Week 4 Summit League Match Ups

Thursday
ORU 67 vs IUPUI 58
Centenary 47 vs WIU 45
SDSU 67 vs UMKC 69
NDSU 76 vs SUU 53

Saturday
Oakland 93 vs IPFW 88
ORU 64 vs WIU 54
Centenary 58 vs IUPUI 56
NDSU 65 vs UMKC 60
SDSU 80 vs SUU 85

Both NDSU and ORU head to the road this week, NDSU has tough game at SUU where few Summit teams do well. ORU on the other hand gets an IUPUI team that has lost two straight, I would expect Hunter to have his team ready Thursday night. A solid road swing would further help push either team into solid footing at the top of the league.

Oakland is also facing a key game, IPFW is solid at their place and Oakland must avoid already picking up their fourth conference loss.

The game on Thursday will tell me what the bison men are made of. Last year we were a major disappointment on the road at SUU. Any win at SUU would be a good one based on our history there, and a loss wouldn't be surprising.

Looking a the tale of the tape, we definitely have the muscle edge. Looks like a Winkleman, Coleman, Moormann kind of game.

Only home team to get a win on Thursday was UMKC.

Great job Centenary!

Power Rankings.....

1. NDSU- Not even the dreaded SUU road game or shooting 32% against UMKC could stop NDSU from picking up its first Summit League road sweep. NDSU appears to taken the next step, and that is just finding ways to win the games you should win.

2. ORU- The Golden Eagles will not let up in their pursuit of another league title. Oral Roberts is 5-0 in the month of January and chances are good that they will run that streak to 8-0 with SUU and UMKC coming to their house followed by a game at Centenary to end the month.

3. Oakland- The Golden Grizzlies put a tighter hold on the three spot in this week's rankings by defeating IPFW on the road. The game was a must win for Coach Kampe's squad, one more loss at this point of the season would have taken them out of contention for the league title.

4. Centenary- The Gentleman won two games on the road this week, and that kind of consistency pays off in this portion of my league power rankings. Now the question is will they keep it up or once again fall back into the abyss of inconsistency?

5. SUU- The Thunderbirds were about as close as a team can get from being swept at home, but somehow they survived and now cling to 4th place in the league.

6. UMKC- The Kangaroos had the Bison right where they wanted them, but like a young team they couldn't seal the deal against the experienced Bison. There is no doubt UMKC remains a dangerous team, capable of knocking off anybody.

7. IPFW- The Mastodons had a chance to deal Oakland a major loss but they couldn't get it done at home. At 2-5 in league play IPFW will need a big week as they face a pair of struggling team in IUPUI and WIU at home, all three teams are now locked into a battle of who might get left out of the league tournament.

8. WIU- The Leathernecks continue their fall from grace by getting swept at home. WIU is now in the midst of a four game losing streak and things won't get any easier with games at Oakland and IPFW coming up.

9. SDSU- The Rabbits continue their roller coaster ride, from being the sweeper last week to the sweepee this week. What may be more concerning for Rabbit fans is the fact that SDSU still has yet to win a Summit League road game.

10. IUPUI- From preseason contender to current cellar dweller, what happened to Coach Hunter's squad?

Blue's Summit League Power Rankings, to appear in Thursday's Brookings Register

Men’s Basketball
1. North Dakota State (12-5, 7-1 Summit)
The senior leadership of the Bison has given the team consistency on the road and at home.
2. Oral Roberts (8-11, 6-1)
The Golden Eagles have won six straight games.
3. Oakland (11-9, 4-3)
Erik Kangas earned The Summit League Player of the Week award after a career-high 39-point outburst Saturday at IPFW.
4. Southern Utah (6-12, 4-3)
Sure, they almost went 2-0 at home. Their four league wins have been by a combined 21 points.
5. Centenary (5-14, 3-4)
After beating IPFW and IUPUI on the road, the Gents look to be ready to compete for a conference tournament spot.
6. Western Illinois (6-12, 3-4)
Their quick 3-0 start in conference play seems to be only a memory.
7. South Dakota State (8-12, 3-5)
Wanted: One Road Win At Any Cost. Contact Head Coach Scott Nagy for details.
8. IUPUI (9-9, 2-5)
A conference title hopeful, looks like a pretender at the present moment.
9. IPFW (7-11, 2-5)
Head Coach Dane Fife’s team has performed like the stock market lately. Up one day, down the next.
10. UMKC (6-14, 2-5)
They did beat SDSU at home, before losing a heartbreaker to NDSU this week.

Women’s Basketball
1. South Dakota State (18-2, 7-1)
Jenn Warkenthien Summit League Player of the Week.
2. Oakland (14-4, 6-1)
Has there been any team hotter than the Griz lately? 6-0 since losing their conference opener.
3. North Dakota State (8-8, 6-2)
They only have seven active members on their roster, their lack of depth is about to catch up with them.
4. UMKC (8-10, 3-4)
If there has been a pleasant surprise, it has been these former cellar dwellers.
5. IUPUI (9-9, 4-3
The Jags remain in the middle of the pack.
6. Western Illinois (6-12, 4-3)
Coach Leslie Crane’s squad just seems to underperform after the midway point of the season.
7. Oral Roberts (9-9, 2-5)
Much like the Jackrabbit men’s squad, they too would like a conference road win.
8. Southern Utah (6-12, 2-5)
The Thunderbirds have been up and down this season and are sitting on the edge of a conference tournament spot.
9. Centenary (3-16, 1-6)
And so the streak goes, win one lose the next four or five.
10. IPFW (2-15, 1-6)
The Mastodons haven’t won a game since upsetting Southern Utah at home on Dec. 8.