#-1: Gopher women's hockey (Re-Entry!). A rather wan screening week. Nobody improved their standing, so to speak, which is very disappointing. So I, once again, give the top spot to the Minnesota Golden Gopher women's hockey team, the only team in the Twin Cities who can reliably reach the postseason (and hopefully I didn't jinx the program). They finished the regular season this past weekend at Ridder with a sweep of Minnesota State-Mankato by scores of 5-1 and 3-0. However, the club remains third in the PairWise, setting up a national Semifinal vs. Wisconsin. And they finish second in the WCHA while the Badgers get the bye.
The U. has to play a best-two-of-three First Round series this weekend at home against St. Cloud St. Assuming they win, I can't see how the Gophs miss the postseason.
#-2: Gopher softball (Last Week: -2). Second are the Gopher softballers, who, in my estimation, had a so-so week in the Baylor Tournament in Waco, Tex., over the weekend. They took both Games from Tulsa, including an 11-0, Mercy-Ruled (five Innings) victory behind reigning B1G Softball Pitcher Of The Week Amber Fiser's third career No-Hitter. But they lost to host Baylor, 2-1 in eight. More puzzling is the split with Texas St.; shut them out in the second Game, 4-0, but lost to the Bobcats in their first, 3-2. None of those three squads were ranked last weekend, but the Bears are now 23rd in the USA Today poll -- helped, in part, by the defeat of the Gophers. Meanwhile, that 3-2 screening week pushed the U. down only one spot, to 18th, which surprises me.
Tournament time continues; this week is the Auburn tournament in Alabama. They play a pair vs. the host Tigers as well as Binghamton, with a solo tilt against Georgia Southern.
#-3: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -1). They went to conference-leading Penn St. and took only a Point; they lost to the Nittany Lions, 4-3, in Double Overtime Friday Night and then lost in regulation, 3-2, Saturday Night.
Yet, somehow, the current PairWise rankings has the U. in 14th ... and the penultimate team in the NCAA Tournament. I think they somehow improved their ranking from the weekend. This would be a substantial turnaround in the Gophers' fortunes from earlier this year, when they looked absolutely lost. So yeah -- even though this group technically lost both Games, I'm rankin' them third.
Now, this could go all pear-shaped this weekend, when they finish out the regular season with a two-Game series against Michigan at 3M. But the Wolverines aren't that good, and if the Gophers sweep, they would only strengthen their playoff position.
#-4: Wild (Last Week: -8). The biggest move at the Trade Deadline wasn't; it was Zach Parise almost going to the New York Islanders. Wow, if Bill Guerin were able to deal off that huge contract, we might put up a statue of him. Naw, naw, just kidding -- he's One Of Us, and I hope he wants to stay.
Anyhoo, while the squad actually won three-of-four this week (the only loss a thorough 4-1 ass-kicking by St. Louis at the X), their chances of reaching the playoffs is middling at best -- 32%, according to The Athletic. The only saving grace is that the Mild have more Games in order to make up Points than the likes of Nashville, Winnipeg and Arizona. But dammit, they have to win more Games at home.
Lucky for them, maybe, that they begin the screening week on the road -- at Detroit and Columbus, both back-to-back. They then fly home to face Washington and then the aforementioned Predators.
#-5: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -3). In their first home series of the year (even though it was at U. S. Bank Stadium), the Gophers dropped two-of-three versus TCU, and in the only Game they won, the middle/Sunday one, they had to hold off the Horned Frogs, 7-6. Otherwise, they were outscored -- gulp -- 23-2. Max Meyer took the Loss in Saturday's series opener (a 12-0 rout), surrendering four Runs and needing 108 Pitches to get through 5 2/3 Innings.
Right now they're playing South Dakota St. at Das Bank v.2.0. This weekend (also at Das Bank v.2.0) they host what was once called The Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which has now be rechristened the 2020 CambriaCollegeClassic (it's listed as one word on the U. athletic website), where the Gophers, Iowa and Purdue square off against Atlantic Coast Conference foes Duke, North Carolina, and N. C. St. I was planning to go, but I'm working all three days, and I will only go if I can see all six teams play over the course of the whole day. Dammit. Oh, and they play North Dakota St. at Das Bank v.2.0 on Tuesday. Just realized that the Nine have a 14-Game homestand at the Vikings' stadium. Maybe not a homestand. This is more like a residency, kind of like the time Garth Brooks played ten shows in as many nights at Target Center.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -6). Sure, they routed Northwestern by 26 in Evanston Sunday. But the more important Game was Wednesday's against Indiana at The Barn, and they got humiliated by a dozen. They needed that win. And now, even though a roadie vs. Wisconsin Sunday looms really large, many bracketologists are saying that the Gophers' contest at home against Maryland, which is happening as I type this, is the make-or-break Game of the year. Lose this, and the U. will have to run the table in the B1G Tournament.
In other words, don't hold your breath.
#-7: Timberwolves (Last Week: -5). I admit that ranking these next three clubs is tough.
The losing streak is now five after defeats this screening week to Toronto, Charlotte, Boston and Denver. But they've been without Karl-Anthony Towns for a part of this week, and they're already tanking, so (shrug). They're playing in Miami right now, and hanging tough. After that: In Orlando, home to Dallas, at New Orleans.
#-8: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -4). Wound up the regular season by getting embarrassed, at home, to now-fourth-ranked Nebraska, 29-12. Talk about your lost programs. They finish 4-5 in-conference, and losers of their last three Duals. Eesh.
B1Gs in two weeks in New Jersey.
#-9: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -7). Yeah, any hope that these young women would get into The Big Dance was snuffed Saturday with a 75-69 loss to Indiana at Williams. This team has lost four in a row and are 5-11 in Big Ten play. I don't exactly have the reasons why I put these ballers dead last in the WMNSS, but I just feel that this program is as lost as it has ever been. Where is the improvement? Where are the recruits? What plan does Lindsay Whalen have?
They finish the year in Iowa and then home to Maryland. This could be six in a row.
The U. has to play a best-two-of-three First Round series this weekend at home against St. Cloud St. Assuming they win, I can't see how the Gophs miss the postseason.
#-2: Gopher softball (Last Week: -2). Second are the Gopher softballers, who, in my estimation, had a so-so week in the Baylor Tournament in Waco, Tex., over the weekend. They took both Games from Tulsa, including an 11-0, Mercy-Ruled (five Innings) victory behind reigning B1G Softball Pitcher Of The Week Amber Fiser's third career No-Hitter. But they lost to host Baylor, 2-1 in eight. More puzzling is the split with Texas St.; shut them out in the second Game, 4-0, but lost to the Bobcats in their first, 3-2. None of those three squads were ranked last weekend, but the Bears are now 23rd in the USA Today poll -- helped, in part, by the defeat of the Gophers. Meanwhile, that 3-2 screening week pushed the U. down only one spot, to 18th, which surprises me.
Tournament time continues; this week is the Auburn tournament in Alabama. They play a pair vs. the host Tigers as well as Binghamton, with a solo tilt against Georgia Southern.
#-3: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -1). They went to conference-leading Penn St. and took only a Point; they lost to the Nittany Lions, 4-3, in Double Overtime Friday Night and then lost in regulation, 3-2, Saturday Night.
Yet, somehow, the current PairWise rankings has the U. in 14th ... and the penultimate team in the NCAA Tournament. I think they somehow improved their ranking from the weekend. This would be a substantial turnaround in the Gophers' fortunes from earlier this year, when they looked absolutely lost. So yeah -- even though this group technically lost both Games, I'm rankin' them third.
Now, this could go all pear-shaped this weekend, when they finish out the regular season with a two-Game series against Michigan at 3M. But the Wolverines aren't that good, and if the Gophers sweep, they would only strengthen their playoff position.
#-4: Wild (Last Week: -8). The biggest move at the Trade Deadline wasn't; it was Zach Parise almost going to the New York Islanders. Wow, if Bill Guerin were able to deal off that huge contract, we might put up a statue of him. Naw, naw, just kidding -- he's One Of Us, and I hope he wants to stay.
Anyhoo, while the squad actually won three-of-four this week (the only loss a thorough 4-1 ass-kicking by St. Louis at the X), their chances of reaching the playoffs is middling at best -- 32%, according to The Athletic. The only saving grace is that the Mild have more Games in order to make up Points than the likes of Nashville, Winnipeg and Arizona. But dammit, they have to win more Games at home.
Lucky for them, maybe, that they begin the screening week on the road -- at Detroit and Columbus, both back-to-back. They then fly home to face Washington and then the aforementioned Predators.
#-5: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -3). In their first home series of the year (even though it was at U. S. Bank Stadium), the Gophers dropped two-of-three versus TCU, and in the only Game they won, the middle/Sunday one, they had to hold off the Horned Frogs, 7-6. Otherwise, they were outscored -- gulp -- 23-2. Max Meyer took the Loss in Saturday's series opener (a 12-0 rout), surrendering four Runs and needing 108 Pitches to get through 5 2/3 Innings.
Right now they're playing South Dakota St. at Das Bank v.2.0. This weekend (also at Das Bank v.2.0) they host what was once called The Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which has now be rechristened the 2020 CambriaCollegeClassic (it's listed as one word on the U. athletic website), where the Gophers, Iowa and Purdue square off against Atlantic Coast Conference foes Duke, North Carolina, and N. C. St. I was planning to go, but I'm working all three days, and I will only go if I can see all six teams play over the course of the whole day. Dammit. Oh, and they play North Dakota St. at Das Bank v.2.0 on Tuesday. Just realized that the Nine have a 14-Game homestand at the Vikings' stadium. Maybe not a homestand. This is more like a residency, kind of like the time Garth Brooks played ten shows in as many nights at Target Center.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -6). Sure, they routed Northwestern by 26 in Evanston Sunday. But the more important Game was Wednesday's against Indiana at The Barn, and they got humiliated by a dozen. They needed that win. And now, even though a roadie vs. Wisconsin Sunday looms really large, many bracketologists are saying that the Gophers' contest at home against Maryland, which is happening as I type this, is the make-or-break Game of the year. Lose this, and the U. will have to run the table in the B1G Tournament.
In other words, don't hold your breath.
#-7: Timberwolves (Last Week: -5). I admit that ranking these next three clubs is tough.
The losing streak is now five after defeats this screening week to Toronto, Charlotte, Boston and Denver. But they've been without Karl-Anthony Towns for a part of this week, and they're already tanking, so (shrug). They're playing in Miami right now, and hanging tough. After that: In Orlando, home to Dallas, at New Orleans.
#-8: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -4). Wound up the regular season by getting embarrassed, at home, to now-fourth-ranked Nebraska, 29-12. Talk about your lost programs. They finish 4-5 in-conference, and losers of their last three Duals. Eesh.
B1Gs in two weeks in New Jersey.
#-9: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -7). Yeah, any hope that these young women would get into The Big Dance was snuffed Saturday with a 75-69 loss to Indiana at Williams. This team has lost four in a row and are 5-11 in Big Ten play. I don't exactly have the reasons why I put these ballers dead last in the WMNSS, but I just feel that this program is as lost as it has ever been. Where is the improvement? Where are the recruits? What plan does Lindsay Whalen have?
They finish the year in Iowa and then home to Maryland. This could be six in a row.
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