You are what the kids would call "a non ball knower." This is rudimentary armchair analysis that misses what's actually happening on the field. Teams are not defending Collison the same way they are other guys.DocBarrister wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2024 2:25 am As I have stated before, I think the Big Guys (Collison, Peshko, and Grimes) need to be more aggressive in their dodging. Right now, opponents are perfectly content putting a SSDM on the Big Guys. That really needs to change. If Collison and Peshko can force opponents to put a longpole on them (or do so more frequently), that will allow some of our speedsters like Melendez, Bauer, Ayers, and Evans to dodge against a shortstick.
As things stand, Collison, Peshko, and Grimes are too passive against their shortsticks and Melendez and Bauer have to dodge against longpoles.
If the Big Guys can demand more attention from opponents, maybe even drawing a longpole and more slides, that will open the O for teammates like Bauer, Melendez, and Ayers.
Maryland was covering Collison with a shortie because they were sliding to him immediately. It's actually a sign of respect, not the other way around. They don't need to waste putting a pole on him when they're basically covering him with two people. There is always a guy ready to support that matchup when Collie gets a step, as he does often. And credit to Maryland for being able to recover quickly behind it. That's good defense. That is something Virginia should have done against us, but didn't. THEY left their shorties on an island against him and you saw what happened.
"If the Big Guys can demand more attention from opponents" — man I've got no idea what you're watching. If you don't think Collison is demanding attention when the ball's in his stick, you're asleep. Look at Degnon's second goal. Collison dodges the shortie from up top, the shortie gives him his right and feeds him down directly into the waiting slide. He has nowhere to go. Luckily for us the guy showing sagged too far in, leaving Degnon open from up top and Collie does a good job getting it to him quickly. If there is an element of his game he needs to develop it's not "dodging harder," it's THAT. Passing out of doubles, moving it quicker when defenses hedge to him, that can take his game from 3rd to 1st team All-American once he develops it consistently. Telling him to be "more aggressive" against the defense Maryland was using is a recipe for turnovers. That's what they want you to do.