Is this the worst performance in Gustavus history? If so, it might also be the most embarrassing.

A drunken fan kicked out during warmups? Check.
Ridiculous chants at the opposing team during a blowout loss? Check.
Coach Hanson telling the athletic trainer to make the GAC students stop swearing? Check.
A coaching technical for arguing a call down 30 late in the second half? Check.
The most lopsided loss in school history? Check, I think. I don't have the patience to check the entire web site right now.

With the season now over, I can't wait to put this all behind me as quickly as possible. However, the Tommie dominance again raises the question about how good St. Thomas might be. As the stats show, these Tommies are far and away the best team in the MIAC. Most agree that the league is waaaaaaaaaaaay down this year, so take that with a grain of salt.

St. Thomas has played just five teams with winning records this year. The only team you might consider even remotely strong is Bethel, which beat up on six nonconference patsies to pad its deceivingly strong 20-6 record. The Tommies' own nonconference schedule consists of Pomona-Pitzer (13-12), Occidental (11-15), UW-River Falls (11-15), UW-La Crosse (10-15) and Division II Concordia-St. Paul (12-14). Hardly a worthy measuring stick for such a strong team.

Does that mean the Tommies don't have the potential to win it all? Of course not. They simply remain a talented, unchallenged, question mark heading into the postseason. Have they learned from their early flameouts in the past three national tournaments? Are they ready to take the next step on their rise to prominence? Can they certify their top-ranked stature? I'm excited to see them try.

For now, the next step means taking down Bethel, which topped Augsburg, for the third time.

MIAC Title Game
#2 Bethel (20-6) at #1 St. Thomas (26-0), 7:30 p.m. Saturday

The 2009 playoffs opened Monday night in impressive fashion. Gustavus rallied past St. John's and Augsburg survived a furious charge by Carleton to advance to the semifinals of the MIAC playoffs. The road only gets more difficult from here.

#6 Gustavus (11-9, 13-13) at #1 St. Thomas (20-0, 25-0)

The sixth-seeded Gusties are rewarded with Wednesday's trip to face top-ranked, undefeated St. Thomas. It will be the underdog's third road trip in five days and fourth game in the last eight days, all against the top three teams in the conference. The Tommies controlled the first two matchups with relative ease. Could the third time be the charm? It would be a historic upset.

#4 Augsburg (12-8, 15-11) at #2 Bethel (14-6, 19-6)

The Augsburg/Bethel showdown offers a unique opportunity for the Auggies. Royals senior Tim Madson drilled a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer of the final regular season game last year to knock Augsburg out of the playoffs. The teams split the regular season series in 2008-09, with each winning on the road. Bethel has been rolling, but the Auggies should have plenty of motivation.

Minnesota Wrap
• Macalester coach Curt Kietzer resigned Monday after the first winless season in MIAC history.
• Carleton senior Zach Johnson became the 18th player in MIAC history to reach 2,000 points in his career last weekend.

Photo by Dawid Chabowski, Saint John's University

Does Jan Gangelhoff know chemistry? St. John's senior Cole Isetts could use the help. Instead of relaxing in front of the boob tube before what might be his last collegiate game, the senior wing is spending the night locked away with his books like a normal college student.

Division III athletics at its finest, right?

That work ethic is nothing new for the the Red Wing native, who has been a bit player for the Johnnies over the first three years of his collegiate career. Even as a senior, Isetts' minutes have often been sporadic. Do you think his pair of MVP awards on the SJU junior varsity team provided any solace as he rode the pine when the bright lights were shining?

But he kept plugging away, spending countless hours to improve his game. Trust me, I've seen him toiling away in an otherwise empty gym at the YMCA every summer for the past four years. I may have laughed as he pushed through some defensive slide drills, but he's getting the last laugh now. Finally.

While his time answering my questions below was limited — double majoring in Chemistry and Management keeps him busy, apparently — I almost feel compelled to wish him good luck against my Gusties. It's hard not to appreciate someone sticking things out like he's done...and finally being rewarded for that dedication.

Brett Boese: You've played in 21 of 25 games this year, including starting 12 times. After waiting so long to see the court, how satisfying has this season been for you?

Cole Isetts: This season has had its ups and downs, but it feels good to be playing good D and playing with a lot of heart as a team. As a senior, it feels good to be leading a team that has a lot of potential and are really a good group of guys.

BB: You joined the starting lineup after St. John's had lost six of seven games to fall to 7-9 overall and 5-6 in the MIAC. With you seeing extended minutes, SJU closed the season by winning seven of nine to finish third in the league. How did you change your approach with the move? Has anything else changed that a casual fan might not have noticed?

CI: Since I've been in the starting lineup, I haven't changed much except for really continuing to keep our guys on the same page and fired up the entire game. We have really concentrated on our defense since the change.

BB: Monday you'll be facing the Gusties for the second time in three days. Saturday's game ended with your point guard getting tossed. Gustavus had its best player tossed in the playoffs at SJU two years ago. The rivalry has clearly been heating up for awhile now. How testy do you expect the rematch to be?

CI: Hopefully the same outcome as Saturday but as far as the rivalry heating up, I have felt that for sure over the last few years. Both teams play hard and the Gusties have some big guys which makes the game overall a little more physical.

BB: SJU coach Jim Smith is one win away from becoming the second coach in Division III history to reach 700. With the postseason starting, this is your last chance to make it happen this season. How important is that to the team? As one of two seniors on the roster, does it hold any extra significance for you?

CI: Absolutely. I have been a student of Smith for four years and nothing would make me happier then to get him that 700th win.

BB: You were playing on my team over Christmas break when I broke my foot. How big of a pansy did I look like when high school JV players were schooling me as I hobbled around? Be honest, I can handle it.

CI: You looked like a medium to large sized pansy over xmas break. But I know you can still run with the best of them.

Minnesota Wrap
• The Concordia wrestling team is on the rise.
• Former Gustavus basketball and golf coach Whitey Skoog had his jersey retired Sunday night by the University of Minnesota. He is generally credited with inventing the jump shot, and described it to the crowd at halftime. Below is a loose paraphrase of his story:

We were down at Drake and I went full-tilt to the hoop, and their center stepped right in front of me. So I jumped as high as I could and took the ball above my head, hoping to see my center going to the hoop. But he was no where to be found, so I shot the ball at the hoop and it went in. As I was running down the court I thought to myself "Man, what was that?"

The next practice here at ol' Williams, I grabbed a ball and decided to practice that again. And I did it the whole practice.