steel_hop wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 9:38 am
HopFan16 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 8:55 pm
Which exact offensive personnel return next year should be the very least of your concerns. With or without Cole, we'll be in good shape at that end of the field with a healthy Epstein, Murphy, Angelus, Degnon, Zinn, Baskin, and this freshmen class coming in.
I disagree. There are issues across the entire team - offensively and defensively. Most of the issues is not enough talent or just a mishmash of talent where too many guys have the same role and not enough diversity. For example, there is no guy that can just absolutely rip it from outside. Maybe Degnon but he isn't at the level of guys from the past. Zinn has a decent cannon but can't hit the lake while standing on a boat.
The team is still being directed by an inferior OC and restrained by DP's philosophy of choking the air out of the ball. There is no pushing pace of play that is required in the shot clock era. Sitting back and letting a defense get set-up and working the ball around to get the shortie match-up or hang a defender up in front of the cage is pre-shot clock era offense. You need to be constantly attacking.
Further, as I have repeatedly said numerous times. Why would a top attackman go to Hopkins under the current offensive set-up? I know people will point to recruiting but ND typically ends up with top 5-10 recruiting classes in football but never seems to be able to get to the championship game - i.e. if you don't know by know that Hopkins recruiting classes are overranked, I'm not sure what else I can tell you that would convince you otherwise.
The same can be said of defensiveman given DP's very passive defensive tendencies.
Obviously a health Epstein helps but those guys weren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard this year. They will get better but enough to compensate for the fact most teams will be coming back with pretty much the same teams as last year. Probably not.
There is a reason the team two weeks ago went unranked for the first time in 40+ years. It is certainly coaching but talent is a problem too.
- Degnon isn't at the level of guys from the past? Who exactly are you talking about? Fraser? The most goals he ever scored was 16 his senior year. Degnon had 11 through six games on a 38% shooting percentage. He very much qualifies as a guy who can "absolutely rip it from the outside" and he was doing it at a better clip than anyone we've had in quite some time.
- "Those guys aren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard this year"—again, who are you talking about? Once Murphy was inserted as a starter, he responded with 11 points in three games. Imagine what he might do next year with a healthy Epstein there to take the attention off him. Angelus had eight points on *extremely* limited playing time. I already mentioned Degnon. Zinn's shooting continues to be a struggle, no doubt about that, but he did match his entire 2019 output through the first four games this year, and that was while, as you put it, not being able to hit the lake from a boat.
- I don't know if you know anything about Grimes or McDermott but it's not just empty recruiting talk. Those two can absolutely play and will make an impact immediately.
Here is why a recruit might want to play in a Hopkins offense:
2018: #3 adjusted offensive efficiency
2017: #9
2016: #3
2015: #2
2014: #10
(Don't know what it was in 2019—Analytics Lacrosse didn't compile stats last year)
Let me guess, you're going to attack the stats now too and say they're outdated? Adjusted offensive efficiency is the best stat that exists for measuring how good an offense actually is.
There will be plenty of talent to work with on offense next year no matter who is coaching them. The defense is a far, far bigger concern and yet all anyone wants to talk about is the offense. The stats don't back that up, sorry.
