Johns Hopkins 2022

[51percentcorn]

wow one loss and the world is ending - I don't believe I have read so many unfounded assertions ever on this thread and that's saying something. First off, I think no one here KNOWS what is going on with Epstein. Could be 30 reasons why he is not playing. Coaches generally want to win and it is generally in their best interests to win so I am going to think there is a pretty good reason. Also seems to me we were all hot and bothered about Bauer last week. Also, dont forget Epstein has basically not played the last two games and basically has 20 more shots than anybody but Degnon - 24 tirnovers and 26 of his 45 shots on goal saved. Non face-off man ground balls was 36-19 - that's reason #1 they lost the game. Throw in a bad game by Kirson - 2 horrible decisions on clears directly leading to goals - taking the high crease to poor extremes - save percentage of 7/12 - sub 40 and it's a wonder they only lost by 5. Poor starts by the defense contribute as well - no reason for McManus to approach the first Rutgers goal shooter completely out of control. But the bottom line is the offense can't create slides - that is not going to change. If they beat Penn State - they will likely get the winner of the Penn State Michigan regular game in the first round in Baltimore - they can win that and then likely lose to Maryland. Finish 7-9 and then pick at the carcass. This idea that Milliman looked flustered is crazy IMO - he looked pissed as does every coach after a big loss and he didn't want to answer any questions.

I also find it hilarious that Milliman was roasted for some incredibly benign comments that showed up on the internet last year but now we want a full blown explanation as if we deserve it.

[Sagittarius A*]

You can certainly question Millman
- why Epstein did see some of the field?
- why he thought it was a good idea to have not one but two set of games less than 48 hours apart from each other?
- why did we set up one of the toughest schedules this year? That belies a view that he misevaluated where he thought the program was.
- what the offense is trying to do? Doesn't seem like it has an sense of how to attack a defense (some of this is pure lack of high end talent) but offense of strategy leaves a lot to be desired. If anyone is on the hot seat it is Grant because the team is average 10 goals a game. That is awful
- why has the defense seemed to figure out how to play with intensity and passion while the offense seems to be going through the motions.

In their introductory press conference, the coaches seemed very confident and oblivious to the difficulties with the team they were inheriting.
I thought they were overconfident at the time tbh. There is an advantage to playing a tough schedule in that it enhances your RPI.
Playing two games over a weekend to simulate the postseason assumes that you will actually make it to the post season.
The coach has a five year contract. He's shooting to do well in year 4. If he shows well in year's 4 and 5 he gets extended.
While I'm sure he'd like to win now, I don't think he's sweating it either. Since certain players will be gone from this roster by year 4, they don't really matter to him all that much in the final analysis.

[Farfromgeneva]

You can certainly question Millman
- why Epstein did see some of the field?
- why he thought it was a good idea to have not one but two set of games less than 48 hours apart from each other?
- why did we set up one of the toughest schedules this year? That belies a view that he misevaluated where he thought the program was.
- what the offense is trying to do? Doesn't seem like it has an sense of how to attack a defense (some of this is pure lack of high end talent) but offense of strategy leaves a lot to be desired. If anyone is on the hot seat it is Grant because the team is average 10 goals a game. That is awful
- why has the defense seemed to figure out how to play with intensity and passion while the offense seems to be going through the motions.

In their introductory press conference, the coaches seemed very confident and oblivious to the difficulties with the team they were inheriting.
I thought they were overconfident at the time tbh. There is an advantage to playing a tough schedule in that it enhances your RPI.
Playing two games over a weekend to simulate the postseason assumes that you will actually make it to the post season.
The coach has a five year contract. He's shooting to do well in year 4. If he shows well in year's 4 and 5 he gets extended.
While I'm sure he'd like to win now, I don't think he's sweating it either. Since certain players will be gone from this roster by year 4, they don't really matter to him all that much in the final analysis.

This is the right approach for an employee presuming certain conditions precedent. (Which appear to be the case here). Doesn’t do much for fans but it’s what happens when portions of an institution become about over time. Micro focused

[HopFan16]

Here's the thing the dumb dumbs who are saying the staff is already "on the hot seat" have clearly not thought about. Let's game this out. Hypothetically let's say they are let go in the next year or two (not going to happen, but I digress). What coach in his right mind will want the job after they witnessed this staff get bounced without even graduating a single recruiting class of their own? The answer is no one. You would have zero shot at any of the top coaches or even the second tier of younger, less proven guys. Nobody is going to want a job at a place where the last staff wasn't given a fair shake. They'd be forced into hiring DocBarrister based on his 8th grade soccer experience.

PM is getting at least 4-5 years to see his vision through, get his recruits in and build up the culture he wants. We're still in the early stages of that. If after he's been given a fair shot to do all that, the team isn't moving forward, then sure, there will be a conversation. But we are not close to being there yet. The incoming 2022 class is his first full class as a recruiter at Hopkins. His first one! What are we even talking about

Also, it's true that the Jays got hot toward the end of the season last year. But overall I think this year's team is better than last. Ya'll, they lost 6 games in a row last year including at home to Michigan and against a really bad Penn State team. Something clicked toward the end — maybe it'll happen again this year, who knows — but that was not a good season and we've already won more games this year than last. Is it *drastic* improvement? No. (And why would it be with most of the same players?) But it's also tough to argue things are going in the wrong direction which a few of you have thrown out there recently. Where's the evidence for that?

[HopFan16]

In their introductory press conference, the coaches seemed very confident and oblivious to the difficulties with the team they were inheriting.
I thought they were overconfident at the time tbh.

I had the exact opposite reaction. I can't remember if it was in that intro press conference or one of the other interviews but Milliman at one point said something to the effect of "this team doesn't know what it takes to win" which I took to be a thinly veiled assessment of the culture and work ethic he was inheriting. There were some other quotes that shared a similar sentiment. He knew he had a lot of work to do and that it wasn't going to happen overnight. The confidence he was projecting that you're talking about was *longterm* IMO, he believed Hopkins could still be a team with championship aspirations but he meant that broadly, not in the next year or two. And I do think he believes that otherwise he wouldn't have taken the job.

[steel_hop]

You can certainly question Millman
- why Epstein did see some of the field?
- why he thought it was a good idea to have not one but two set of games less than 48 hours apart from each other?
- why did we set up one of the toughest schedules this year? That belies a view that he misevaluated where he thought the program was.
- what the offense is trying to do? Doesn't seem like it has an sense of how to attack a defense (some of this is pure lack of high end talent) but offense of strategy leaves a lot to be desired. If anyone is on the hot seat it is Grant because the team is average 10 goals a game. That is awful
- why has the defense seemed to figure out how to play with intensity and passion while the offense seems to be going through the motions.

In their introductory press conference, the coaches seemed very confident and oblivious to the difficulties with the team they were inheriting.
I thought they were overconfident at the time tbh. There is an advantage to playing a tough schedule in that it enhances your RPI.
Playing two games over a weekend to simulate the postseason assumes that you will actually make it to the post season.
The coach has a five year contract. He's shooting to do well in year 4. If he shows well in year's 4 and 5 he gets extended.
While I'm sure he'd like to win now, I don't think he's sweating it either. Since certain players will be gone from this roster by year 4, they don't really matter to him all that much in the final analysis.

This is the right approach for an employee presuming certain conditions precedent. (Which appear to be the case here). Doesn’t do much for fans but it’s what happens when portions of an institution become about over time. Micro focused

That is not reality in the least. Typically, coaches get contracts extended with at least 2 years remaining, maybe in the off scenario with 1 year left (i.e. after year 4 for Millman). This is done for recruiting reasons or at least that this the argument because other coaches can recruit against Hopkins by saying "Millman doesn't have an extension and only 1 year left on his contract. How do you know he's going to be there when you show up to Hopkins?" You'd be tying PM's hands on recruiting.

If Millman doesn't have a contract extension after year 4 - and I am not making an argument he should or shouldn't - but just the factual point. If that happens that basically tells you where the administrastion is heading. It is why Petro was a dead man walking after the 2019 season and he wasn't given an extension.

So year 3 is a pretty big one for him.

[kramerica.inc]

The coaches wont be on the hotseat. That assumes Hopkins will value winning above all else in years 4 and 5 of the contract. Which isn't likely the case.

There is a program philosophy "reset" occurring. They stated it loudly and clearly when they fired DP and hired PM. They said it out loud. No one was listening or paying attention, or wanted to believe it. Petro said it in the interview. "Philosophy change." "Difference in vision/direction of the program."

Gone are the days of differing admission/behavior standards for laxers vs the rest of JHU student population. The expectations athletically are also lower. My guess is the admin will be happy with good, academically-sound kids, a winning record, and occasionally qualifying for the NCAAs. Some fans already get it- "Hopkins already has one more win than last year... so it's an improvement."

In today's world, running a D1 program out of a d3 athletics office for a sport is incredibly hard. It was possible when lacrosse was a small niche sport. but it's not any more. Now the big boys with are involved, with big football and big tv money. They are ramping up their lax games. Not so easy any more. And frankly, not worth the effort.

[Sagittarius A*]

That is not reality in the least. Typically, coaches get contracts extended with at least 2 years remaining, maybe in the off scenario with 1 year left (i.e. after year 4 for Millman). This is done for recruiting reasons or at least that this the argument because other coaches can recruit against Hopkins by saying "Millman doesn't have an extension and only 1 year left on his contract. How do you know he's going to be there when you show up to Hopkins?" You'd be tying PM's hands on recruiting.

If Millman doesn't have a contract extension after year 4 - and I am not making an argument he should or shouldn't - but just the factual point. If that happens that basically tells you where the administrastion is heading. It is why Petro was a dead man walking after the 2019 season and he wasn't given an extension.

So year 3 is a pretty big one for him.

I'm sure he'd like to do well in year 3, but the reality is he will only have one recruiting class in and they will only be freshmen.
By year 4 he's got two classes in and a group of his own sophomores and if he can do well (Final 4 in year 4?) I think he probably gets extended.
Also, the playoff chances this year are dwindling and I'm not seeing any reasons for major improvements next year. Perhaps incremental improvement.

[CrookedJay]

Did not catch the game, so I’ll point that out before someone else does. Based on other posts, it sounds like the offense put up a stinker.

I disagree when anyone who says that the players we have are not good enough to score goals and win the games that Hopkins “should win.” You do not need to be able to beat your man by 5 steps in order to get a defense to rotate. It would be nice, but if you lack that spark, then you need organization and anticipation, all of which can be taught/drilled into the brain to some degree. Most importantly, when your offense is not there must be someone on the offensive side of the ball (on the field) directing traffic and getting the pieces into the right place. Do we have that? Is there someone who the players voted as their leader for the last three years who could do that?

The questions I have are:
- Are we trying to run an offense that does not fit the personnel?
- Are we running an offense that fits the personnel and the players are not executing?
- Do we have an offensive “system”? If so, can the players (who are not as talented as John Grant Jr.) relate to/understand it?

One comment on playing for each other vs. the coach. Look, the boys play hard because they are competitive. I do not get the sense that PM drives them so hard to the point where the players bond over a hate for him (a common approach), and while the determination to not play #32 could have some players saying that he does not have their back when times are tough, I’d like to think that they are playing for each other AND their coaches.

[flalax22]

HF16 is right. PM is not going anywhere for 4/5 years. You are also forgetting to acknowledge this is Bakers pick. She didn’t give a damn about what players and alumni wanted when she made the hire and doesn’t give a damn for all the online bellyaching from fans, alumni et al. He’s here for the long term folks. Does he turn it around? I’m less confident now than I was last year. From selective discipline off the field, selective accountability on the field, coaching staff construction and dynamics, recruiting (save for a couple like Collison) I’m losing confidence that this is the guy. Time will tell and but I can assure you he has plenty of it to make it work.

[HopFan16]

Gone are the days of differing admission/behavior standards for laxers vs the rest of JHU student population.

Yiiiiiikes this is deeply, deeply incorrect

[Sagittarius A*]

Coach Milliman should have given a clear explanation of why he has benched his leading scorer and three-time captain.

That is a very basic communication fail on the part of Coach Milliman.

DocBarrister

I think Milliman has learned his lesson and is keeping his mouth shut.
Maybe Epstein starts next week and is super motivated. ?? "Son you want to get back in the line up? Earn it."
I do think PM and his staff thought they could turn this team into a winner when they came in and are now finding it's a lot harder than they thought it would be.

[kramerica.inc]

Gone are the days of differing admission/behavior standards for laxers vs the rest of JHU student population.

Yiiiiiikes this is deeply, deeply incorrect

When did those standards change? Perhaps I'm just still remembering the early 00s.

[youthathletics]

There were times during this game where I saw players seem to be second guessing taking a shot. Almost like they didn't know if they would be in hot water if they took the took the shot. I have no idea what is going on, but I feel like there is some type of tension within that locker room. Maybe guys looking at the Epstein situation and thinking, "Hey, I don't want to get on the wrong side of things and end up being on the outside lookng in". All speculation on my part, but something is rotten in Denmark.

Please provide literally one example of this

Lot of psychoanalysis experts on these forums, who knew

There was a point where they ran a couple pass down pick downs on each wing...weave look, and one of the guys got to the middle of the field, cant recall who. I commented on it and even Mark DIxon mentioned it after halftime.

[Ruffled_Feathers]

I disagree when anyone who says that the players we have are not good enough to score goals and win the games that Hopkins “should win.”

Please define what is a game that this team "Should win" right now?

Surely you can't be talking about Rutgers which has been playing rather well the last couple years, certainly better than our group and the rankings reflect that. This is an awful lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth over a game this team wasn't "supposed to win" last night. At times it looked rather ugly, at times it looked like they were in it and figuring it out. Always a work in progress with this group right now, learn to enjoy the ride fellas.

[CrookedJay]

I disagree when anyone who says that the players we have are not good enough to score goals and win the games that Hopkins “should win.”

Please define what is a game that this team "Should win" right now?

Surely you can't be talking about Rutgers which has been playing rather well the last couple years, certainly better than our group and the rankings reflect that. This is an awful lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth over a game this team wasn't "supposed to win" last night. At times it looked rather ugly, at times it looked like they were in it and figuring it out. Always a work in progress with this group right now, learn to enjoy the ride fellas.

How about Navy and Delaware for starters…and please forgive me for thinking that Hopkins should beat Rutgers.

[MDlaxfan76]

Gone are the days of differing admission/behavior standards for laxers vs the rest of JHU student population.

Yiiiiiikes this is deeply, deeply incorrect

But it's a consistent refrain from those who, it seems, wish it were so...not because they think that Hopkins could/should have high admission standards for their D1 players (same as the rest of the pop is ridiculous, not so for the DIII athletes even) but rather because they think that would lead to less winning by Hopkins.

Personally, I think an Ivy-like model could fit Hopkins quite well, but then these same sorts of ill-wishers have thought that the Ivies are doomed to irrelevance...many of them also predicted that the Ivies' Covid response would doom them as well...ill-wishers.

But Hopkins has not, at least not yet, made any significant move to shift admission standards to be even similar to the DIII Hop standards, much less equivalent to the overall pop. Which is not intended as a knock on Hopkins lax athletes, in the slightest. Want to go to Hopkins? You'll need to compete in the classroom too. Maybe fewer 'gut' courses these days, but also tons of opportunity to learn at a great institution.

The "behavior" crack, on the other hand, seems to imply that lax athletes used to be treated way differently than other students in their off-field behaviors; mostly just a shot at an insult...maybe that was true a couple of generations ago (I've heard my share of funny, self-deprecating stories) but even then I'm not so sure that the standards were actually different...seems to me there was simply more latitude in general for everyone. It certainly was the case at my college in my generation.

[MDlaxfan76]

Gone are the days of differing admission/behavior standards for laxers vs the rest of JHU student population.

Yiiiiiikes this is deeply, deeply incorrect

When did those standards change? Perhaps I'm just still remembering the early 00s.

Surely you don't imagine that the admission standards for any the sports, not just the lax programs, are equivalent today to the general pop???

The DIII sports have quite high targets, but are akin to the Ivy targets relative to their overall pop, meaning within a standard deviation but certainly not equivalent. The D1 have a wider range, lower target.

I'm not sure it could be said of any D1 program in the nation that their admission standards are equivalent to the overall admission standards.

[kramerica.inc]

Gone are the days of differing admission/behavior standards for laxers vs the rest of JHU student population.

Yiiiiiikes this is deeply, deeply incorrect

When did those standards change? Perhaps I'm just still remembering the early 00s.

Surely you don't imagine that the admission standards for any the sports, not just the lax programs, are equivalent today to the general pop???

The DIII sports have quite high targets, but are akin to the Ivy targets relative to their overall pop, meaning within a standard deviation but certainly not equivalent. The D1 have a wider range, lower target.

I'm not sure it could be said of any D1 program in the nation that their admission standards are equivalent to the overall admission standards.

As a current hs coach, I'm seeing the standard for athletes be much closer to the general pop at many D1 schools these days. Having played D1 and coached D3, I'm aware of the difference. A few of my friends and peers went to JHU, so I'm aware of their curve at least back in the late 90s and early 00s. Definitely some wiggle room. Not a great matriculation rate. And like the general pop, transfer admissions was much easier. There was no wiggle room at the D3 school I coached. No help and no slots. But D3 is a whole other animal.

[Farfromgeneva]

You can certainly question Millman
- why Epstein did see some of the field?
- why he thought it was a good idea to have not one but two set of games less than 48 hours apart from each other?
- why did we set up one of the toughest schedules this year? That belies a view that he misevaluated where he thought the program was.
- what the offense is trying to do? Doesn't seem like it has an sense of how to attack a defense (some of this is pure lack of high end talent) but offense of strategy leaves a lot to be desired. If anyone is on the hot seat it is Grant because the team is average 10 goals a game. That is awful
- why has the defense seemed to figure out how to play with intensity and passion while the offense seems to be going through the motions.

In their introductory press conference, the coaches seemed very confident and oblivious to the difficulties with the team they were inheriting.
I thought they were overconfident at the time tbh. There is an advantage to playing a tough schedule in that it enhances your RPI.
Playing two games over a weekend to simulate the postseason assumes that you will actually make it to the post season.
The coach has a five year contract. He's shooting to do well in year 4. If he shows well in year's 4 and 5 he gets extended.
While I'm sure he'd like to win now, I don't think he's sweating it either. Since certain players will be gone from this roster by year 4, they don't really matter to him all that much in the final analysis.

This is the right approach for an employee presuming certain conditions precedent. (Which appear to be the case here). Doesn’t do much for fans but it’s what happens when portions of an institution become about over time. Micro focused

That is not reality in the least. Typically, coaches get contracts extended with at least 2 years remaining, maybe in the off scenario with 1 year left (i.e. after year 4 for Millman). This is done for recruiting reasons or at least that this the argument because other coaches can recruit against Hopkins by saying "Millman doesn't have an extension and only 1 year left on his contract. How do you know he's going to be there when you show up to Hopkins?" You'd be tying PM's hands on recruiting.

If Millman doesn't have a contract extension after year 4 - and I am not making an argument he should or shouldn't - but just the factual point. If that happens that basically tells you where the administrastion is heading. It is why Petro was a dead man walking after the 2019 season and he wasn't given an extension.

So year 3 is a pretty big one for him.

Who’s reality? If Hop has a mediocre year next year, in or out of playoffs but .500 or better record, then has a 11-3 type QF or better season in year four he’s getting extended no doubt.

How many lacrosse coaches do you think have 4-5yr contracts out of the 70 odd programs out there? 10? 15? Less?