2006 Saint Mary's grad Madeline Linn Loftus died Thursday in the New York plane crash that claimed all 44 passengers. The 24-year-old was a part of the SMU women's hockey team from 2004-06.
The news was met by a silent campus Friday, as SMU went on break starting today. Students return to class Feb. 23. A memorial is currently being planned, though specifics aren't yet decided.
The Winona Daily News is promoting a story planned for Saturday. I expect it to be a pretty emotional piece.
I lost two of my best friends from elementary/high school to a drunk driving incident during the fall of my junior year at Gustavus. I drove back to the funeral with two classmates in a silent car. How do you begin to deal with such a loss? We spent nearly 45 minutes in silence before finally beginning to share our favorite stories and memories.
I've got to imagine that SMU's loss will be even harder to deal with, but the quiet campus could be beneficial. It will provide a buffer period — similar to my 45 minutes of silence in the car — before having to face the loss with classmates, teachers and coaches. The sting doesn't ever go away, but I extend my thoughts and prayers to those currently in mourning.
St. Thomas has lost just thrice in its last 39 games, but one of those losses came last season at Gus Young Court. While the Tommies have owned the league of late, breezing to three straight conference titles, the Gusties have actually won five of the last six home games between the two squads. Three of those wins have come as heavy underdogs. Each time the Tommies left the court hearing the familiar Gustie battle cry of "This is our house!"
Does that mean the Black and Gold has any right to be cocky heading into Saturday's important showdown? Confident maybe, but not cocky. Tyler Kaus, who hit the game-winning layup last year (shown above) and is now helping coach the JV team, declined to guaranSheed me a victory Thursday night. As much as it pains me to admit it, it was a smart decision on his part.
The Tommies brought their C- game (or worse) in the previous meeting this year, yet still won by 21. They've won 20 straight MIAC games and are currently the top-ranked team in the nation. Despite being undefeated, UST still has plenty to play for — the top seed in the West region and the second perfect 20-0 record in league history are currently hanging in the balance.
The Gusties have turned things around after a particularly ugly stretch that culminated in an 11-point loss at home to Hamline last weekend. That uneven play has lowered expectations, but another upset remains possible, if unlikely.
Here are three keys to making that happen:
1. Solve the press
This is THE key to the game. The Tommies forced 29 turnovers with their mundane we're-more-athletic-than-you press last time, including 17 in a brutal first half to watch. The Gustie guards consistently were hung out to dry when traps came and rarely had an easy pass to beat the pressure. The bigs failed to serve as outlets for the pressure, turning everything into chaos. "They're just athletic as hell," Carleton coach Guy Kalland recently told The Carletonian.
UST scored 27 points off turnovers, with most of that coming on transition layups. I can't recall a single time the Gusties beat the pressure for an easy hoop. Gustavus doesn't want to turn the game into a track meet, but it needs to take advantage of its opportunities for easy baskets. It can't allow the press to be without consequences.
2. Defensive pressure
St. Thomas is a very athletic team that thrives in transition. Anders Halvorson was the only Tommie who really excelled in the halfcourt in the first game. If you take away the 10 easy layups off turnovers (guesstimating), Gustavus held the Tommies to under 40 percent shooting. Though St. Thomas is shooting a robust 55 percent from the floor and averaging 80 PPG — both good for the league lead — I don't see UST as a particularly polished offensive team.
That's a ridiculous way of finding a positive in a blowout, but it may hold some merit. Gustavus held the Tommies to 5-for-18 shooting from beyond the arc, which is about in line with its league-leading defensive percentage. GAC held its own on the boards, despite constantly being on its heels. The Gusties need to rely on teamwork, communication and fundamentals if they hope to stick with the top-ranked team in the country. The defensive intensity needs to be a constant, because the offense is likely to ebb and flow.
3. Finding an offensive groove
The guards looked lost. The posts looked confused. The wings looked hesitant. Honestly, I'm not sure how Gustavus could have played any worse in the previous meeting — but that doesn't mean things HAVE to change in the rematch. Have DesLauriers and Schmidtknecht figured things out at PG? Can Paulson own the paint against the undersized Tommies? Can movement and crisp passing overcome physical limitations against a great defensive team? These are important issues that will decide the outcome on Saturday.
Gustavus doubled its turnover average in the first meeting and dug itself a quick hole. Can the Gusties get off to a better start and hang around for an exciting finish? That's exactly what happened last year, when Kaus capped a dramatic rally with a layup at the buzzer.
Am I predicting an upset? If the Gusties can cut their turnovers in half, I see this being a close game...but I'm not sure that's possible. Would I accept the same bet as last time, taking the Gusties with 15 points? Absolutely!
Player To Watch: Dan Schmidtknecht
Since the first UST game, he's worked his way into a time-share situation at PG. DLo was completely ineffective against the Tommies last time, so the ball-handling duties may fall entirely on his shoulders. That's a daunting task.
Prediction
Tommies 68, Gusties 60
Minnesota Wrap
• The Tommies getting some more love from the media with a D3hoops.com story.
• UST has posted a list of 25 random things about Tomme athletics.
• Cobber women's coach "Thinks Pink" and former men's coach Sonny Gulsvig was recently honored.
• Zach Johnson will soon become Carleton's all-time leading scorer. Rumor has it he also set the school record for flops early in his sophomore year.
Is this the worst, most exciting MIAC race ever?
The parity in the league has created a five-way tie for second with three games to play. Three different teams have been alone in second in the last two weeks, but been unable to maintain their position. Only St. Thomas has its spot secured, though it needed to rally from 14 down to defeat Bethel Wednesday night.
Saint John's tipped Augsburg and Gustavus drilled the Oles to move up in the standings. Bobby Fong's absence was keenly felt by St. Olaf, who managed just 16 points in the first half. The wins secure playoff spots and knock Hamline out of contention.
The Pipers blew their own chance with an 84-74 loss to Saint Mary's.
Cobber freshman Johnathon Molina posted career highs in points (11), rebounds (6) and assists (6) in his fourth career start to help Concordia defeat Macalester. The win moves Cobber coach Rich Glas to 499 career victories, while the Scots are now three games from a perfectly rotten season. They are now 0-23.
That's a direct quote from a ref to former Gustavus star Trevor Wittwer, who is currently playing professionally in Germany. Humorous, right? Perhaps only in reflection, but you can't help but appreciate the honesty.
He's been abroad for months now and sounds like he's enjoying it. He's the first Gustie to play professionally since Bobby Johnson after the 2000-01 season, though Doug Espenson turned down a similar opportunity after the 2004-05 season.
Wittwer, who was a high school teammate of Bethel's Tim Madson (how did they NOT win a state title?), has this to say about his life outside of basketball: it does not exist. Here's an article from one of his recent games (you need to know German to understand, obviously).
I spent a week coaching Gustie camps last summer with Wittwer. He seemed to connect with the kids on a very personal level, especially the group of 10-15 kids from Spain who gave everyone else problems. It should come as no surprise that he's also coaching in Germany — two teams, in fact. Wittwer is directing an under-14 team and a ragtag crew of adults ranging from 20-30 years old. I can't help but wonder how the older players respond to the authority of a 23-year-old?
You can follow his story here. It's recommended reading based solely on the stories he tells about the reffing — it sounds like they put the MIAC goons to shame, which isn't exactly easy to do.
Gustavus earned a win Monday that was as noteworthy as it was nondescript.
No Gustie reached double figures in the 59-53 victory over Carleton, which drops the Knights into fourth place in the standings. Gustavus moves into a tie for fifth place with Saint John's and puts Hamline's playoff hopes on death watch.
Six teams are still vying for playoff positioning, including five that could still earn a first-round bye in the MIAC playoffs.
Minnesota Wrap
• SJU coach Jim Smith may have to wait a little longer than expected to reach win 700 after suffering a broken femur.
Two quick thoughts before I had back into the doctor today...
• Gustavus failed to hit a 3-pointer in Saturday's game, finishing 0-for-12. That's just the third time in the last 10 years that the Gusties have finished without a trey. The previous two episodes came in 2001-02 against St. Mary's (0-for-7) and 1998-99 against Hamline (0-for-6).
The current Gustie squad lost 70-59 in its o-fer, but the previous two times GAC had won easily — a 59-31 win over the Cardinals and a 64-40 win over the Pipers.
Saturday's game ended an eight-season, 220-game streak where the Gusties had canned at least one shot from downtown.
• Former Macalester football player and long-time contributor to D3hoops.com and D3football.com Adam (Onearmedscot) Johnson was hospitalized today with an irregular heartbeat. He will be monitored at St. Joseph's Hospital for the next 24 hours.
I know he's read my work in the past, so please feel free to pass along any thoughts and prayers in the comments section.
Here's a story that's easy to rally around for the MIAC faithful. Saint John's basketball coach Jim Smith is three wins away from 700 in his career. That's a feat achieved by just one other Division III basketball coach, putting him in elite company.
For the nice non-UST story I was begging for but two days ago, please see Jim Souhan's article in Sunday's Star Tribune.
Will Smith reach that milestone this year, or will he have to wait until next? The remaining schedule is tough, with all four remaining opponents fighting for playoffs spots. However, only a complete collapse would see them miss the playoffs, meaning he'll get at least five games to win three.
Here's a quick look at the remaining schedule:
2/11 — Home Augsburg
The Auggies pounded SJU 68-51 in the first meeting of the year and Augsburg is still fighting for a first-round bye in the MIAC playoffs. However, SJU has won five straight and appears to be peaking at the right time.
Advantage: Johnnies
2/14 — At Hamline
The Pipers are the only thing that could prevent SJU from reaching the postseason, but the Johnnies' magic number for clinching is 1. Hamline has won five of six after a horrible start.
Advantage: Johnnies
2/18 — At St. Thomas
If the Johnnies and Tommies are able to take care of business heading into this game, it has the potential to be the biggest showdown between these rivals in a decade or more — or maybe even ever. I'm sure Smith would like nothing more than to win his 700th game in one of the last games ever played at Schoenecker Arena, but UST is fighting to become just the second team in league history to ever finish 20-0. The top-ranked Tommies won the first game 86-55 so they've got to be favored in the rematch.
Advantage: Tommies
2/21 — Home Gustavus
This game could mean many different things, depending on how the earlier games play out — it could decide a first-round bye, it could determine the postseason travel schedule or it could even determine which team doesn't make the MIAC tournament. Gustavus won the first meeting 68-62 in Saint Peter, but the teams have gone in opposite directions to end the year. The Gusties have lost five of eight after a strong start to the conference schedule.
Advantage: Johnnies
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Personally, I see a young SJU team slipping up in one of the games I've listed them as the favorite — I'm hoping it's the Gustavus game — and then falling in the first round of the MIAC tournament. That'd push the historic win back until next season, which would be unfortunate given Smith's relatively fragile health Souhan refers to often in his piece.
Minnesota Wrap
• Short piece on the 100th anniversary celebration at Gustavus. Hanson's quoted, but it doesn't seem like he was in a very festive mood. Can't say that I blame him.
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