#-1: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -3). I don't want to keep harshing on hearing their collapse to Maryland at Williams early last Month. That wouldn't be fair because as of now, I think their spot in the NCAA Tournament is all but assured. They are enjoying a three-Game winning streak after dominating both Games they played this past Week, 88-53 over Wisconsin at The Barn Sunday afternoon, then 87-66 at Penn St. last/Wednesday night. Turns out this is a pretty neat team this Year. Hopefully they'll make some noise in The Big Dance.
And unlike most other teams on this list, their upcoming screening Week is light. They play only once, hosting Purdue Sunday afternoon.
#-3: Wild (Last Week: -2). All three Games the Wild played this Week were all at home, and they all went past regulation, which is something this club needs to stop allowing. However, they won two of them eventually, defeating Detroit Thursday in Overtime and Chicago Tuesday in a Shootout. Inbetween them, however, was an OT Loss to Florida.
And yet, somehow, the Wild have surpassed The Bastard North Stars, even if it's by only by a Point, for second place in the top-heavy Central Division. I think they've played much better earlier this season than over this current stretch, and yet they've risen in the standings. Go figure!
They have a busy screening Week coming up. Tonight/Thursday night they finish a four-Game homestand hosting The Bastard Atlanta Flames. They then go to Edmonton, come home to host Montreal, then play at Nashville.
#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -7). Things haven't gone well for the Woofs, especially on the court but also of the court. Losses early in the screening Week to Chicago and Golden State (both at home) stretched their losing streak to five. The last defeat, to The Bastard Philadelphia Warriors on Sunday by 26, and that was delayed by a day because ICE executed Alex Pretti Saturday morning. When it comes to unrest at home (and I'm thinking of George Floyd), it appears as if the Timberwolves (and I'll include the Lynx, too), it seems as if the local pro basketball team has to be the sounding board, and it looks as though both the global sports world and Twin Cities sports fans expect them to say something -- and will judge them if they don't react the way they and we want them to react.
That's a lot to bear when your job is to play basketball. And so, and I am psychoanalyzing this, I can see this squad buckle under the weight. But, they won the second tilt of the two-contest series against the Warriors Monday by 25, then went to Dallas and then, despite not having Anthony Edwards, pulled away and beat the Mavericks (who were without seven players, including Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis) by 13 last/Wednesday night. They are in sixth in the West, just a half-Game above The Bastard Minneapolis Lakers and the Play-In Tournament, and yet they're only three Games behind San Antonio for second. They've been through a rough stretch, and they need a Point Guard and bench scoring, and they're back to not jelling when they should be. But ... I guess it could be worse ... ?
Another busy Week for the T-Wolves as well: Home to The Bastard Seattle SuperSonics, two at The Bastard Vancouver Grizzlies, then at Toronto.
#-5: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -5). I don't ever remember seeing Ohio St. ranked second in the country in wrestling, ever. Well, the second-ranked Buckeyes came into the Sports Pavilion and whooped dat ass, 29-9. How in the fuckety-fuck has Ohio St. lapped Minnesota as a wrestling power? They came back to slaughter Wisconsin in Madison, 26-10, but still -- Ohio St.??
At Iowa Friday.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -4). I need to keep saying to myself that Niko Medved is turning this ship around. I didn't notice till now that his Goofers have now lost six in a row after getting blown out by 19 at sudden juggernaut Nebraska (!) Saturday afternoon, then more than doubling up Wisconsin at Halftime, 35-17, before shitting the bed at Madison in the Second Half, losing 67-63 last/Wednesday night. Goddamn, I'm glad I didn't listen to that piece of shit. Geez.
The losing streak might continue: This screening Week they play at Penn St. Sunday afternoon, then host Michigan St. Wednesday evening.
#-7: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -6). The Goofer male icers also lost a pair, this past weekend Michigan St., by scores of 3-1 and 3-2. The Spartans were (and are) ranked second in the country. The U. is playing a brutal stretch of Games: They got swept by Penn St. when they were ninth in the country, and then by Michigan when they were (and are) ranked first in the nation. Also, these tilts were in East Lansing. However, I put this sorry-ass squad at the bottom of this Week's survey for two reasons: 1) They have a longer losing streak than the Gopher men's basketball team with seven; and 2) they don't have the excuse of a first-Year Head Coach. Minnesota is patient (some might say plodding) when it comes to changing coaches, but this has been a humbling season for Bob Motzko.
These young men will play a fourth straight ranked team. And it's a border battle -- eighth-or-seventh-ranked Wisconsin comes to town this Friday and Saturday.
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