I agree with you that the D has improved under Koesterer since Petro left. If Petro had just hired JK to work with the D and FO, DP might till be the coach here. Maybe...sounds like there were other issues etc though.HopFan16 wrote: ↑Fri May 06, 2022 9:30 am
The defense improved from 36th or something in adjusted defensive efficiency last year to 17th this year. It was like 58th in 2020 before the new staff came in. They've held 10/16 opponents below their season goal averages. Scott Smith is going to be an All-American if he stays healthy. Szuluk had the most CTs by a Hopkins player since like the Nixon administration. There is potential for the defense to be very good. That said, this program is allergic to good goaltending so there's still no obvious fix there. Need either Webb or Versfeld to step up next year or for them to keep looking for the answer in the portal.
The offense needs serious work. There is no doubt about it. Hopefully they bring in an impact transfer or two and some of these incoming freshmen are what the doctor ordered. Collison's combo of size/skill/shooting make him about as sure of a thing at the next level as there is but you never know until they get there.
The immediate problem is, can you hold onto your best players after missing the playoffs two years in a row? If I have a year of eligibility left, do I stay with a Rebuilding project or go to a place with a legit chance at the playoffs and a Final Four? UVA and UMD both have open arms wrt to our top players, so I would say that's the first concern.
As far as bringing in transfers, to compete against the top teams on the Jay's schedule, they have to bring in the top guys but they have to compete with those same teams to get them. So, you basically get the guys the perennial playoff contenders have passed on. The Jays have fallen behind the curve in this arms race. If the team can show major improvement next year, it might be able to attract top transfer again...
The college model is the opposite of pro sports. There you have to lose to get better. In college, the more you win the more you can win, the more you lose the more you lose and it's hard to turn things around once you've fallen behind the curve.