#0: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -4). I can't remember the last time the Gopher male b-ballers had as good of a week. Following up a six-Point victory over Northwestern in Evanston, the club traveled home to face an imposing 19th-ranked Iowa squad. But the Gophs were able to hold onto their big Fourth Quarter lead and make Free Throws late to keep the Hawkeyes far enough away to notch a 70-67 Win. I know it's his first Year at the helm, but Niko Medved is instilling an element of toughness to this group of players that his predecessor, Ben Johnson, simply wasn't able to do.
This screening Week they finish their three-Game homestand playing my alma mater and Wisconsin.
#-1: Gopher women's hockey (Re-Entry!). This team is back in action as they went to Fairfield, Conn., over the weekend and annihilated Sacred Heart by scores of 4-0 and, egad, 14-2. Impressive to beat up on squads that can't defend themselves, but hey, they also got swept by Minnesota State-Mankato earlier in the Year ... and would you look at that! The Goofers have another home-and-home series with the Mavericks this weekend?? I've never seen a college hockey program play a pair of home-and-homes against the same club in the same season.
#-2: Timberwolves (Last Week: -5). A Week that began with a 24-Point drubbing in Atlanta New Year's Eve continued in to '26 with the Timberwolves sandwiching a sweep over Miami in a home-and-home around a 26- (talk about ironic) Point ass-kicking in Washington. Maybe the Defense is finally tightening up. People have noticed how Rudy Gobert is showing a little more fight and range in his shooting this Year. Finally, don't look now, but the T-Wolves have the best record in The National Basketball Association since November 29.
Busy Week ahead -- they do a home-and-home with Cleveland, host Victor Wembanyama and The San Antonio Spurs Sunday, then visit Milwaukee Tuesday.
#-3: Wild (Last Week: -1). Hit a speed bump in the screening Week that bridges 2025 and 2026. Lost in a Shootout at San Jose New Year's Eve, bounced back by trouncing the Ducks in Anaheim Friday, 5-2, then getting swept in two contests in Los Angeles, 5-4 and 4-2. That doesn't hurt too much because they remain third in the Central, a mere two Points behind The Bastard North Stars. But they haven't been in great form as of late.
Like with the Timberwolves, the Wild have a busy schedule. They finish off their seven-Game roadtrip (necessitated with Minnesota hosting the World Juniors) in Seattle tonight/Thursday night. They then have a three-Game homestand vs. The New York Islanders, The Bastard Colorado Rockies, and The Bastard Atlanta Thrashers.
#-4: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -2). Michigan is considered to be one of, like, five or six teams that have separated themselves from the rest of us and will contend for the national title. So it stands to reason that, even though the Gophers led by nine after one Quarter and by one at Halftime, the Wolverines put their feet down and outscored the U. 42-31 in the Second Half to win by ten. Just stay on the good side of the bubble, please.
Very busy Week for this team: They play Northwestern, my alma mater, and UCLA. The great benefit is that all three Games this Week will be played at Williams Arena.
#-Infinity: Vikings (Last Week: -3). It's funny, but even though the Vikings aren't making the playoffs, I feel kind of ... good about the team overall ... maybe? For those complaining that these guys are incompetent for not tanking (and maybe I blog posted about this already), winning five in a row (albeit against teams set on tanking or throttling it down because they've already made the postseason and don't want to get any of their players hurt before then) shows, in my opinion, a lot of competence.
It may or may not be a good thing that the Vikes had the best stretch of the season once they were eliminated. Throughout a lot of the year but especially the past several weeks, I thought the Defense played well, and at times really well, especially against the run. (Harrison Smith, who, along with C. J. Ham, was feted during Sunday's Win at home versus Green Bay as if he is going to retire, was named NFC Defensive Player Of The Week for his heroics over Detroit the Week before. Does that sound like someone who should retire?) On Offense, despite a patchwork line, they were able to run a little more than they did last year. (Jordan Mason almost ran for 100 Yards against the Packers, and he was a great and underrated pickup before the season.)
Unfortunately, the main question coming into this season -- is J. J. McCarthy the future Quarterback of the Vikings -- is still unanswered. His hand hurt again, and even though I didn't see it this way, McCarthy actually pulled himself out of the Game early in The Third Quarter. We have to worry about McCarthy being an injury liability, but now, if this departure was McCarthy's idea, we now have to wonder if he has the drive to be the QB1 for this franchise. I am encouraged by some parts of his game and discouraged by others, but we didn't get too much evidence to think he should either stay or go. So this big unknown, which hovered over and ultimately doomed the Vikings' season, is lurking again for 2026.
(Another person to be iffy about, potentially: Left Tackle Christian Darrisaw. He has played superbly for stretches in his career, but there was a nagging injury that pulled him out of Games and important times in Games, and he, possibly like McCarthy, said he needed a breather. Is the front office OK with dealing with what sounds like a headache of a player to deal with? Remember that the Vikings are well over the salary cap. I'm not saying they would cut Darrisaw in order to get under the cap, but I'm not not saying that.)
But the biggest possible change is at Defensive Coordinator, where Brian Flores, who still has that racial discrimination lawsuit against The National Football League pending in court, might move on. His players allowed the occasional big play, but overall, he has been really, really good. And so it'll be sad to see if and when he gets a Head Coaching job (at, say, Las Vegas), necessitating Kevin O'Connell, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, et al., to find a suitable replacement.
Hey, at least they get to relish in a third-place-in-the-Division finish.
No comments:
Post a Comment