by Corey McLaughlin | LaxMagazine.com | Twitter
We had so much fun this time last year — predicting three of this year's final four teams, including No. 1 Denver in an early look at the 2015 season last June — that we're back at it again with a probably too early preview for 2016. Potential transfers not yet included.
1. Duke
Guess who's back, back again? History may look back on 2015 as just a blip in the Blue Devils' string of final four appearances under coach John Danowski. Many observers expected Duke to, well, pull a Duke and find its rhythm come the second half of the season, but defensive struggles proved too much to overcome and some injuries didn't help matters. But most of that defense, save long-stick midfielder Brian Dailey, will be a year older next year, playing in front of sophomore goalie Danny Fowler or senior Luke Aaron.
And when you look at what the Blue Devils have returning on offense, look out. Tewaaraton Award finalist Myles Jones is just the start, with attackman Justin Guterding (52 goals, 18 assists as a freshman), rising junior Jack Bruckner (47 goals, 12 assists), rising senior midfielder Deemer Class (34 goals, 19 assists) and rising senior attackman Case Matheis (20 goals, 19 assists) returning. All in all, that's the Blue Devils' top five scorers from 2015. No other team considered near the top of these rankings can say that. Another plus is the return of faceoff specialist Kyle Rowe (61.4 percent), who shared duties with his older brother Jack last season.
"We're a good team, not a great team," Danowski said midseason this year.
With some more seasoning, they have a chance to be the latter next spring.
2. Notre Dame
Tewaaraton Award finalist Matt Kavanagh, midfielder Sergio Perkovic, and defenseman Matt Landis all return, making Notre Dame just as dangerous as it was this season and a serious candidate for preseason No. 1.
Kavanagh will look to rebound from a tough 2015 season in which be battled multiple injuries but still produced 50-plus points. "Perkovic is an animal," Denver coach Bill Tierney said. That just about sums it up, and Landis is among several pieces back on defense, including Ed Glazener and Garrett Epple.
Does Shane Doss remain the starter in goal? The Irish lose short-stick defensive midfielder Jack Near, an invaluable part of the program the last four years, and Conor Doyle, who drew top defensemen with Kavanagh limited, but there's enough coming back that another final four appearance is a realistic expectation.
3. Denver
The Pioneers lose pieces on offense and defense but their biggest question mark may be in goal, where after four years, some of which were spent splitting halves, Ryan LaPlante went out as a senior with a national title to his credit. So did Wes Berg and midfielder Erik Adamson. But Denver has shown it can plug in pieces, and returns a strong core from the title team: first-team All-American Connor Cannizzaro, second-team All-American defenseman Christian Burgdorf and starting midfielder Zach Miller and Tyler Pace, who are more than capable of filling the production void left by Berg. Three of the team's top four scorers will be back as will faceoff man Trevor Baptiste, who won 68 percent as a rookie.
4. Maryland
Another near miss for the Terps in the final four under John Tillman, but something tells me they'll back right back near the top of the national pecking order next year. They'll need to make some offensive tweaks and deal with the graduation of faceoff man Charlie Raffa, who perhaps will be the biggest loss for any top-10 team, and defenseman Casey Ikeda, too. But there's plenty coming back, including attackman Matt Rambo, midfielder Bryan Cole, defenseman Matt Dunn, goalie Kyle Bernlohr and long-stick midfielder Matt Neufeldt. Virginia transfer Greg Danseglio, who sat out this season (and worked the substitution box for the Terps), could slide into a starting role on defense.
5. Johns Hopkins
Things won't be easy for the Blue Jays. Wells Stanwick was one of the more underappreciated players in the country, coach Dave Pietramala said repeatedly this season, and was a senior. So was long-stick midfielder Mike Pellegrino, a heart-and-soul of the team type, and goalie Eric Schneider. They were all captains. But sweet shooting Ryan Brown returns as does Shack Stanwick, who showed a lot of promise as a freshman, as did Joel Tinney. Tinney could be primed for a big sophomore season with first midfield linemates Holden Cattoni and Connor Reed also back. Pietramala talked after the final four loss to Maryland about this year's group of seniors re-establishing the program among the nation's elite. This group will look to keep them there.
6. Syracuse
Maybe a little high for the Orange considering all the fifth-year seniors and other key contributors they lose, including quarterback Kevin Rice and Randy Staats. But there is no shortage of talent on the returning roster. The offense could run through Dylan Donahue. Jordan Evans could shift to attack and don't forget about Ben Williams on faceoffs and Brandon Mullins on defense. Syracuse may have had the best backup goalie in the country last year in Warren Hill. The Iroquois Nationals starter at the 2014 FIL World Championship will be in line to start in Syracuse as a senior.
7. North Carolina
The Tar Heels can do one of two things: Let the continued final four drought for the program bother them, or forget about it and realize that all the ghosts of lacrosse seasons past won't matter this year. North Carolina loses an important senior class and three of its top four scorers in Jimmy Bitter, Joey Sankey and Chad Tutton. But, like Syracuse, the cubboard is not close to bare. Luke Goldstock was one of the best freshman in the country and scored 50 goals. Austin Pifani and Evan Connell return as starting defenseman and the midfield is deep.
8. Virginia
Since the ACC expanded to six teams two years ago — it played this season with five and will continue to — Virginia has missed both conference post-season tournaments and been bounced in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Three of the team's top four scorers are back, Greg Coholan, Ryan Lukakovic and Zed Williams, as is goalie Matt Barrett, who saw plenty of shots this year. Defenseman Tanner Scales (Achilles' tendon) and James Pannell (ACL) will be returning from season-ending injuries.
9. Brown
The Bears bring back three very key pieces from the 2015 team that reached the NCAA tournament: goalie Jack Kelly, long-stick midfielder Larken Kemp and attackman Dylan Molloy, who posted 62 goals and 30 assists as a sophomore. Kemp ranked second nationally in caused turnovers with 33 for a team that will look to continue to run and gun.
10. Yale
Under Andy Shay, Yale has played in three of the last four NCAA tournaments. They just always seem to be there no matter the personnel losses. Ben Reeves was Ivy League rookie of the year, and the team has already elected its captain for 2016, defenseman Michael Quinn.
11. Georgetown
The Hoyas may have arrived in the top-20 rankings a year ahead of schedule in 2015, which bodes well for their 2016 chances. Sophomore midfielder Peter Conley missed eight games midseason with injury but still scored 19 goals and should help fill the void left by starting attackman Bo Stafford and Reilly O'Connor. The close defense returns intact and the Hoyas showed promise in games against top competition this year under Kevin Warne. To win the Big East, though, they'll have to knock off Denver.
12. Ohio State
The post-Jesse King era will begin for Ohio State in 2016. He did so much offensively for the Buckeyes over the last four years. The defense brings back starting goalie Tom Carey and two starting close defensemen.
13. Loyola
Like Duke, don't expect the Greyhounds to be down for long. Loyola went 0-6 in one-goal games last year while playing a host of underclassmen in key spots. The starting midfield of Brian Sherlock, Romar Dennis and Tyler Albrecht returns, as does Zach Herreweyers. David Manning, who redshirted after injuring his knee in the fall, will help fill the hole left by starting close defenseman Pat Frazier. And a freshman goalie will now be a sophomore.
14. Princeton
Gone are Mike MacDonald and Kip Orban but back are Zach Currier, Ryan Ambler and Gavin McBride. The Tigers will once again content in the dog-eat-dog Ivy League.
15. Cornell
The Big Red will be strong up the middle with goalie Christian Knight and faceoff man Dominic Massimilian but enter with questions. The Big Three on offense, Connor Buczek, Matt Donovan and Dan Lintner, were seniors last season as was defenseman Jordan Stevens.
16. Albany
It's unlikely the Great Danes will be as good without Lyle Thompson, but it's not like there won't be anything with Scott Marr to work with. There's 60-plus goal scorer Connor Fields and goalie Blaze Riorden for starters.
17. Towson
The Tigers defense was one of the tops in the country and starting goalie Tyler White will be a senior. The starting attack from 2015 is also back, but the starting offensive midfield is gone.
18. Navy
Can the Mids keep the momentum going? We'll find out. Brady Dove is valuable commodity on faceoffs as is Chris Fennell on defense. Jack Ray and Patrick Keena are impressive offensive parts as well.
19. Stony Brook
Challen Rogers scored 30 goals and had 23 assists out of the midfield last season and is back with Canadian finisher Brody Eastwood, who scored 62 last season. Attackman Mike Rooney, the school's all-time leader in assists and points, won't be around, but after dealing with Albany in the America East the past several seasons, the Seawolves will want to punch their NCAA tournament ticket in the post-Thompson era.
20. Marquette
The Golden Eagles surprised many with their leap into the top 20 rankings this year, but they have some staying power. Marquette, entering only its fourth varsity season, doesn't have many graduation losses. The main one is graduate student Jordan Greenfield.
]]>Update: the college lacrosse recruiting world saw a significant vote go down yesterday at the coaches convention. IMLCA members voted to support the same proposal that the women’s coaches had put forth three months ago at the IWLCA meetings. The proposal would limit all contact with recruits to September 1st of a student’s junior year or later. Currently, there are loopholes that allow for communication and even verbal commitments from middle school students.
The next step for the proposal is that it will head to the SEAC, which is a student experience committee, headed by Harvard’s President, Bob Scalise. Scalise is an outspoken proponent of reigning in the recruiting world so the proposal looks solid in that regard. However, in order for this proposal to mean anything, the NCAA will need to take action, and that is a totally different question. According to IL, the IMLCA will try to “join” the existing proposal put forth by the IWLCA.
Original Story: Is the college lacrosse recruiting world going to change overnight? Probably not, but the New York Times ran a story this week on proposals from sports within the NCAA to create a change in timelines, and lacrosse played an important role in the article. Interestingly enough, it was not men’s lacrosse being discussed this time around, and instead we heard from some of the women’s coaches, which was quite refreshing. The article is well worth a read.
Let’s be honest, while there are a good number of NCAA men’s lacrosse coaches who want to see a change take place in college lacrosse recruiting, few real steps were ever successfully taken to remedy what was widely seen as problematic. When steps were taken by men’s coaches, and a proposal was sent to the NCAA, the NCAA declined to take any action. When the NCAA put forth a moratorium on all new recruiting rule changes, it was logically seen as something that couldn’t be changed. A number of coaches wrote off early recruiting as part and parcel to modern college athletics.
This weekend, at the IMCLA convention in Baltimore however, the topic will once again be raised by the men’s coaches, and there does seem to be more movement towards addressing this issue on the women’s side. Hopefully, some complementary moves will be made on the mens’s side, but this conversation has happened before, and did not really lead to anything once it got to the NCAA level.
The somewhat resigned reasoning for early recruiting that I heard from college coaches, along with many others involved in the process, has always been interesting:
“What’s the harm? If a kid commits to a good school when he’s in 9th grade, isn’t that good?”
“We would consider recruiting later, but since our competitors won’t, we can’t afford to actually do it.”
“With all the talent out there, you have to start looking at kids early. Why not lock up the good ones?”
“It works in basketball, and we want to be on that level as well.”
“It’s a competitive world out there. More years of visibility mean that we more accurately know what we’re getting.”
“NCAA regulations are made for the big revenue sports: basketball and football. We just play by their rules. Lacrosse creating change will be an impossible battle, and we tried, so why continue to waste our time on it?”
“We actually like early recruiting because it means that the kids who have slipped through the cracks of D1 now come to us on a more traditional time scale.” (some NCAA D3 Coaches on being able to recruit later, e.g. Juniors and Seniors)
None of the above are direct quotes, and this is not an exhaustive list of reasons. I don’t take notes or record conversations during an interesting talk. I do however look for larger trends and thoughts, and by compiling numerous conversations, the above rationale explains a lot of the past, and current, mindset of college coaches (and others!) mired in the recruiting muck, and helps to explain why the coaches on the men’s side have not been overtly strident in their call for any actual change.
Now, some of the points from the coaches above are quite strong, and can be argued with success. To me, this means that college lacrosse recruiting, and college athletics recruiting in general, is not completely broken. There are good aspects to the current process. However, I am not sold on the idea that recruiting for college athletics could not be regulated better than it is now, and neither are the women’s coaches. Good! I’m intrigued as to how the men, and more importantly the NCAA, will respond.
Some may float the idea of “it ain’t broke, so don’t fix it“. If that were true, we would all still be driving Model T cars around and flying in prop planes made out of balsa wood, but we don’t. We improved on the Model T and we invented jet engines and aluminum rivets, and we can improve on college lacrosse recruiting. Also, “ain’t” is terrible grammar. We are talking about recruiting for COLLEGE, right? Right. We can, for the most part, admit that college lacrosse recruiting is far from perfect.
So what is being proposed over on the women’s side of things to fix things? Since NCAA-wide legislation typically impacts almost everyone, you probably want to know this stuff!
How does early recruiting work? According to the Times:
“The N.C.A.A. bars coaches in most sports from directly contacting students before their junior year of high school. But coaches have, with increasing frequency, gone around those rules by reaching students through an intermediary, like a high school or club coach.
“That has given way to an unofficial but well-traveled route of gifted athletes’ committing to college teams before official recruiting begins.”
So what would change under the new proposal coming from the women’s side of the game?
Under the new scenario, coaches would not be able to talk to recruits at ALL before Sept 1 of their Junior year. That means no contact. The student can’t call the coach. The coach can’t reach the student through a high school or club coach, and no one will be committing before September 2nd of their Junior year. Even that early date might raise some serious eyebrows.
From the looks of things, this proposal would not mean that coaches couldn’t watch younger players play the game at tournaments and showcases. It also wouldn’t stop sites like LacrosseRecruits.com from providing a service. If coaches can still look at kids when they are in 8th, 9th, and 10th grades, they can still build a list of kids to contact on September 1st of their 11th grade year. Coaches will still be able to do their homework, the club scene will continue to exist and provide value, and top quality kids will still go to top quality programs.
The supposed benefit here is that the process of committing earlier and earlier slows down for everyone.
Players can keep their focus on developing their talent, and not worrying about who is committing where and when. Coaches can create recruit lists for years, and then everyone starts on the same footing when it comes to making contact. Instead of heavily focusing on 3 classes at a time, coaches can focus on filling one class and research the other two without feeling the pressure to actually fill those slots. The process will seemingly accelerate in terms of speed as commits and contact will happen over a shorter window, but if coaches do their homework, as they do now, the time table really won’t change all that much for them. For players, a commitment is not binding in any way, so doing so during the junior year is materially the same as doing so as a freshman. Sure, it’s nice to “know” you’re going to a top level program as a freshman, but since it’s not a binding commitment, it means next to nothing. So why do it at all?
Would this one rule change fix all the problems of early recruiting, and an early commit-driven landscape? No, it would not.
Here is one loophole: Colleges host young players on their campuses for Summer camps. Head Coaches make speeches, and sometimes even coach the kids. What happens if an unbelievable 8th grader comes to your instructional camp? How would anyone know if a coach “lightly” recruited them? Would anyone know if a coach recruited a kid hard? Would any coaches secretly use their on-campus camps as early recruiting breeding grounds? That’s all a little devious…
So what if the coach didn’t even lightly recruit the kid? What if the kid just really liked the campus and coach and now wants to go there? How do you guard against that? Do you guard against that? Does being a D1 coach mean you can’t directly coach or interact with kids at all? What about the D1 assistants who run club or youth programs? How does that work now? I am not advocating for this approach, but it is likely to come up in discussions.
There are a number of other examples which could be seen as causing problems, not only in lacrosse, but in other sports as well. A new limitation or restriction is not a panacea, and can not be viewed that way. However, a new regulation on early recruiting, if done with an open-mind, cooperation, and foresight, could improve our current situation, and help us all move on from the current Model T of college lacrosse recruiting. It could be just the push we need.
There would be people who break the new rules, whatever they may be, but there are people who break the rules now! Does that mean we just throw out the rules? No, it means we work from the inside to clean things up proactively. Throwing up our collective arms and giving up is not an option when we can make things better off for everyone involved on average…
I keep saying things could be better, don’t I? So what do I envision here?
Well, kids love seeing their name in lights. They love being talked about as “the future”, and parents eat it up too. ALL THAT CAN CONTINUE! It just continues without the contact from coaches, and without the commitment news for kids who are still going through puberty. The lists of top freshmen and sophomores can continue. The analysis of middle schoolers can continue. Ty Xanders and Casey Vock can still talk about ALL of these kids. That won’t change.
In fact, if kids couldn’t even contact coaches until September 1st of their Junior year imagine how much MORE exciting all these showcases and tournaments would become. NO ONE would know where they were going. EVERYONE would be playing for something. Recruiting talk would take on a new level of importance, and it would provide more fodder for speculation about who will have the strongest class. News of commitments would come fast and furious each year, on a more predictable schedule, and all of a sudden, NLIs would increase in importance, and so would signing days, which would benefit high schools and club teams alike. Writers like Ty and Casey would become even more important as sources of info and opinion and when they did drop commitment news it would be huge.
Even more importantly, kids would value their time on the field more. Without a supposed spot wrapped up, kids would want to learn more, improve more, and prepare more. Grades could go up, dedication could go up, and a real sense of patience could be developed in ALL of the athletes who want to play college sports. If the idea here is higher quality, a later start to recruiting actually helps. Since 8th graders wouldn’t even be thinking of getting recruited, they could actually focus on developing their skills on the field and in the classroom some more, instead of worrying about whether they will commit to a big-time program before they ever take the SATs.
EVERY coach could see players develop for a longer period of time. Late bloomers would find appropriate homes, and early developers who plateau might drop down a bit, and find a better fit. It would give kids a better chance to present a long-term resume to the coaches, but it would also allow them to think about what kind of college experience they realistically want to have.
On average, is a 17 year old more qualified to make a decision about college than a 15 year old? Is a college coach able to evaluate a 15 year old better than a 17 year old? Do we really have to ask these questions? For now, it seems we still do.
]]>CrankShooter.com introduces the CrankShooter collapsible Lacrosse Goal
Mooresville, North Carolina (January 16th, 2012) – CrankShooter.com responding to an overwhelming demand for high quality lacrosse goals for lacrosse player of all ages, is introducing the CrankShooter Lacrosse Goal™.
In an effort to expand is currently offering of lacrosse Equipment will start selling lacrosse goals based on NCAA specification of 6 feet x 6 feet x 7 feet. These goals were built with the LAX player in mind. With secure lock nut bolts at the pivot point, there is no need to worry about quick release pins giving way and the goal collapsing as has been the case with our competitors.
"I’m very impressed with the quality of our lacrosse goals. Each goal is sold as a frame only and then matched up with our customer specs based on age and level of play. Unlike our competitors who will ship cheap nets with their goals frames which will have to be replaced in 3-4 weeks, we give the customer a choice on what type of net they want,” stated Dale Tweedy the owner of CrankShooter.com.
CrankShooter.com is a Lacrosse equipment business focused on providing their customers with very best lacrosse products at the most competitive prices. Based in Mooresville, NC, CrankShooter.com is an up and coming supplier of lacrosse training equipment selling lacrosse equipment in all states in the continental US. You can find CrankShooter equipment at www.CrankShooter.com , email Dale at Dale@CrankShooter.com or call toll free at 1-855 LAX-SHOT.
]]>CrankShooter.com introduces the CrankShooter High-Impact Lacrosse Shooting Target
Mooresville, North Carolina (February 10th, 2013) – CrankShooter.com working extensively to develop a bullet proof lacrosse shooting target has finally arrived at a design that will respond to the needs of the advanced lacrosse player.
The CrankShooter Hi-Impact LacrosseShooting Target™ is a combination of extremely tough and rigid trampoline material which is poly-material based and naturally waterproof and UV resistance.
"After a failed attempt at designing a durable shooting target we have retooled our design efforts and thoroughly tested our new design and is has come through with flying colors. With increase thickness of webbing, additional double and triple stitching throughout along with a much, much tougher material, the CrankShooter Hi-Impact Shooting Target™ is ready to take on the lacrosse nation", said Dale Tweedy the owner of CrankShooter.com.
CrankShooter.com is a Lacrosse equipment business focused on providing their customers with very best lacrosse products at the most competitive prices. Based in Mooresville, NC, CrankShooter.com is an up and coming supplier of lacrosse training equipment selling lacrosse equipment in all states in the continental US. You can find CrankShooter equipment at www.CrankShooter.com , email Dale at Dale@CrankShooter.com or call toll free at 1-855 LAX-SHOT.
]]>CrankShooter.com introduces the CrankShooter Iron Net™
Mooresville, North Carolina (November 12th, 2012) – CrankShooter.com responding to requests from customers for an extremely tough sports netting product as a back stop for errant lacrosse balls has developed the CrankShooter Iron Net™. The CrankShooter Iron Net™ sports netting product is a product that is in great demand. Affordable for the individual lacrosse player yet exceedingly tough enough for the recreational league organizations seeking the safety of their players.
Our Iron nets are made in the USA and are rock solid! Period! The following specs say it all:
Specification Information:
Product: 1-1.5" Mesh Netting
Fiber: Hi-Tenacity Polyester/Nylon combo
Color: Black
Construction: Warp Knit "Knotless"
Break Strength: 150 lbs.
Burst Strength: 450 lbs.
UV Stabilizer: Impregnated Black Carbon
Average Field Life: 10+ Years
Available in any size from 10ft x 10ft to a large retention net of 80ft x 2000ft, and extremely affordable.
“Our CrankShooter Iron Nets™ Sports netting product is a natural fit for our industry. With hard rubber balls being fired at 100+ mph at a small net, there has to be a way to retain these balls if the goal is missed. That’s why we created the CrankShooter Iron Net with a 10+ year life span for lacrosse players integrated with weatherproof and anit-UV ray properties”, stated Dale Tweedy, owner of CrankShooter.com.
CrankShooter.com is a Lacrosse equipment business focused on providing their customers with very best lacrosse products at the most competitive prices. Based in Mooresville, NC, CrankShooter.com is an up and coming supplier of lacrosse training equipment selling lacrosse equipment in all states in the continental US. You can find CrankShooter equipment at www.CrankShooter.com , email Dale at Dale@CrankShooter.com or call toll free at 1-855 LAX-SHOT.
]]>CrankShooter.com introduces the CrankShooter BackStop Net™
Mooresville, North Carolina (January 16th, 2013) – CrankShooter.com responding to requests from customers for an extremely tough easily assembled 10 ft x 30ft back stop net system, design a tough net and a support structure that will last for years.
The CrankShooter BackStop System was designed as a complete package for both the back yard and for the Lacrosse field use. Standing 10 feet high and 30 feet long these units can be assembled easily. Used alone or in conjunction with other units for more coverage.
“We are excited about the CrankShooter BackStop Net™. After much research we took all the bad reviews on competitors we could find and implemented changes to make this unit the most sought after back stop net product on the market. With a 2.5mm net, multiple supporting anchors along with both top and bottom support ropes, our backstop net is THE very best in the market, not just in pricing, but in workmanship", stated Dale Tweedy, Owner of CrankShooter.com.
CrankShooter.com is a Lacrosse equipment business focused on providing their customers with very best lacrosse products at the most competitive prices. Based in Mooresville, NC, CrankShooter.com is an up and coming supplier of lacrosse training equipment selling lacrosse equipment in all states in the continental US. You can find CrankShooter equipment at www.CrankShooter.com , email Dale at Dale@CrankShooter.com or call toll free at 1-855 LAX-SHOT.
]]>CrankShooter.com introduces the CrankShooter Pro Box Lacrosse Net™
Mooresville, North Carolina (January 5th, 2011) – CrankShooter.com, in talks with multiple professional, adult and high school leagues around the country, has come out with the CrankShooter Pro Box Net™. Measuring 4 feet high x 4ft-9inches wide and 5 feet deep, the CrankShooter Pro Box Lacrosse Net™ is designed for the hardest shots.
“All CrankShooter Pro Box Lacrosse Nets are colored black at the request of the Pro players who were interviewed. This is so you can see the white ball against the black background as you make shots. This contrast will allow the player to see his shot accurately and make adjustments going forward if necessary on the next shot. These are also tough 5mm nets made of hi-Strength polyester material, and guaranteed to last. As with our field nets, we triple stitch the binder, include over 60 feet of lacing and have an anchor pocket designed into the net to secure the rear apex of the net onto the goal,” stated Dale Tweedy, the owner of CrankShooter.com. “we are thrilled with this net product.”
CrankShooter.com is a Lacrosse equipment business focused on providing their customers with very best lacrosse products at the most competitive prices. Based in Mooresville, NC, CrankShooter.com is an up and coming supplier of lacrosse training equipment selling lacrosse equipment in all states in the continental US. You can find CrankShooter equipment at www.CrankShooter.com , email at Dale@CrankShooter.com or call toll free at 1-855 LAX-SHOT.
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