Why was there hope coming into this year? I'll give you my reasons and then offer why it didn't happen
- We saw a team that won 2 out its last 4 games and give the undefeated NCAA finalist 2 very close games and could have won either.
- That team had things this team simply does not - primarily health (or being healthier) and one player on offense that created a dynamic that helped alot
- The 21 team also showed some grit when the could have easily mailed it in at 3 points in the season - getting boat raced by OSU/Rutgers and Maryland at the beginning of the season, the Epstein controversy and losing to Michigan and Penn State and finally getting stabbed int he heart by Maryland in the regular season finale
So what happened:
- Narewski's injury set the team back - fewer possessions for a team that needs them - Callahan looks like he's coming on but it is a true idiot that thinks he could have won 60% from the start because he did it one game a week ago
- The absence of Williams and the inability to use Chauvette or others as a replacement completely altered the dynamic of the offense that was starting to appear at the end of last year. As I have said several times - this reduced the number of players who were effective dodgers by a significant magnitude and also made the team smaller and easier for defenses to deal with. Williams turns the corner - draws a slide either puts it behind or up top and the defense is rotating and more open shots from players are a result
- Many - including myself - were hopeful for significant breakout years from Peshko and Grimes - Grimes has missed 5 games and as a player who missed his junior year in high school with an injury - his senior year because of the pandemic - and no one can call '21 a normal year - he needed to stay on the field. I've been told Peshko has been battling injuries all year. Other players hopeful for breakouts - like McDermott have missed time and not progressed
- This seems somewhat similar to 2016 - boy even though Tinney's shot got deflected in the '15 semi - Hopkins faithful were geeked for 16. Shack/Brown/Tinney/Connor Reed/Crawley had just pumped in 4 goals in the semi - folks couldn't wait - until Tinney got suspended - knees started blowing up all over the place and folks realized there was no one but Nick Fields to play defense
- They are playing much better teams - last year they beat Penn State twice and Michigan once and of their 13 games 5 of them were against those teams - this year UVA/G'town/UNC etc.
- Saturday is their grit test
That's a timeline that would take some sleuthing to figure out - maybe another coach could have kept more of the recruits - Peden for example committed to Penn State on May 2 - 5 days after Milliman was hired - I doubt PM had time to call him and create a negative impression - vultures were circling since early April and it was going to be a tough deal to keep many of the more desired ones. Going to Brown and Yale are not exactly bad decisions.steel_hop wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 9:28 am That is tough to say. I think if someone like Nads, or Raymond, or Marr had come in there would be more consistency in the program between staffs. You probably don't lose the entire recruiting class and have to restart because he can talk about being a Petro disciple and the only real change is the name and that it is still Hopkins traditions, etc. and they wouldn't change all of that. This is all conjecture on my part.
That's a low bar - the lowestSagittarius A* wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 11:04 am Your post captures my sentiments, although I think you've said it a lot better than I would have.
Delusion upon delusion upon delusionSagittarius A* wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 11:04 am Hopkins is a special place and unless you were part of that culture it's very difficult to have success here. I don't believe PM and company at this point will change that. Will Benson be the next HC here?