Johns Hopkins 2021

[nrthcrosslax]

It would be great if PM could get something out of DeSimone.
You have to wonder what happened to him. He was highly touted out of HS, was MVP of the HS All Star Game, had a good freshman campaign, then pretty much vanished.
Was it injuries? loss of confidence? Out-of-shape? Too much pressure...?
He showed a lot of potential as a freshman.

Definitely not the same player. Check out his senior highlights and Hopkins freshman highlights on youtube. Aliens really need to return him.

[DocBarrister]

It would be great if PM could get something out of DeSimone.
You have to wonder what happened to him. He was highly touted out of HS, was MVP of the HS All Star Game, had a good freshman campaign, then pretty much vanished.
Was it injuries? loss of confidence? Out-of-shape? Too much pressure...?
He showed a lot of potential as a freshman.

Definitely not the same player. Check out his senior highlights and Hopkins freshman highlights on youtube. Aliens really need to return him.

Elvis, too.

DocBarrister

[51percentcorn]

I see no trouble with the talent at attack - other then there are too many
On HF16's list of 9 - only 2 conistently played mid-field in high school
Yes - attackmen can become middies and vice versa but other than Zinn, Degnon and maybe DeSimone no returning players are natural midfielders
SO it's just doing something you're not totally used to at a higher level - it's not the snap of the fingers some make it out ot be
Throw in Baskin/Keogh and you could play soccer with Hopkins players that were starters in high school at attack

I know Concannon is on this 2021 roster - which I find bizarre by the way (the date on the roster not necessarily Concannon's presence) - but do we know Giacalone/Concannon/Colwell/Gainey all want to return and the new lax admin wants them?

Hopkins needs midfielders

First time I have seen anyone raise the issue of Epstein's health for Feb 2021. Interesting question - one would assume - a full year and not an ACL tear - that he should be good to go but clearly we do not know anything

Colwell, McManus, Lyne, Reinson, Jaronski, Fernandez, Glassmeyer, Lilly, and incoming freshmen. Assuming the seniors come back other than Hubler, is there no hope for this crew? New D coach can coach em up. He turned around the UMBC defense pretty quickly.
Fernandez is a big addition. Can we find a goalie? Is Darby essentially who he is or can he take A step forward? Dimarsico?

One would think Fernandez and Smith (but that is conjecture to some degree) are two big pieces of the defensive puzzle for next year. The rest of the crew???? Jaronski showed some flashes - Petro for one thought he played out of control too often - or at least that is what he yelled at him. Goals were coming so fast and furious against UNC Princeton and Cuse it's hard to say whether any of the SSDMs were OK or not. YOu have to find at least 13 that can walk and chew gum - a goalie and a back-up for injury - 5 close defensemen - one plays on man down - one is your injury guy - 3 LSMs - 3 SSDMs - you need 10 to be really capable and if you avoid the injury bug you get to be an effective unit.
I think 1.5 years of the incumbent goalie is enough to see that 46% is about the neighborhood where he lives. Coach K - I don't care for ol ferret face either - but I'll call Koesterer Kim Jong if he wants as long as he gets the defense in some semblance of shape. Milliman should have no loyalty issues - so if the freshman is the better keeper - he'll likely play.

Any number from 55 on up is beyond ridiculous - utilizing the magic number of 23/24 - that means in a competitive game at least 31 to 32 kids will not play. You can talk all you want about next man up - the whole DI athletic experience etc. etc. but it cannot be healthy when over half the team is standing there with their "stick" in their hands. Hopkins - as a private school - and one of the most expensive in the world - should be as lean and mean as possible - shrink the number of seats at the table so each person gets to eat more of the 12.6 and you are more competitive for the kids you really want. If the Bloomberg funding trickles down to more of an Ivy concept - maybe that's the way to go - I certainly don't know how to run the numbers on that.

I would expect PM has to make some tough decisions and will likley take it in stages - he almost certainly can't get down to 50 by next year - there would be a riot - but he has to get under 60.

[HopFan16]

I don't think it's a huge mystery what happened with DeSimone. He put on some muscle weight going into sophomore year which to my eye really slowed him down and he lost that quick first step he showed his freshman year. And then I think that snowballed into him shooting poorly and losing confidence in his shot, to the point where towards the end of the season he basically wasn't even thinking about shooting the ball even with time and room. I guess you could call it the lacrosse version of the yips. He looked better to me in 2020—he required literally half as many shots to score the same number of goals he had the year before. With Epstein mostly out of the equation and the offense generally lifeless for long stretches this season, it wasn't exactly ideal conditions under which he could expand on that improvement. But if you ask me he was headed in the right direction. He probably won't be the star many of us expected he'd be coming out of Smithtown but I still think he can be an asset. A new offense/coaching staff might be just what the doctor ordered.

That said I think 51's point that midfield scoring remains an issue is correct, though it is worth noting they were without Concannon and Keogh this year and that was 26 goals out the window. Some of these incoming freshmen attackmen are going to have to play out of the box, at least to start. Peshko, Martin, and Raposo are all actual middies who could help there. I think it's only a matter of time before Zinn figures out his shooting...if/when he does that would change the equation considerably.

Since the question's been asked—no PM is not going to just automatically play the same exact guys, in the same exact ways, as Petro and Benson did. Some of them will likely end up being the same, but some will inevitably not be. The players know that. Seeing as Petro's whole mantra of last offseason was that nobody's spot was safe and everyone had to earn PT, they should be used to the competition.

[51percentcorn]

Lost in the Rapine fiasco was what happened with Blondell. Whenever I saw him play in '19 he gave me hope for better days to come. I never heard a reason for the dismissal or decision to leave and I never saw him land on another squad.

[steel_hop]

He looked better to me in 2020—he required literally half as many shots to score the same number of goals he had the year before.

Let's not go crazy. He scored 3 goals in the first game against Towson, 1 goal in the second game and then didn't score a goal over the other 4 games. He wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire for a guy that was in his 3rd year starting on 1st line.

[Mightyjoe]

He looked better to me in 2020—he required literally half as many shots to score the same number of goals he had the year before.

Let's not go crazy. He scored 3 goals in the first game against Towson, 1 goal in the second game and then didn't score a goal over the other 4 games. He wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire for a guy that was in his 3rd year starting on 1st line.

Exactly. Why did he stay with the 1st or 2nd line for that matter. There wasn't really a new Petro way for 2020 where no one's position was secured and you had to earn playing time.......BS.
Bobby still had his favorites and he put them above the success of the team.
Hopefully new coach actual does challenge the kids and they actually have to earn their spots. This will be a new concept to many of the players.

[Mightyjoe]

He looked better to me in 2020—he required literally half as many shots to score the same number of goals he had the year before.

Let's not go crazy. He scored 3 goals in the first game against Towson, 1 goal in the second game and then didn't score a goal over the other 4 games. He wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire for a guy that was in his 3rd year starting on 1st line.

[Mightyjoe]

He looked better to me in 2020—he required literally half as many shots to score the same number of goals he had the year before.

Let's not go crazy. He scored 3 goals in the first game against Towson, 1 goal in the second game and then didn't score a goal over the other 4 games. He wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire for a guy that was in his 3rd year starting on 1st line.

Exactly. Why did he stay with the 1st or 2nd line for that matter. There wasn't really a new Petro way for 2020 where no one's position was secured and you had to earn playing time.......BS.
Bobby still had his favorites and he put them above the success of the team.
Hopefully new coach actual does challenge the kids and they actually have to earn their spots. This will be a new concept to many of the players.

....and then there's Cole. His 2 big games were Towson and the Mount. I still question why he was brought back.

[viper]

What would make anyone think they have a starting position with a new coach coming in?
C'mon you guys, of course he's going to take a look at what he's got and pick his starters out from there. No brainer, no?

I hear what you are saying. But PM must have given Cole W a pretty good sense of his role on the team (that he was encouraged by) to pull himself from the transfer portal.

[DMac]

A coaching change happened to me between my Jr and Sr year in HS. I was the Captain and leading scorer on the team. I didn't figure that meant jack schidt with a new coach coming on board so I worked probably harder than I would have to ensure my spot on the field, which I did. I would suggest to all the "starters" they do the same. JMHO.

[HopFan16]

He looked better to me in 2020—he required literally half as many shots to score the same number of goals he had the year before.

Let's not go crazy. He scored 3 goals in the first game against Towson, 1 goal in the second game and then didn't score a goal over the other 4 games. He wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire for a guy that was in his 3rd year starting on 1st line.

I didn't say he was lighting the world on fire, did I? I said he looked better. His shooting percentage doubled and he matched his entire 2019 goal output in six games. That is better. How many hat tricks did he have in 2019? How many times did he beat his matchup to score in 2019? There was improvement. That is literally all I said. Nobody is going crazy here.

....and then there's Cole. His 2 big games were Towson and the Mount. I still question why he was brought back.

Because he was the team's leading scorer? What is so difficult about that to understand?

[nrthcrosslax]

He looked better to me in 2020—he required literally half as many shots to score the same number of goals he had the year before.

Let's not go crazy. He scored 3 goals in the first game against Towson, 1 goal in the second game and then didn't score a goal over the other 4 games. He wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire for a guy that was in his 3rd year starting on 1st line.

Exactly. Why did he stay with the 1st or 2nd line for that matter. There wasn't really a new Petro way for 2020 where no one's position was secured and you had to earn playing time.......BS.
Bobby still had his favorites and he put them above the success of the team.
Hopefully new coach actual does challenge the kids and they actually have to earn their spots. This will be a new concept to many of the players.

Maybe Mabbett will get his shot now

[nyjay]

It's good to have Cole back for reasons beyond his presence on the field (which is also a plus, hopefully a big one). Given that I'm currently in "trust the (Coach Pete) process" mode, the fact that PM wanted him back is enough for me. Despite his inconsistencies, Cole would have ended up at a major program (i.e. one ranked higher than the Jays). I think I remember one of the IL saying Cole had contacts with a couple of ACC schools.

On DeSimone, not to rehash complaints about the old staff, but he clearly regressed. That staff did not make him better. Agree 100% with 16's analysison what exactly happened. DeSimone was one of many (Zinn fits that category too - though Zinn did take some bad shots this year) who was so scared of making a mistake, that he didn't even try to make plays. I think that's the story of some of the defensive issues too. Who knows, but maybe a guy like Gomez didn't get time because he got confused of which way to hedge when he was the 3 on a alley dodge or some similar scheme related nonsense (as opposed to a lack of talent). Guarantee you hear some guys next year talking about how much they just enjoy being able to play.

[get it to x]

It's good to have Cole back for reasons beyond his presence on the field (which is also a plus, hopefully a big one). Given that I'm currently in "trust the (Coach Pete) process" mode, the fact that PM wanted him back is enough for me. Despite his inconsistencies, Cole would have ended up at a major program (i.e. one ranked higher than the Jays). I think I remember one of the IL saying Cole had contacts with a couple of ACC schools.

On DeSimone, not to rehash complaints about the old staff, but he clearly regressed. That staff did not make him better. Agree 100% with 16's analysison what exactly happened. DeSimone was one of many (Zinn fits that category too - though Zinn did take some bad shots this year) who was so scared of making a mistake, that he didn't even try to make plays. I think that's the story of some of the defensive issues too. Who knows, but maybe a guy like Gomez didn't get time because he got confused of which way to hedge when he was the 3 on a alley dodge or some similar scheme related nonsense (as opposed to a lack of talent). Guarantee you hear some guys next year talking about how much they just enjoy being able to play.

To me this Cole/midfield post is the perfect time to point out that Cole was very good at creating from up top. He is a deft passer and was often able to draw an early slide, with basically the whole play in front of him. If I am Coach M, I'm running him in from the box a couple times a game, at least.

[Sagittarius A*]

It's good to have Cole back for reasons beyond his presence on the field (which is also a plus, hopefully a big one). Given that I'm currently in "trust the (Coach Pete) process" mode, the fact that PM wanted him back is enough for me. Despite his inconsistencies, Cole would have ended up at a major program (i.e. one ranked higher than the Jays). I think I remember one of the IL saying Cole had contacts with a couple of ACC schools.

On DeSimone, not to rehash complaints about the old staff, but he clearly regressed. That staff did not make him better. Agree 100% with 16's analysison what exactly happened. DeSimone was one of many (Zinn fits that category too - though Zinn did take some bad shots this year) who was so scared of making a mistake, that he didn't even try to make plays. I think that's the story of some of the defensive issues too. Who knows, but maybe a guy like Gomez didn't get time because he got confused of which way to hedge when he was the 3 on a alley dodge or some similar scheme related nonsense (as opposed to a lack of talent). Guarantee you hear some guys next year talking about how much they just enjoy being able to play.

I think John Tillman said once that if he yelled at players when they came off the field they're not going to play their game. He knew this just didn't work. The previous staff was always yelling at players as they came off the field. Practice is one thing, but yelling at players during games in front of the fans gets old pretty quickly. Would you really give your best for a staff that does that? Probably why so many players quit on them or were just too afraid to try to do anything.

[nyjay]

Just imagine what it's like in practice. It's a tactic that works well for some guys (pretty sure Petro himself thrived under that kind of pressure as a player), for others it doesn't work at all. And I think it works less well now that it did 10 or 15 years ago. Kids and parents are just different than they were. And combine all that what were obviously very complicated slide packages, I think you had a D lacking confidence, afraid to make a mistake and thus generally being slow and getting beat.

I like the idea of Cole as a midfielder.

[HopFan16]

I don't think the issue is so much what position you call Cole as it's that he occupies the same space on the field as Brendan Grimes. Both are primarily big lefty wing dodgers. Grimes, like Cole, doesn't do much work behind the cage. Both are capable of running out of the box, and dodging/distributing from up top. I think Grimes at this age is more skilled and a better shooter than Cole was but if you were going to make a D1 player comp for Grimes it wouldn't be so far off from Cole Williams.

PM and whoever he hires to help him with the offense will have to get creative with how these two see the field at the same time. If you take the long view, you probably want Grimes at his natural attack as early and often as possible. I'm happy Cole is coming back but the last thing you want to do is risk stunting the freshman's development. I think he's good enough to thrive no matter where you put him, whether that's permanently on attack (where he'll end up eventually, IMO), as a "4th attackmen" through the box, or as a more traditional midfielder, but the priority should be maximizing everyone's skill sets. Based on what I know about Cole I don't think he'd have a problem if his role shifted a bit if it meant it'd help the team win.

[primitiveskills]

It's good to have Cole back for reasons beyond his presence on the field (which is also a plus, hopefully a big one). Given that I'm currently in "trust the (Coach Pete) process" mode, the fact that PM wanted him back is enough for me. Despite his inconsistencies, Cole would have ended up at a major program (i.e. one ranked higher than the Jays). I think I remember one of the IL saying Cole had contacts with a couple of ACC schools.

On DeSimone, not to rehash complaints about the old staff, but he clearly regressed. That staff did not make him better. Agree 100% with 16's analysison what exactly happened. DeSimone was one of many (Zinn fits that category too - though Zinn did take some bad shots this year) who was so scared of making a mistake, that he didn't even try to make plays. I think that's the story of some of the defensive issues too. Who knows, but maybe a guy like Gomez didn't get time because he got confused of which way to hedge when he was the 3 on a alley dodge or some similar scheme related nonsense (as opposed to a lack of talent). Guarantee you hear some guys next year talking about how much they just enjoy being able to play.

To me this Cole/midfield post is the perfect time to point out that Cole was very good at creating from up top. He is a deft passer and was often able to draw an early slide, with basically the whole play in front of him. If I am Coach M, I'm running him in from the box a couple times a game, at least.

Agree. They seemed to have figured this out towards the end of last year, but inexplicably went away from using Cole in this fashion this year. Maybe because of the Epstein injury, but putting Cole back iinto a role that didn't make the most of his talents was never going to be the solution to that.

[DocBarrister]

Wow. John Grant Jr is the new OC.

DocBarrister