Team chemistry Issues?

[Laxman23]

Just curious how the new fifth year eligibility issue and likely increased transfer portal activity could disrupt a team’s cohesiveness and chemistry? Most teams outside the iVY need to deal with added roster numbers with each senior that decides to return for that extra year. Add in transfers and suddenly you are top heavy with talent. If I am a talented underclassman i probably was looking forward to increased field time with the departure of the seniors. Now some are returning and coach is looking to add transfer portal players? Not sure that makes for a happy locker room.
There is a number of returning seniors plus transfers that could negatively impact a team. How many returning seniors/ transfers would you accept if you had a full roster? Do you carry more numbers? Do you cut players?

[Matnum PI]

I think any resentments are dissipated by the fact that every player has received an extra year. So, yes, a glut of stars just showed up and now I'm on the bench but... I get an extra year so, this year is a give-me any way. Plus, these are talented kids who understand that competitiveness isn't just against other teams. Competitiveness is competitiveness, survival of the fittest is relevant both inside and outside the team, and these kids understand this.

[Henpecked]

I think it’s tough to make generalizations about the impact of a late transfer. It really depends on the players and the culture that the coach builds. I remember Greg Danseglio transferred from Virginia to Maryland for a senior season in 2016. Tillman did a great job integrating him into the Terp Culture on a talented and experienced squad. He played in all 20 games and contributed to a terrific 17-3 season. Terps went on to win it all the next year.

Pat Young transferred to Maryland from UMBC that same year and did a nice job for his senior season at MD.

I’ve also seen players that transferred late that didn’t have the impact you would think.

It’ll be interesting next year for sure. The earlier these guys get back on campus, the better chance for success. That is the big unknown obviously.

[wgdsr]

i'm normally in the survival of the fittest mode, though this could be different. hired one year guns.
headlines on the process in whatever amounts to headlines/attention in lacrosse.
players will get squeezed out in likely bigger numbers.
and not everyone is getting the chance at another year. the backups aren't likely to. and certainly won't get same $$ if they were getting any even if invited to. nor an open invitation beyond try to make the team. these are guys that make up the locker room culture and already (in theory) give the support with some carrying the hope to get on the field.
then there's the freshmen. already lost their senior season, and they won't be getting the extra year.
i'll likely talk out of both sides of my face on this throughout... and still believe it is yes... survival of the fittest and teams and players should be able to build/transfer/stay within the rules.
but these coming years do have the potential of having that downside more than normal. coaches no doubt are aware of that, and will make it an agenda item, but still.

[keno in reno]

Any group of humans will have clashing personalities and negative influences. Doesn't matter the level of success (see Kevin Durant and Warriors as an easy example and what the Caps just had to deal with).

Just depends on which culture and leaders prevail. Maybe there will be a difference with the age gap of some 23 year olds playing with 18 yr olds, but the playing time stuff bothers the moms and internet posters more than it does the players.

[smoova]

I think the sugar rush of 5th year transfers will have an effect similar to the early recruiting frenzy: some programs will manage it well and flourish while a few other programs will regress. The two easiest examples from the ER period are MD and JHU. I'd wager that MD will again do well in the coming years, but the transfer-grab might spoil the soup at a school like Denver, where the margin for success is a little thinner.

[blue angels]

i'm normally in the survival of the fittest mode, though this could be different. hired one year guns.
headlines on the process in whatever amounts to headlines/attention in lacrosse.
players will get squeezed out in likely bigger numbers.
and not everyone is getting the chance at another year. the backups aren't likely to. and certainly won't get same $$ if they were getting any even if invited to. nor an open invitation beyond try to make the team. these are guys that make up the locker room culture and already (in theory) give the support with some carrying the hope to get on the field.
then there's the freshmen. already lost their senior season, and they won't be getting the extra year.
i'll likely talk out of both sides of my face on this throughout... and still believe it is yes... survival of the fittest and teams and players should be able to build/transfer/stay within the rules.
but these coming years do have the potential of having that downside more than normal. coaches no doubt are aware of that, and will make it an agenda item, but still.

Truer words haven’t been spoken. Every team would have taken Sowers, but there is Also risk To the greater team concept. Some attack men at Duke are now gonna have to play midfield Or have less playing time than they expected for 2021. I know Lars was vocal about his concerns about bringing in a mercenary Transfer although he said he would consider the right fit. Keeping one of your own who already knows the system is probably a safer gamble. It really depends on the team and the haves generally already have expectations about succession at their various positions.

[bauer4429]

Bearfan -I thought the same thing and questioned it on another post which went ignored. This will without a doubt affect team chemistry. It’s one thing to get the few transfers or graduate students who legitimately had an extra year of eligibility. Those normally occur any season. Now add in the recruited 2021 class and a large group of returning seniors that just are not ready to move on .... who knows if we will even have a 2021 season. Fall ball is certainly questionable.

[Puck Swami]

I don't see the transfers likely spoiling the chemistry at Denver. First, Coach Tierney has plenty of experience in determining what kinds of personalities are going to succeed on his team. Secondly, I expect the two Yale graduates coming in to be likely high character players who should be able to adjust to the new team, and with Denver ranking 24th in offense when the 2020 season ended, there is no doubt that offensive help is needed, so the current players should understand the new additions are there to help the Pioneers to become a top 10 level program again.

Transfers coming in to Denver under Tierney have usually worked out - certainly Connor Cannizzaro (Maryland) goes to the top of the list. Others include Matt Neufeldt (Maryland), Zach Runberg (Delaware), Colin Woolford (Syracuse), Eric Law (Salisbury), etc. The only one who transferred in recently who comes to mind who didn't work out as a player was Drew Supinski (Johns Hopkins), but I doubt he made much of an impact on team culture as he only played in eight games before leaving the team in 2018.

[Cooter]

One might guess that sitting a starter for a 5th-year transfer could really cause some problems. The starter fought hard to earn that position the previous season.

[faircornell]

Adding talent increases team competitiveness in that it allows fresh legs in the game. Depth on the bench might reduce minutes on the field for some, but when it results in championships or unexpected team improvement, it might be tolerated with more grace.

[Comeonman]

In tens of chemistry, at this point those who will have it In 21 are Cuse, PSU, UNC, GTown and Nova. If any of these picked up any 5 years from the outside who will vie for starting jobs, I missed that news. They all do have senior studs returning, which only brews their stew stronger.

But, if Nova gets Dox to play lax as well as ball, will they be better or worse? Who would score more, Kirst or Dox?

[Henpecked]

In tens of chemistry, at this point those who will have it In 21 are Cuse, PSU, UNC, GTown and Nova. If any of these picked up any 5 years from the outside who will vie for starting jobs, I missed that news. They all do have senior studs returning, which only brews their stew stronger.

But, if Nova gets Dox to play lax as well as ball, will they be better or worse? Who would score more, Kirst or Dox?

Dox still plan on playing Football at Nova? I haven’t heard anything. Football Training camps start in less than 8 weeks and nobody even knows if a season is happening. My guess is that if chose to transfer and played Lax there, he’d fit in perfectly on that starting midfield with Kirst and Campbell. 2nd line middies would be awesome as well.

[BetaBlocker]

this is a big deal that noone is talking about imo. ripple effect. unintended consequence of giving seniors another year of eligbility = teams need to make room by cutting kids that were on rosters the year before. and if starters come back....players that had put in time and presumably earned "spots" or playing time the next year (or at least the hope of that) will have to sit and wait again.......this will cause chemistry problems. period.

[Pio9]

It is the great unknown, but pretty hard to say no to players like Sower or Morrill. That said, there are probably current locker rooms that might have a toxic atmosphere.

[10 10 2]

I wonder if we will see more talented incoming freshmen that opt to go the Connor Shellenberger route and redshirt in 2021 due to a logjam at their position?

[catchnshoot]

Not sure about the chemistry problems, this is D 1 lacrosse there’s always a flood of good players coming along.
Every team has kids that worked hard for years and should be getting their time junior / senior year and they end up on the bench to a stud AA freshman
Part of the reality of the kids situation at this level

[Cooter]

I wonder if we will see more talented incoming freshmen that opt to go the Connor Shellenberger route and redshirt in 2021 due to a logjam at their position?

The incoming freshman don't have that extra season of eligibity, but they can red-shirt. Red-shirting would help to spread out the problem a little at the bottom edge of the extra-eligibilty classes.
One of the problems with red-shirting might be the cost.

[Laxman23]

Just because a senior has been granted an extra year from the NCAA does not mean that a coach will offer that senior a spot. Certainly a 2020 starter is probably a welcome returnee and those that saw limited action likely will thank the coach for the past 3.3 years and move on. The middling group makes for some awkward discussions or difficult decisions. Not sure how it will all play out

[blue angels]

In tens of chemistry, at this point those who will have it In 21 are Cuse, PSU, UNC, GTown and Nova. If any of these picked up any 5 years from the outside who will vie for starting jobs, I missed that news. They all do have senior studs returning, which only brews their stew stronger.

Interesting who you think has good team chemistry. I suspect maybe 1 of the teams listed will still be alive during the 2021 NCAA Quarterfinals. The rest will be watching at home as usual.