The Timberwolves and Gophers men's basketball teams have a few things in common right now. Both have young talent, indicating better days are ahead, but both are also struggling more in the present than they probably ought to be with coaches searching for answers.

These struggles — and the need to think about anything but the Vikings now that the season is over — led me down a strange path, one that will never happen in reality: What if Pitino and Mitchell traded places, with Pitino coaching the Wolves and Mitchell leading the Gophers for the rest of the year?

Would everyone be better off?

readers are right More than three-fourths of those who voted in a startribune.com poll said the Vikings offensive line is the area that needs the most improving on the team.

looking ahead For more analysis of what lies ahead in 2016, check out the Access Vikings podcast via iTunes.com.