- like he did Martin Brodeur for Roberto Luongo at the 2010

You thought we were done talking about a showdown between No. 1 and No. 2 in womens college basketball? Not so fast. We are just getting started.A national television audience wont get to watch when Green Bay and South Dakota State meet in Brookings, South Dakota, on Friday. But it is a showcase for perhaps two of the three programs, along with Gonzaga, that come closest to a mid-major approximation of Connecticuts and Notre Dames ability to maintain a standard of excellence year after year and recruiting class after recruiting class.You cant get more out of a basketball program than the Phoenix and Jackrabbits do on an annual basis.And they emerge at the top of these rankings at the perfect time.1. Green Bay (7-1)The Phoenix might feel they let the chance of a lifetime slip away at Notre Dame, but they dont seem to be dwelling on it. The degree to which they are dominating opponents earns them the top spot. Many of the recent victories are the sort that would be notable anyway in the mid-major context -- at Belmont, Chattanooga and Marquette and at home against Drake. But it is the way Green Bay wins. It led by 23 points in the fourth quarter at Chattanooga and 29 points entering the final period against Drake. It never trailed -- and almost never led by fewer than double digits -- at Marquette. After Fridays visit to Brookings, rival Wisconsin comes to town. (Last ranking: 4)Top honors: Mehryn Kraker (18.0 PPG, 3.8 APG, 68.3 field goal percentage in four games). The fifth-year co-captain is a marvel. She has the game of the player who drives you nuts in pick-up basketball, the full array of up-and-unders, pivots, hesitation dribbles and backdoor cuts. You know, the player who spends all day on the court when the rules are winners stay.2. South Dakota State (7-1)The Jackrabbits just couldnt take care of the ball in a loss at Oklahoma the day before Thanksgiving. The Sooners outscored them by 13 points off turnovers and won by 14 points. Without someone like Gabrielle Boever, one of the few rotation players lost after last season, South Dakota State is short on point guard experience. That said, the Jackrabbits still have more assists than turnovers, and they have balance. All five starters average double figures and all shoot at least 47 percent from the field. The stretch ahead is daunting beyond Green Bays visit. South Dakota State hosts George Washington two days later and travels to Louisville next week. (Last ranking: 1)Top honors: Madison Guebert (18.5 PPG, 59.3 3-point field goal percentage, 2.8 SPG in four games). A Top 100 recruit who looked the part as a freshman a season ago, Guebert appears to be developing into option 1B alongside Summit League preseason player of the year Macy Miller. In her two most recent outings, she hit 14-of-24 3-point attempts.3. Gonzaga (5-2)A loss against Michigan could sting by spring. The Bulldogs got the Wolverines on the first day of a holiday tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands but ceded the Big Ten team an early lead and never could pull even despite generally keeping matters within 10 points. Beating Florida State the next day was always going to be a stretch. On the plus side, Gonzaga got quality minutes from Emma Wolfram against both the Wolverines and Seminoles. Then after keeping her out of a third game in three days, she had a nice line in her mainland return. The redshirt junior has battled plenty of injuries, but any minutes at 6-foot-5 have value. (Last ranking: 2)Top honors: Jill Barta (21.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 64.6 field goal percentage in four games). It cant be anyone else after she put up 27 and 20 points against Michigan and Florida State, respectively. In the span of a week, she took 32 shots against those two teams and Stanford, and made 22.4. Drexel (4-2)It isnt that a loss at Bucknell is any embarrassment -- the Bison opened the season in these rankings and might yet return. But Drexels setback, six days after a signature win against Syracuse, dulls the glow of that earlier result. And while the Colonial Athletic Association is a good league, there are no more chances for Drexel to grab and keep national attention. The sparse schedule, as Drexel goes through its exam period, offers no more games until Tuesday. (Last ranking: 3)Top honors: Sarah Curran (17.5 PPG, 60.0 3-point field goal percentage in two games). With 19 points against Bucknell, the sharpshooter did her part to forestall the letdown. A 32 percent 3-point shooter in her first two seasons, the senior is hitting at better than 40 percent ever since.5. IUPUI (6-1)All right, you have our attention. IUPUI didnt just beat Missouri this past Sunday, it routed a credible NCAA tournament team 73-45 (although credit to Missouri coach Robin Pingeton, who fought the same scheduling battles in her successful run at Illinois State, for taking the game). The Jaguars were the third part of a Summit League triumvirate that didnt get nearly enough attention a season ago, as South Dakota State proved by nearly reaching the Sweet 16 and South Dakota proved in winning the WNIT. The game against Missouri was the first chance to make an impression this season. Saturdays mid-major clash against Ohio is the next. (Last ranking: NR)Top honors: Danielle Lawrence (13.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG in three games). Teammate Mikale Rogers was the Summit Leagues most recent player of the week, for good reason, but Lawrence has a pair of 24-point games in recent days -- including the Missouri win.6. Ohio (6-0)It didnt take coach Bob Boldon long to turn Youngstown State into a winner, and the results are looking familiar as his fourth season in Athens, Ohio, rolls along. In back-to-back games at the turn of the month, Ohio beat Middle Tennessee by 21 points on the road and Duquesne by 18 points at home. The Bobcats have played six games; their opponents have 50 more turnovers than they do. After Saturdays game at IUPUI, Ohio travels to Michigan for a chance at a marquee power conference win. (Last ranking: NR)Top honors: Quiera Lampkins (18.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.7 SPG in three games). Those rebounding numbers come with the addendum that the senior stands 5-9 and has 27 percent of the teams offensive rebounds this season. So, yes, she seems to have a motor.7. UNLV (6-1)After handing USC its first loss of the season, UNLV did the same to Mississippi shortly after Thanksgiving. That keeps the Rebels in a holding pattern here despite a loss against BYU in a post-holiday tournament in Hawaii (from Las Vegas to Maui, its a rough life ... and their next stop is in Malibu). The big test awaits Dec. 19 against Oregon State. Of some concern, UNLV commits far and away the most turnovers per game of the teams ranked here. (Last ranking: 9)Top honors: Paris Strawther (11.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 57.1 field goal percentage in four games). The Rebels can be a streaky bunch, thus far able to count on at least one of Dakota Gonzalez, Brooke Johnson, Katie Powell or Nikki Wheatley in any given game. The exception is Strawther, who quietly and efficiently puts up the same line, be it USC and Ole Miss or Tennessee State.8. George Washington (7-2)It was a busy couple of weeks for the Colonials, who played six games since they just missed the previous rankings. And until a surprising loss against American on Wednesday, the Colonials were only a stray second quarter against Syracuse away from perfection. Down as many as 20 points against the Orange at a holiday tournament, George Washington had a chance to tie on the final possession of a 74-71 loss. Undaunted, Jennifer Rizzottis team then beat Florida Gulf Coast, Western Kentucky, Illinois and VCU by a combined 78 points. Former Lehigh standout Lexi Martins (8.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG) continues to quietly be among the seasons best transfers. (Last ranking: NR)Top honors: Hannah Schaible (12.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.2 SPG in five games). Her biggest scoring performance came with a career-best 20 points against Florida Gulf Coast -- on her birthday no less -- but the rest of her game never wavered.9. BYU (5-3)Maybe the puzzle is starting to come together in assessing BYU sans Lexi Rydalch. A brutally noncompetitive loss at Georgia marred the early going, but losses against ranked Oklahoma and Oregon State were competitive in the fourth quarter. Subsequent wins against UNLV and Weber State came against teams that are a combined 12-1 in the rest of their games. It has to be an encouraging sign that Cassie Broadhead and Kristine Nielson have stepped up as double-digit scorers alongside Kalani Purcell and Makenzi Pulsipher. (Last ranking: NR)Top honors: Purcell (15.8 PPG, 50.0 FG%, 9.2 RPG, 5.6 APG in five games). No surprise here. The player who does it all has been doing a lot of everything in recent weeks.10. Drake (4-3)Drake has a strong case for going overlooked in these mid-major rankings when the season began, but it couldnt quite finish off potential wins against Creighton or Iowa State to prove that point. But the overall body of work, the drubbing at Green Bay notwithstanding, is beginning to mount. That was capped by an 84-70 win at Nebraska on Tuesday, the Huskers admittedly rebuilding but still not an everyday prize for mid-majors traveling to Lincoln. (Last ranking: NR)Top honors: Lizzy Wendell (19.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.3 SPG in four games). The scoring actually represents a dip for Wendell, which tells you something about the standards she has established. But 17 steals in four games, including five at Nebraska, dont hurt her cause at all.Dropped out: Chattanooga, Quinnipiac, Saint Louis, UT Arlington, Western KentuckyPrevious rankings: Nov. 3 (preseason) | Nov. 23Custom Mariners Jerseys . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. Custom Mariners T-shirts . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. http://www.custommarinersjersey.com/ . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Custom Mariners Jersey China . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. Mariners Jerseys China . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe.The rest of the hockey world began narrowing the gap a long time ago. But make no mistake, Canada remains the team to beat in these tournaments, having won four of the past five best-on-best events dating back to the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and then adding victories at the last World Cup in 2004, the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and of course the most recent test, the 2014 Games in Sochi. Overall, going back to the inaugural Canada Cup (later renamed World Cup) in 1976, Canada has won eight of the 12 best-on-best events staged in the history of the sport. So of course the road to victory in this years World Cup goes through the host team. But that is not to say Canada is unbeatable, however. Far from it.How Team Canada could winWhere to start? The back-to-back Olympic champs are loaded up front, led by?Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Joe Thornton and Claude Giroux. Team Canada is?once again a whos who of superstars up and down its four forward lines.A big key was that head coach Mike Babcock identified early in training camp the two wingers who will play with Crosby -- ?Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron?--?potentially solving a riddle, finding a line fit for his best player, that had perplexed him throughout the past two Olympics. That trio showed immediate chemistry during the first day of camp.In goal, the 1-2-3 punch of Carey Price, Braden Holtby and Corey Crawford is matched perhaps only by Team USAs netminders in terms of quality and depth, although most observers agree that Price is the best goalie in the world when hes back in form. The coaching staff, led by Babcock, has star- and brain-power. It features Joel Quenneville, Claude Julien, Barry Trotz and up-and-comer Bill Peters. This team will be expertly prepared.Price was steady in Sochi when tested, but never had to steal a game, as Canadas keep-away, puck-possession strategy on the bigger ice delivered a surgical, undefeated Olympic performance. Now that Team Canada is back on NHL-sized ice, the system has been tweaked. But the stars both on the ice and behind the bench are aiming for a similar result -- and desire to own the puck.How Team Canada could loseDuncan Keiths?absence because of innjury is potentially devastating.dddddddddddd. If this team has any soft underbelly, its on the left side of its defense. Marc-Edouard Vlasic has proven to be up to the task, elevating his game both in Sochi and in the NHL the past few years to become one of the leagues top defensemen, but he doesnt have the offensive talent that Keith does, and the drop-off to an aging Jay Bouwmeester and Team Canada newcomer Jake Muzzin is real. It has led to right-handed Alex Pietrangelo beginning camp playing on the left side, which is something Babcock would rather avoid but clearly feels has no choice but to do.If Canada falters, critics will wonder why a guy like Kris Letang?or P.K. Subban,?though both right-handed, werent named after their outstanding seasons. The right-left defense debate will rage on in hockey-mad Canada if the host team loses.Another wild card for Canada is Prices form. The goalie missed most of last season with a knee injury. Its been nine months since he has played a real game. Can he shake off the rust in time to lead Canada to a World Cup title? Would Babcock consider pulling him for Holtby or Crawford midway through the tourney -- like he did Martin Brodeur for Roberto Luongo at the 2010 Games -- if he feels Price hasnt found his A-game? Its something to monitor, to be sure.What to watch for: As Stamkos goes, so goes CanadaStamkos has waited for this chance for a long time. A broken leg robbed him of a trip to Sochi in 2014 in what would have been his first Olympics. Hes champing at the bit to make his mark at this stage for his native country. He also happens to be the best pure goal scorer on this ridiculously talented team. He has spent most of camp and pretournament on a line with Logan Couture and Toews, a very responsible, two-way unit that obviously still has offensive firepower. Stamkos observed during camp that Toews was underrated offensively, that he is always on the right side of the puck, which creates opportunities for a shooter like Stamkos. If Canada does win again, look for the Tampa Bay Lightning captain to be a central figure. ' ' '