UTampa

D2 Mens Lacrosse
Toplucy15
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:18 am

Re: UTampa

Post by Toplucy15 »

Time to get a new coaching staff. Anyone can recruit talent to Tampa - can you win with what you have is what separates the right coach down south. Whipple having Chris Burdick for all of those years was a red flag on his decision making let alone not being successful in the postseason.

2 Syracuse transfers and unlimited skill on a team with a top-notch education in 80 degree weather year-round and you can't make it to the national championship...
tampalax
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2020 6:04 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by tampalax »

couldn't agree with you more, Whipple thinks he can slow the game in the 2nd after leading in the first
problem is the shot clock and there's another team on the field
tampalax
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2020 6:04 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by tampalax »

couldn't agree with you more, Whipple thinks he can slow the game in the 2nd after leading in the first
problem is the shot clock and there's another team on the field
SouthernLaxGenius
Posts: 412
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:44 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by SouthernLaxGenius »

The more things change, the more they stay the same in Florida (it seems).

Can't blame Limestone for this years "hiccup" and not getting to championship weekend.

The Spartans will be back and over-flowing with talent, again next fall/spring (probably a pre-season top 3-5).
BlaxLaxDad
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri May 07, 2021 1:56 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by BlaxLaxDad »

Seems like their are some polarized opinions about Tampa. I don't have an issue with them one way or the other but they are clearly a top Southern region D2 year in and year out...

However, I do think to much was made of their D1
transfers. From what I could see only Ben French (Vermont transfer) , Daniel Fitzpatrick (Manhattan College) and Jack Wood (Syracuse) had any major impact on this weekends game.

Sure they have a bunch of D1 transfers but were they that good there? Being on a D1 roster does not impart some sort of higher ability... There are a lot of D1 caliber, and I mean can actually get on the field talent, in D2 as LR proved Sunday.

That 2019 Limestone roster was loaded with D1 talent;

Tyler Papas who killed it with Michigan this year.

Clark Walter who is playing in the NLL.

Larson Sundow who is playing with RIT and heading into the 2nd round of the D3 playoffs.

Brian Huyghue, Jordan Stouros and a bunch of other guys...

And they got smacked by Merrimack who had a real D1 roster.

The point being that year Belmont Abbey played them in two back and forth games.

The point is "D1" in lacrosse does not equate to real talent and just because you have talent doesn't mean you will win.

As someone in this forum pointed out; this is why they play the games!

But the good news is that the quality of play is rising in D2 and that's a GOOD THING for D2 fans.
LaxPundit07
Posts: 671
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:34 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by LaxPundit07 »

It was Limestone's fault. It was the ref's fault. It was.....oh wait, Tampa being Tampa.

Call me when they actually win something meaningful.
SouthernLaxGenius
Posts: 412
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:44 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by SouthernLaxGenius »

LaxPundit07 wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 3:51 pm It was Limestone's fault. It was the ref's fault. It was.....oh wait, Tampa being Tampa.

Call me when they actually win something meaningful.
https://www.tampaspartans.com/informati ... Volleyball

https://www.tampaspartans.com/informati ... 19Baseball

Paging LaxPundit07 :lol:

Do these count ;)
par4tiger
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 8:17 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by par4tiger »

I'm just happy we are all watching lacrosse again this year! Will be interesting to see what the committee thinks about talent by conference when all american selections are announced (how many from Tampa, LR, Wingate, etc, etc)
LaxPundit07
Posts: 671
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:34 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by LaxPundit07 »

SouthernLaxGenius wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 3:58 pm
LaxPundit07 wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 3:51 pm It was Limestone's fault. It was the ref's fault. It was.....oh wait, Tampa being Tampa.

Call me when they actually win something meaningful.
https://www.tampaspartans.com/informati ... Volleyball

https://www.tampaspartans.com/informati ... 19Baseball

Paging LaxPundit07 :lol:

Do these count ;)
Beach volleyball definitely counts dog!

All seriousness, Tampa is a nice program. You could say they underachieve based on their transfers, their 157 player roster, and all their hype. But they aren’t great. And they certainly haven’t won anything of merit.
tampalax
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2020 6:04 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by tampalax »

TOTALLY AGREE !
as much as I love them and the University, I'm now convinced
the balls can't just be on the field, they need to be on the sideline too
shaadb-man
Posts: 140
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2018 12:10 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by shaadb-man »

There is so much talent there they could accidentally fall into a natty, but let's just say the rest of division 2 hopes that UTampa never makes a change at the top.
SouthernLaxGenius
Posts: 412
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:44 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by SouthernLaxGenius »

shaadb-man wrote: Tue May 25, 2021 4:04 pm There is so much talent there they could accidentally fall into a natty, but let's just say the rest of division 2 hopes that UTampa never makes a change at the top.
Based on conversations Coach Whip has been having, it doesn't look like a change is in the near future (national championship aside)
D2fan
Posts: 170
Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2019 5:50 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by D2fan »

shaadb-man wrote: Tue May 25, 2021 4:04 pm There is so much talent there they could accidentally fall into a natty, but let's just say the rest of division 2 hopes that UTampa never makes a change at the top.
It's not just Whipp or his staff, they need to stop adding the D1 transfers. For a lot of those guys, they are not going down to Tampa to win championships. They are going down there to party, chase girls and play some lacrosse on the side. That is not a culture that can carry a team to Memorial Day.

A very different mentality than a kid going to Syracuse, NY, or Hickory, NC.

Kew and Dickerson were recruited, and they are probably the best 2 players in program history. Tampa has a great product, recruit some good players, grow the team, install a winning culture and stop bringing in the mercenaries.
pridelax13
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2018 10:21 am

Re: UTampa

Post by pridelax13 »

Not so sure its adding all the transfers. Some have obviously worked out very well. Whipple's son was Georgetown transfer and had a tremendous career. Blake Ulmer is a D1 transfer and is a very strong goalie. Jack Wood and Ben French certainly have worked out. Yes some have not worked out well, and others maybe have not worked to the level some have thought

I think it more comes to playing philosophy/recruiting philosophy. They do seem to take their foot off the gas when they get leads and struggle to make in-game adjustments. They also clearly don't recruit enough tough/grinder type players. Guys who anchor defenses, SSDM types, workhorse midfielders, etc. They will always be able to recruit with Whipple at the helm due to location, his recruiting ability, and his ties to New York, but something does have to change for them to take the next step and advance to a championship weekend.
JBFortunato
Posts: 279
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2019 7:38 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by JBFortunato »

pridelax13 wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 9:02 am Not so sure its adding all the transfers. Some have obviously worked out very well. Whipple's son was Georgetown transfer and had a tremendous career. Blake Ulmer is a D1 transfer and is a very strong goalie. Jack Wood and Ben French certainly have worked out. Yes some have not worked out well, and others maybe have not worked to the level some have thought

I think it more comes to playing philosophy/recruiting philosophy. They do seem to take their foot off the gas when they get leads and struggle to make in-game adjustments. They also clearly don't recruit enough tough/grinder type players. Guys who anchor defenses, SSDM types, workhorse midfielders, etc. They will always be able to recruit with Whipple at the helm due to location, his recruiting ability, and his ties to New York, but something does have to change for them to take the next step and advance to a championship weekend.
Good points, but I do think that adding as many transfers as Tampa has added recently can undermine morale - I don't know for sure whether it has in this instance, but I can imagine it might. I know you always have to compete and earn your spot, but when a bunch of transfers show up every fall I think it tells the other kids: the coaches didn't think you were quite good enough so we went out and recruited transfers to replace you. I think it also impacts team chemistry.

This is an issue that coaches at every level will need to consider carefully this offseason, when the transfer portal is, from all accounts, flush with players: does the benefit of bringing in a haul of talented transfers outweigh the cost of tinkering with team chemistry and potentially creating resentment and confidence issues in the guys who are already there?

The size of the rosters in the SSC is also an issue. When you have a roster approaching 70 players, even with the extra eligibility, you have to wonder whether the coaches really trust themselves to properly evaluate players and recruit the right guys. It feels in some programs that the coaches don't have a good idea as to whether a large chunk of any recruiting class is good, and just grab as many kids as they can so that they can paper over their mistakes. I don't think that's a great way to run a circus.

I am of the opinion that the SSC should have a team playing on Memorial Day weekend every single season. These are good academic institutions with a huge geographical advantage in recruiting, and when you watch the games you can see the talent on the field is superb. The results out of that conference have been underwhelming.
SouthernLaxGenius
Posts: 412
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:44 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by SouthernLaxGenius »

pridelax13 wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 9:02 am Not so sure its adding all the transfers. Some have obviously worked out very well. Whipple's son was Georgetown transfer and had a tremendous career. Blake Ulmer is a D1 transfer and is a very strong goalie. Jack Wood and Ben French certainly have worked out. Yes some have not worked out well, and others maybe have not worked to the level some have thought

I think it more comes to playing philosophy/recruiting philosophy. They do seem to take their foot off the gas when they get leads and struggle to make in-game adjustments. They also clearly don't recruit enough tough/grinder type players. Guys who anchor defenses, SSDM types, workhorse midfielders, etc. They will always be able to recruit with Whipple at the helm due to location, his recruiting ability, and his ties to New York, but something does have to change for them to take the next step and advance to a championship weekend.

I do not want to blame it on how they practice leading up to and through the playoffs, but it also seems they do not have enough in the tank come playoff time/run out of gas.
tampalax
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2020 6:04 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by tampalax »

just my opinion, a few things will need to happen to move the coaching needle
-Lynn overtakes them in the SSC ( they have the best shot) and they miss out on a ncaa
that will get the admins attention
the admin is very loyal to their coaches, but Conner is an Alum, has his Masters and is being
groomed at the D1 level
Nice story, son takes on a big chuck of the coaching responsibility, Dad transitions out,
continues to run his camps and works with the community in growing the sport
WhiteCarrera
Posts: 379
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2019 5:11 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by WhiteCarrera »

I'm no Tampa fan, but I appreciate that an administration would be loyal to its coaches. If a staff is consistently making the tournament and winning conference championships, while running a clean program, then I think there should be that loyalty. Might be a little different for D1 football or basketball, but other than that a coach like Whipple ought to be able to stay around for as long as he likes.
It's either a thoughtful comment or smartass sarcasm. Learn to recognize the difference.
tampalax
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2020 6:04 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by tampalax »

you're right and we always have baseball
SouthernLaxGenius
Posts: 412
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:44 pm

Re: UTampa

Post by SouthernLaxGenius »

tampalax wrote: Fri May 28, 2021 1:51 pm you're right and we always have baseball
And volleyball 8-)
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