Johns Hopkins 2020

[steel_hop]

Zinn looks like a one trick pony. Fortunately, if DP does not resign, we will have a gifted middie arriving. Maybe he would come anyway

So let's turn this on its head with respect to DP. If he gets contract renewed even though he misses the tournament and goes 5-8 (purely based on Massey predictions) you would have to assume that AD is going to have to have to ask for changes. And let's say DP is okay with any change to keep his job. What would you like to see. I am using ND's football from 4-5 years ago as an example, after they had a historically bad year and massive changes were made.

I think any talk of him staying would have to mean all 3 assistant coaches would need to go.

I understand that Dwan is the named DC but there is no doubt the defense is DP's baby. DP is the one that schemes the team and Dwan implements it (though I am sure he has some input). He also works the box, faceoffs and acts as a buffer between players and DP. I just don't think you can have 1/3 of your coaching staff not being a major component of game week prep for your team. It creates undue work for DP during the game, which has resulted in some truly mind numbing dumb end of game decisions. How many other programs are tying their hand behind their back utilizing a guy like Dwan. In other words, I'd want DP to move to a more CEO rule and have a new DC take over the program.

I think Benson needs to go as well. While some of his numbers are decent for a good percent of the time he's been here, I think it is more a matter of running up the score on bad teams and being mediocre to bad against good teams. His offense is relatively unimaginitive and style is just not conducive to the current shot clock era (I fully admit some of this maybe be on DP wanting to choke the air out of the ball). But, one of the biggest factors is his in-game adjustments are below average. If a team takes away a something in the game, he rarely seems to make the necessary adjustments. While I have no idea about this but I would think he is the primary talent evaluator on offense (obviously DP has input too).

Quinn - I think goalie production while he has been here seems to demonstrate that he can't teach what he did. I also fully admit Hopkins goalie recruiting has been awful for a decade.

Other aspects.
- I'd like to see Hopkins play with a higher pace of play on offense. The team isn't talented enough on offense to win games in set offense. They just aren't. Many of the goals against SU were either on fast break or EMO. Compare that to SU how most of their goals were on set offense. The fact the staff hasn't recognized this issue demonstrates a huge failure.
- 10 man ride. This goes hand-in-hand with pace of play. When you are going to be average at the FO, not force a ton of CTOs (Hopkins is dead last in this category) but are going to have more TOs than the other team (Hopkins is 8th highest TO%) and have a bunch of failed clears (70th out of 74 teams in clear %), you need to create more possessions. One way for that to happen is to ride harder. Right now, if Hopkins opponents clear percentage was its own team it would rank 7th in best clearing percentage. That is awful. Even when Hopkins was 5-6 down early in the 4th, there was no thought to even trying this.
- Play with abandon. Hopkins seems like a team that is afraid to make mistakes - not quite why that would be/sarcasm off.
- Stop with the complex defensive schemes. Too many times Hopkins has guys caught in no man's land on bad slides that are too early, slide to the wrong guy or slide to a guy moving away from danger areas on the field, or leave cutters wide open. Throw in more straight zone not that half-assed zone when the ball is behind and switch to man when it goes back up top he tried against SU.
- oh, being able to find goalies that consistently stop 11+ yards and out shots would be nice.

[OCanada]

You clearly have not internalized the subject matter of my posts. Your narrative has been faulty
as have others imo. As I PMd you a very short time ago the Bubble Project has been fully funded for awhile. All that is needed is for it to be installed and yet the administration hasn’t moved on it. There is a much bigger message here.

[flalax22]

Zinn looks like a one trick pony. Fortunately, if DP does not resign, we will have a gifted middie arriving. Maybe he would come anyway

So let's turn this on its head with respect to DP. If he gets contract renewed even though he misses the tournament and goes 5-8 (purely based on Massey predictions) you would have to assume that AD is going to have to have to ask for changes. And let's say DP is okay with any change to keep his job. What would you like to see. I am using ND's football from 4-5 years ago as an example, after they had a historically bad year and massive changes were made.

I think any talk of him staying would have to mean all 3 assistant coaches would need to go.

I understand that Dwan is the named DC but there is no doubt the defense is DP's baby. DP is the one that schemes the team and Dwan implements it (though I am sure he has some input). He also works the box, faceoffs and acts as a buffer between players and DP. I just don't think you can have 1/3 of your coaching staff not being a major component of game week prep for your team. It creates undue work for DP during the game, which has resulted in some truly mind numbing dumb end of game decisions. How many other programs are tying their hand behind their back utilizing a guy like Dwan. In other words, I'd want DP to move to a more CEO rule and have a new DC take over the program.

I think Benson needs to go as well. While some of his numbers are decent for a good percent of the time he's been here, I think it is more a matter of running up the score on bad teams and being mediocre to bad against good teams. His offense is relatively unimaginitive and style is just not conducive to the current shot clock era (I fully admit some of this maybe be on DP wanting to choke the air out of the ball). But, one of the biggest factors is his in-game adjustments are below average. If a team takes away a something in the game, he rarely seems to make the necessary adjustments. While I have no idea about this but I would think he is the primary talent evaluator on offense (obviously DP has input too).

Quinn - I think goalie production while he has been here seems to demonstrate that he can't teach what he did. I also fully admit Hopkins goalie recruiting has been awful for a decade.

Other aspects.
- I'd like to see Hopkins play with a higher pace of play on offense. The team isn't talented enough on offense to win games in set offense. They just aren't. Many of the goals against SU were either on fast break or EMO. Compare that to SU how most of their goals were on set offense. The fact the staff hasn't recognized this issue demonstrates a huge failure.
- 10 man ride. This goes hand-in-hand with pace of play. When you are going to be average at the FO, not force a ton of CTOs (Hopkins is dead last in this category) but are going to have more TOs than the other team (Hopkins is 8th highest TO%) and have a bunch of failed clears (70th out of 74 teams in clear %), you need to create more possessions. One way for that to happen is to ride harder. Right now, if Hopkins opponents clear percentage was its own team it would rank 7th in best clearing percentage. That is awful. Even when Hopkins was 5-6 down early in the 4th, there was no thought to even trying this.
- Play with abandon. Hopkins seems like a team that is afraid to make mistakes - not quite why that would be/sarcasm off.
- Stop with the complex defensive schemes. Too many times Hopkins has guys caught in no man's land on bad slides that are too early, slide to the wrong guy or slide to a guy moving away from danger areas on the field, or leave cutters wide open. Throw in more straight zone not that half-assed zone when the ball is behind and switch to man when it goes back up top he tried against SU.
- oh, being able to find goalies that consistently stop 11+ yards and out shots would be nice.

I really can't see the administration getting involved this deep into the lacrosse program. They don't care. It's going to be a renewal or a termination nothing else.

[flalax22]

You clearly have not internalized the subject matter of my posts. Your narrative has been faulty
as have others imo. As I PMd you a very short time ago the Bubble Project has been fully funded for awhile. All that is needed is for it to be installed and yet the administration hasn’t moved on it. There is a much bigger message here.

Is the message they aren't dealing with the current mens lacrosse employees and will make changes after the season or is it that they don't care about the program at all?

[OCanada]

You are highly intelligent.

[51percentcorn]

Like Steel Hop post in that it is something not brought up that often. From what I have been told Dwan's most tangible contribution to the week's work is film study and film preparation/allocation on individual assignments. An important job to be sure but Steelhop's point is relevant - an associate head coach that has been with the program 20 years should have more definitive responsibilities - Petro is the head coach and the defensive coordinator - of that there seems to be no question - he needs to be just the head coach if anything.

In terms of Benson - I don't know enough. I don't know how the players view/respond to him. I think the bigger offensive issue for the past several years has been talent - created in part by early recruiting and a couple years of what seems to be an inordinate number of injuries. The sheer fact of the matter this year is this offense is too thin to survive the reduction of their star (potentially generational) player to a shell of himself and 2 other Top 6 scorers that had some wiggle and ability to carry the ball. It is certainly one reason why Williams is stuggling so mightily - whose out there to take the pressure off of him? Virtually no one. Degnon is (currently) more of a shooter, Smith is not a ball carrier, Baskin is not big enough or quick enough for his size, Zinn is a downhill runner (and shooting poorly), and DeSimone is struggling. Murphy and Angelus look promising and if the season continues on a downward trajectory - a loss tonight or Saturday means the season is offficially over - they should play as much as possible. They look like they can carry the ball. But basically - a stable that was short on horses to begin with - certainly can't withstand 3 of the first 6 to be out in the pasture or barely out of the barn.

The horses may show up next year - a focus of the program has to be to keep the next class together as much as possible. Just like I said a long time ago Epstein was the real deal - Grimes is the real deal.

[steel_hop]

You clearly have not internalized the subject matter of my posts. Your narrative has been faulty
as have others imo. As I PMd you a very short time ago the Bubble Project has been fully funded for awhile. All that is needed is for it to be installed and yet the administration hasn’t moved on it. There is a much bigger message here.

Is the message they aren't dealing with the current mens lacrosse employees and will make changes after the season or is it that they don't care about the program at all?

I'm no quite sure why you are singling me out. Maybe I'd like to see the conversation head in a new direction. We can only talk about automatic bids, AQs, maybe a new coach, etc for so long. This is something that hasn't been discussed.

[HopFan16]

I just think the discussion of assistants is a bit of a moot point. I cannot imagine Petro would ever throw them under the bus to save his own skin. The buck stops with the head coach. It's either going to be all three of them, or none of them. Maybe Dwan and Benson give their blessing to Dave to continue on without them and it's a peaceful transition to the next group of assistants, but that's getting highly theoretical and is rather unlikely, IMO.

Ultimately I think the decision is going to be relatively clear cut.

Losing record/no postseason: No renewal. Hello Coach Nadelen/Raymond/Marr/etc.

.500 record/first-round loss/status quo: Closer to a 50-50 proposition might depend on the trajectory of the season/if they finish strong, though I'd still lean toward no renewal

B1G title, quarterfinal appearance, or better: Renewed

Coronavirus cancels the season: A boy can dream

[10stone5]

Zinn looks like a one trick pony. Fortunately, if DP does not resign, we will have a gifted middie arriving. Maybe he would come anyway

So let's turn this on its head with respect to DP. If he gets contract renewed even though he misses the tournament and goes 5-8 (purely based on Massey predictions) you would have to assume that AD is going to have to have to ask for changes. And let's say DP is okay with any change to keep his job. What would you like to see. I am using ND's football from 4-5 years ago as an example, after they had a historically bad year and massive changes were made.

I think any talk of him staying would have to mean all 3 assistant coaches would need to go.

I understand that Dwan is the named DC but there is no doubt the defense is DP's baby. DP is the one that schemes the team and Dwan implements it (though I am sure he has some input). He also works the box, faceoffs and acts as a buffer between players and DP. I just don't think you can have 1/3 of your coaching staff not being a major component of game week prep for your team. It creates undue work for DP during the game, which has resulted in some truly mind numbing dumb end of game decisions. How many other programs are tying their hand behind their back utilizing a guy like Dwan. In other words, I'd want DP to move to a more CEO rule and have a new DC take over the program.

I think Benson needs to go as well. While some of his numbers are decent for a good percent of the time he's been here, I think it is more a matter of running up the score on bad teams and being mediocre to bad against good teams. His offense is relatively unimaginitive and style is just not conducive to the current shot clock era (I fully admit some of this maybe be on DP wanting to choke the air out of the ball). But, one of the biggest factors is his in-game adjustments are below average. If a team takes away a something in the game, he rarely seems to make the necessary adjustments. While I have no idea about this but I would think he is the primary talent evaluator on offense (obviously DP has input too).

Quinn - I think goalie production while he has been here seems to demonstrate that he can't teach what he did. I also fully admit Hopkins goalie recruiting has been awful for a decade.

Other aspects.
- I'd like to see Hopkins play with a higher pace of play on offense. The team isn't talented enough on offense to win games in set offense. They just aren't. Many of the goals against SU were either on fast break or EMO. Compare that to SU how most of their goals were on set offense. The fact the staff hasn't recognized this issue demonstrates a huge failure.
- 10 man ride. This goes hand-in-hand with pace of play. When you are going to be average at the FO, not force a ton of CTOs (Hopkins is dead last in this category) but are going to have more TOs than the other team (Hopkins is 8th highest TO%) and have a bunch of failed clears (70th out of 74 teams in clear %), you need to create more possessions. One way for that to happen is to ride harder. Right now, if Hopkins opponents clear percentage was its own team it would rank 7th in best clearing percentage. That is awful. Even when Hopkins was 5-6 down early in the 4th, there was no thought to even trying this.
- Play with abandon. Hopkins seems like a team that is afraid to make mistakes - not quite why that would be/sarcasm off.
- Stop with the complex defensive schemes. Too many times Hopkins has guys caught in no man's land on bad slides that are too early, slide to the wrong guy or slide to a guy moving away from danger areas on the field, or leave cutters wide open. Throw in more straight zone not that half-assed zone when the ball is behind and switch to man when it goes back up top he tried against SU.
- oh, being able to find goalies that consistently stop 11+ yards and out shots would be nice.

This is totally reasonable.

[steel_hop]

I really can't see the administration getting involved this deep into the lacrosse program. They don't care. It's going to be a renewal or a termination nothing else.

This isn't just a Hopkins thing. But, an AD would absolutely be involved in telling a head coach that assistant coaches need to be changed for the head coach to keep his job or get a contract extension. It is why I specifically mentioned Kelly at ND - he was told he needed to change a number of coaches or he was going to get fired. He made changes and the program went 33-6 over the last 3 years. The prior 3 years the team went 22-16. Sounds a little familiar.

It is also why I sort of listed the post as coaches and then stuck another heading as "other aspects". My other aspects were more in line with what I like to see from the program no matter what happens. If there are new assistant coaches, maybe some of those other aspects are implemented, with the same current staff, I doubt it.

[DMac]

Desko got a new OC this year. I'd bet the AD had something to with that. Just a guess on my part but it falls in line with your thinking.

[Mightyjoe]

Desko got a new OC this year. I'd bet the AD had something to with that. Just a guess on my part but it falls in line with your thinking.

I know from a solid source that Desko was going to have to leave unless his OC left. He chose wisely.

[flalax22]

D1 vs D3 - I would suggest with the recent changes in ADs and the current administration the involvement in decisions like this are MUCH less likely at Hopkins.

[a fan]

Coronavirus cancels the season: A boy can dream

The odds that we will finish the D1 season are close to zero. I don't think we'll make it out of March...

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

Coronavirus cancels the season: A boy can dream

The odds that we will finish the D1 season are close to zero. I don't think we'll make it out of March...

The best place to self quarantine would be at your distillery.

I’d be willing to see if liqueur infusions ward the thing off.

[10stone5]

Sorry seniors.
Your final season cancelled on
account of idiocy

[10stone5]

Coronavirus cancels the season: A boy can dream

The odds that we will finish the D1 season are close to zero. I don't think we'll make it out of March...

The best place to self quarantine would be at your distillery.

I’d be willing to see if liqueur infusions ward the thing off.

I believe one would need a side of spleef also.

[51percentcorn]

Interesting to see what happens - the NCAA has 3 big money makers coming up - the 800 lb gorilla of hoops and the ice hockey and wrestling tournaments - hard to cancel lacrosse and keep those 3 sports running especially with those being indoors.

If the season were to cancel - I imagine they would have to give the season of eligibility back though admittedly that helps only the few that can afford and want it

[Mr. F]

D1 vs D3 - I would suggest with the recent changes in ADs and the current administration the involvement in decisions like this are MUCH less likely at Hopkins.

I do have confidence that the administration will take this issue seriously. They've done it with other sports already. While I understand hiring at the D1 vs. D3 level is different, take a look at some of the other programs at Hopkins. Field Hockey in 2016-did not make Centennial Conference Tournament. 2017-Gets new coach. 2018-2019- Back to back final four appearances. Women's Volleyball prior to 2019- a few NCAA appearances, but no real break throughs. 2019-Gets new coach, goes undefeated and wins National Title. Throw Men's Soccer, Men's Basketball, and Women's Basketball into that mix as well. While it hasn't translated into deep tournament runs, those programs are far more relevant on a National Stage than they were even 5 years ago. D1 Lacrosse landscape is way different. But the athletic department wants this team to succeed because that's their job. They will hire who they think is best for the job. And based on their recent track record of success, I trust they will do that.

[jhu06]

Interesting to see what happens - the NCAA has 3 big money makers coming up - the 800 lb gorilla of hoops and the ice hockey and wrestling tournaments - hard to cancel lacrosse and keep those 3 sports running especially with those being indoors.

If the season were to cancel - I imagine they would have to give the season of eligibility back though admittedly that helps only the few that can afford and want it

My understanding is that next years scholarships are already allocated so if the season was cancelled would all current student athletes then keep the year of eligibility? That's a lot of scholarship $ those schools then have to find.