:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/8419153/20130214_jrc_av4_022.0.jpg)
Apologies to all. Your intrepid blogging team has been crushed by Job A responsibilities. Plus, ya know, holiday week and Gophers losses and blah blah blah I you don't want to hear it. In penance I bring you Nugz! Feast and enjoy.
Basketball
- Everyone is desperate for a win tonight.
- RandBall saves me the time and has a bracket roundup:
- No. 6 Minnesota (Midwest) vs. No. 11 Cal
- No. 8 Minnesota (East) vs. No. 9 Colorado
- No. 5 Minnesota
- No. 5 Minnesota (East) vs. No. 12 Iowa State
- Tubby says the Gophers are still a tourney caliber team.
- A BUNCH OF COACH STUFF FROM OTE: Off Tackle Empire takes a look at ranking the B1G coaches who've been in the league for 5 years or more. Part 1 and Part 2. No surprises on how Tubby stacks up. Which has led OTE (and FTB) writer ZipsofAkron to say "Tubby Time Has Expired."
- aMAILia Bag time.
- Trevor Mbakwe Stories? Trevor Mbakwe Stories...Adversity is nothing new to Trev and Trevor must finish his unfinished business. Speaking of which, the euphoria of that "I'm coming back" video seems a long time ago...
- RODNEY INJURY CENTRAL: EE will start in place of the injured Rodney Williams. Rodney's absence leaves a scoring void.
- Our bench? Still not so hot.
Hockey
- Roman points out the interesting position the Gophers are in. Technically, they could still lose home ice for the WCHA playoffs. Since that's not likely lets look at few of his other notes:
Comments: SCSU goes 5-1, the MacNaughton Cup goes to the Granite City. Even 4-1-1 assures SCSU a tie for first. ... If Huskies go 4-2, Gophers would have to finish 5-0-1 to tie them.
"The best thing that happened to us is what we did nonconference, being 8-0," said Lucia, whose Gophers have just one sweep in 11 conference series. "It certainly put ourselves in great shape for the NCAAs. A year ago ... we came back from Denver after losing two and we were first in the WCHA , but we were a bubble team for the NCAA tournament. That certainly not the case this year."
The Gophers were the only Division I team which won all its nonconference games. So despite being fourth in the WCHA, they are No. 2 in the PairWise ratings which mimic how the NCAA fills out and seeds its 16-team tournament.
That means if the tournament were starting today, the Gophers would be one of the four No. 1 seeds dispersed through the four regionals.
Lucia said SCSU is in the driver's seat for the MacNaughton Cup, which would be the Huskies' first ever.
"We are in pretty good shape," Lucia said. "I am confident we are going to win a few more games here the rest of the year. Hopefully, we can continue to win to put some pressure on not only the top teams ... but maybe put some distance between some teams behind us as well."
The Gophers have the tiebreaker with North Dakota, so it's akin to being one point ahead of UND.
They also have two games in hand on Omaha and Minnesota State Mankato.
- Western College Hockey also breaks down the WCHA race. Bad news is that while Minnesota has the easiest remaining schedule, the 2nd easiest belongs to SCSU. We might be looking at a situation where we're forced to cheer for Wisconsin on the final weekend.
- BC Interruption has another edition of their Bracketology. Minnesota is still a #1.
- The Daily looks at what life is like for U athletes after they graduate with a article on former U hockey player Joe Dziedzic and his work with Minneapolis HS hockey.
Football
- Elliot Mann has a fantastic in depth look at recruiting rankings, from the inherent creepiness of it all, to the reasons they do matter, and finally, why he thinks Jerry Kill is doing it the right way and can still be successful despite losing the "ratings war" on Signing Day.
- Kill now last in the B1G in salary says Shama:
The Gophers Jerry Kill is the lowest paid football coach in the Big Ten. Purdue’s Danny Hope, who reportedly earned $970,000 last season, was at the bottom in annual earnings but he’s been replaced by Darrell Hazell who will be paid about $2 million. Published reports have Kill’s annual pay at $1.2 million.
Hazell has only two years of head coaching experience while Kill has 18 including two at Minnesota. Hazell had an overall record of 16-10 in two seasons coaching Kent State in the Mid-American Conference. Kill was 23-16 in three seasons at Northern Illinois, another MAC member.
The Gophers got a deal when they hired Kill. I'd agree with Shama that we shouldn't be surprised to see salary stories pop up more frequently if the Gophers continue to improve.
- Joe C has started a new thing on his blog that I like...player capsules. I'll let him explain why:
'm hoping to keep the Gophers football content coming this winter, and I also need to familiarize myself with the roster. So today, I'm trying to marry those two goals by launching an occasional series, taking a capsule look at the players.
It's a nice idea. Probably nothing earth shattering in these for the die-hards, but I like how he's taken to the Gopher beat with gusto and found a way to combine his beat research with content and info for the readers. First up was Ra'Shede Hageman with capsule #2 being LB Aaron Hill.
- Joe C also looks at the benefits of Jeff Jones' verbal commitment.
- New Gopher Donovahn Jones is just a little athletic you guys.
Women's Hockey
- The unstoppable juggernaut known as Gophers women's hockey ran into a big (and unexpected) challenge on Saturday.
The Gophers wanted adversity, and they got it this weekend from an unlikely source: Bemidji State.
Minnesota extended its NCAA-record winning streak to 40 games with two wins at Ridder Arena against the Beavers, the last-place team in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
The top-ranked Gophers (32-0-0) clinched the WCHA regular-season title two weeks ago, but after beating Bemidji State 8-0 Friday, looked as vulnerable as they have all season Saturday in a 3-2 overtime win.
Senior Mira Jalosuo scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes left in overtime. The Gophers had not led until that point.
It was Minnesota’s first overtime game and first one-goal win of the season.
Head coach Brad Frost talked about what it all means with RandBall.
Wrestling
- The Gophers have been seeded third for the the National Duals.
- Some of you may remember when I led the Nugz with a story on wrestler/musician Joel Bauman. Well, it turns out that the NCAA's rules mean he's ineligible thanks to his music.
Given the choice between wrestling and music -- a decision made necessary by an NCAA bylaw -- Gophers redshirt sophomore Joel Bauman is choosing music.
As a result, Bauman is ineligible to compete in meets, the school confirmed Monday, because his budding music career is in conflict with NCAA compliance rules. He is still on athletic scholarship and can practice with the team.
"The dream is to inspire people," Bauman said Monday afternoon. "I know through music that's all I'm trying to do. My message is way bigger than my eligibility."
...
"We are certainly sympathetic of Joel, but based on NCAA legislation in this area, student-athletes are not allowed to use their name, image or status as a collegiate student-athlete to promote the sale of a commercial product, including songs affiliated with a music career," said J.T. Bruett, the athletic department's director of compliance, who pointed to two previous similar cases involving athletes with music careers.
After his office examined the issue and recently rendered its decision, Bruett said if Bauman "would decide to use an alias and have no reference of himself as a University of Minnesota wrestler, then he would be permitted to continue with the videos. ... Since Joel has not taken down the videos and has kept his name and likeness, he is ineligible to compete."
This seems like a time when common sense would result in a different judgement, but the NCAA isn't run on common sense.
Roundup
- SWIMMING: Minnesota's start diver, Maggie Keefer, is in position to do well at the B1G Championship. Oddly, she used to be afraid of heights. The diving teams are being combined by a coach with lots of experience and a great story. The women enter the B1G Championships as favorites to win another title. GYMNASTICS: The women improved to 12-0 with return of a key team member. BASEBALL: The Gophers pitching staff holds a pair of aces.
B1G
- So, you've all heard about the expansion stuff right? Winds of change, friends.
- Speaking of which, here is General Delaney's master plan for domination.
- What breed of dog best represents each B1G Coach? Three winning entries in a row...
Michigan State: Mark Dantonio, bloodhound. Perpetually droopy and dour, Dantonio and the bloodhound both have superior senses of smell. Maybe. Pure guess on Dantonio, actually.
Minnesota: Jerry Kill, Boston terrier. Boisterous, earnest and more than just a little goofy-looking, Kill and the Boston are a perfect match.
Nebraska: Bo Pelini, rottweiler. Working off a largely undeserved reputation for viciousness, Pelini and the rotter are stubborn, deceptively smart...and with one mean look, just about the last person/dog you want to cross.
But the cherry on top?
Best in show: Kevin Wilson, bullmastiff. Kevin Wilson resembles a bullmastiff more than any coach has resembled any breed ever.
- Nebraska says no to B1G Hockey.
- In other Nebby news, the school is trying to decide how to handle teh booze and their new bball arena.
- Sippin' On Purple talks about the Evanston Mystery Spot.
SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS READ THIS IT IS EXCELLENT WHAT WITH THE SIMPSONS REFERENCE AND THE MS PAINT PHOTOSHOPS AND JUST WINNING.
- Orange Krush fans troll Northwestern.
College Football
- This is why Johnny Football only takes online classes.
- You suck TN police peoples. Simply horrible.
College Basketball
- Head coach wins a student free tuition in a half court shot contest (though I think he was over the line).
The Smorgasbord
- Bad week? Just watch this. Seriously, this might be an entire recap post from me in the future if the Gophers shit the bed against a zone again.
- ALL OF YOUR HARLEM SHAKE NEEDS IN ONE PLACE...
Sea World Walrus Shake
Goldy Gopher Shake
- TRICK PUTT(S) OF THE WEEK:
- CRISIS AVERTED EVERYONE. Maker's Mark is not drying out.
- WHY I LOVE THE INTERNETS. Remember that Star Wars "Battle of Hoth Means Vader Is Sucky Strategist" post I put up last week? The wonk who wrote it got a bunch of feedback from other defense/military wonks who disagreed with him and he posted some of the best.