that on the road Sunday by ripping off 52 points against Michigan St. In fact, she broke the record on a three-pointer. It was the last points the U. would score in that game ... which, sadly, was a loss. But it was a 114-106 loss. And that was in regulation. Seriously, she is on a motherfucking run!
Shame Banham broke the record away from The Barn. Nevertheless she put in a hell of an effort in the Senior Night Game. I thought the team was toast having the fifth-ranked Ohio St. Buckeyes as the final guest on Wednesday. But Jessie Edwards's putback with half a second left gave Minnesota the two-point lead ... until Alexa Hart completed a perfect lob off a sideline inbounds pass in time to send the game into Overtime. (By the way, I don't know who the Golden Gopher defender was, but that squad was lucky a foul wasn't called on that lob; they easily could have lost that game.)
Minnesota faced further peril when Banham fouled out in the extra session, taking her 35 points to the bench. But Carlie Wagner pulled it off in the end with a baseline jumper with .8 seconds left, giving the Gophs the 90-88 win. Wagner has become the Scottie Pippen to Banham's Michael Jordan, scoring 26 points. (By the way, I don't know who the Golden Gopher who set that vicious screen was, but kudos for giving fans a flashback to when Janel McCarville was giving opponents concussions trying to defend Lindsay Whalen.) I couldn't believe the U. would win that game, but they did.
And still they are projected not to make the field. While they are rising, the RPI probably remains too low for them to get in with the record they have now. Just too many losses, especially in a mediocre non-conference schedule, for them to be in, although Charlie Creme now has the U. as the fourth-to-last team out:
Last 4 In: Kansas State, Auburn, Villanova, Purdue— Charlie Creme (@CharlieCreme) February 25, 2016
First 4 Out: Temple, Oregon, Michigan, Minnesota
So sadly, and unfortunately, it looks like Banham is going to finish her season in the WNIT. And that is why, at the end of it all, even though Banham has scored more points in her college career than Whalen, Banham still will be seen a significant tier below her because she has never won an NCAA Tournament game. (Helps that Whalen had McCarville. Similarly, would've helped if Amanda Zahui B. would have stayed for one final ride with Banham.) According to Creme Minnesota will have to win out. And that begins at Maryland in the regular season finale Sunday. And they'll probably have to make a deep run in the B1G Tournament too.
#-4: Gopher softball (Last Week: -4). Last weekend's ACC/B1G Challenge unfortunately may have crystallized where this team stands in College Softball Nation. They swept both games from Virginia Tech but got swept by Florida St. Since the Seminoles were ranked in the mid-teens, the ceiling appears to be, what ... Super Regionals? Sara Groenewegen, however, was named conference Pitcher Of The Week, not least of which for pitching her fourth career No-Hitter against the Hokies.
They have begun the Diamond Devils Tournament in Tempe, Ariz. today (Friday) with wins over Mount St. Mary's and host Arizona St. They finish the tourney with St. Francis (PA) and Houston.
#-5: Gopher baseball (Re-Entry!). Like the softball team, the team began their year with three wins followed by two losses, the last of which was Friday's loss in the first of a three-game series at Campbell. Once again the program appears to be well off the lofty standards of Head Coach John Anderson. The conference is ruled, like in softball, by Michigan, with Indiana and Maryland possible contenders. And the only players to keep an eye on are Second Baseman Connor Schaefbauer and lefty Dalton Sawyer. This will be yet another season where you'll enjoy relatively cheap outdoor baseball.
#-6: Timberwolves (Last Week: -1). I still feel optimistic about this team after their 1-3 screening week. That one win was at home over a pretty good Boston Celtics club, whose Head Coach, Brad Stevens, is proving he can do a lot with not a lot.
Since the Woofie Dogs have an eye towards next season, the buying out of veterans has begun. Andre Miller has been cut loose. It seems kind of desperate, but it appears as though Miller came to the squad because of Flip Saunders, and with Saunders dead, there is no further reason for him to stay here. Tayshaun Prince, a starter for most of the year, may be next.
This week: At New Orleans, at Dallas, home to Washington.
#-7: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -2). I thought they had the week off. I was wrong. Technically, their series against Michigan is a rare Thursday-Friday one, therefore they're on this WMNSS.
And, unfortunately, they're near the bottom after an embarrassing 6-2 defeat to Michigan at Mariucci last (Thursday) night. The Wolverines, by far the more talented team, scored their goals before the Gophers broke the seal with a pair themselves. That means that their points lead in the conference, now their only tangible hope to reach the NCAA Tournament, is just about gone. They have one more game against Michigan, which may be their final opportunity to notch a quality win before the conference tourney.
#-8: Wild (Last Week: -Infinity). Quick word about the Stadium Series game Sunday. Two years ago I was at the Hockey City Classic, the first-ever outdoor hockey day where Minnesota played and beat Ohio St., 1-0. (I have to note that the actual first-ever outdoor hockey game was played by the Gopher women before the Gopher men that same day, a 2-0, I think, victory over St. Cloud St., I think.) It was nighttime, but I think the air temperature was 11 degrees with the windchill significantly below 0. So having an actual temperature at puck drop of above freezing was a welcome atmosphere.
But not like what happened, albeit briefly, in the first period. A little snow fell. My God, it felt like we were in the middle of a snowglobe at TCF Bank Stadium. Too bad the public address didn't play any Peanuts music while it fell.
I was wrong in thinking the Chicago Blackhawks were going to throttle the Mild, but maybe I was hoping for the hometown fans to boo the players for quitting on Mike Yeo. However, the nonchalant tanking may have begun in earnest this week after losses to the Islanders and Philadelphia. So under Interim Head Coach Mike Torchetti the Wild are still shitty at the Xcel Energy Center.
Right now, though, they are clinging to a 2-1 at the best team in the NHL, Washington. After this they host Florida and Colorado before visiting Toronto.
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