First, there aren’t many “creampuffs” left in college lacrosse. Seems like most teams have some pretty talented players and good coaches.jhu72 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:30 pma fan wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 1:57 pmFrom an outsider's perspective?jhu72 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 11:34 am... not all games are the same in terms of causing fatigue going into a subsequent game. Hopkins also won an awful lot of those games without having two or three day "rest" practice games during the season. Personally I don't see a need for the games, or an advantage in having them, all else being equal. Now if it is a matter of difficulty in scheduling a team you want to play, that is another matter.a fan wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:56 pm Wait to you hear about the Final Four, where you have to play for all the marbles on two day's rest....or to help with the math, 3 games in 9 days. Against the best teams in D1.
Seem to remember Hopkins players faring quite well with the 3 games in 9 days format.
Every game against a top team is a chance for your boys to improve. And if you look at this forum, it's pretty obvious that Milliman is on the clock. He doesn't have the time to slowly and gradually improve this team. He needs to get these players and this program better NOW.
Playing UNC instead of (insert creampuff) will get help your players get better, imho. And learn how to deal with a close game in the 4th. And maybe Milliman will learn to play a few more kids, and lengthen the bench. Whole lot of good things come out of playing UNC instead of a creampuff, if you ask me. And I know you didn't ask.
And if it's not obvious, I agree with wgdsr 100%.....I didn't play at the D1 level, but I can tell you that I played both soccer and lacrosse, starting for both programs. I NEVER got tired from having mulitiple games. It was common to play in tournaments where you played two entire soccer games per day for three days straight. Never got gassed because of that. That's what conditioning is for. And I'd like to think that Hopkins conditioning and meal program was just a tad more sophisticated and effective than it was for a soccer or lacrosse team in the 80's.
It's just like wgdsr says...what makes you gassed is sprinting for minutes on end. And it takes just a few minutes to recover. So if you think you saw gassed players in the Hop game? It was because they played too much D for minutes at a time. The fact that they played Saturday had NOTHING to do with it. I really don't think this is an opinion....I lived this. My experience is that practice was more tiring than games, because my coaches INTENTIONALLY made you run gassers...and then put you in practice-game situations to help you learn to make decisions when you're gassed.
I think what Milliman is doing with scheduling is smart. But what do I know? He could have other reasons for these decisions, and I'm just assuming intent, where there isn't any.
.... Milliman is not on any clock. The administration is perfectly happy with him and I see no evidence that the lacrosse community at Hopkins has any leverage that will effect that. I am not as wired into the program as I was at one time, but given the administrations general behavior towards the program everything is just hunky dunky. Now Milliman may be putting pressure on himself.
On the rest we will just agree to disagree. Note that is not that I am saying that the Georgetown game was the reason for their fourth quarter play. They played an awful lot of defense in the first 3 quarters. What I object to is the absolutism that athletes see and feel no effect from previous games in the way of playing games too closely together. Also object to the implication that I can't recognize a gassed team when I see one.
Having said that, playing “less elite” teams has its advantages. It helps to develop and broaden the sport. In lopsided games, you can get your bench players some real game experience, which is invaluable.
Playing tough teams all the time has its advantages, but also some drawbacks. The valuable playing experience may be limited to fewer players. Your reserves don’t get playing time because you are always struggling to win. For those on the bench, playing mop up duty in a real game is still more valuable than simply practicing.
Alabama football doesn’t only play elite teams. They still regularly schedule FCS football teams. In recent years, the Crimson Tide outscored five of those FCS teams by a combined 230 points. One of those teams? Mercer … yep, from the same school that played UNC in lax last week.
https://rolltidewire.usatoday.com/galle ... opponents/
Saban actually doesn’t want to play FCS teams. So why does he still schedule them? To get the “W” and make the college football playoffs.
https://bamahammer.com/2022/06/16/alaba ... tment/amp/
I actually respect the fact that PM is not shying away from tough schedules. It’s also consistent with Hopkins tradition. To be the best, you play the best, correct?
Thing is, even a top-ten caliber team can wind up with a losing record and not even be eligible for the playoffs with the Blue Jays’ current schedule.
THAT would not be ok.
If building in a few breaks in a schedule is good enough for Nick Saban, arguably the greatest college football coach of all time, it’s worth keeping in mind for Hopkins lacrosse.
Just sayin’ … I still think this Hopkins team has a good shot at making the tournament this season, schedule be damned.
DocBarrister
