Kleizaster wrote: ↑Wed Sep 27, 2023 7:35 pm
Maryland is the greatest program in the history of the sport. Those other places don't have that. In the past this was enough to keep the best MD kids home. in the mid 2000s, in a 3 year span Maryland was getting around 7 of the best 12 girls in the state of Maryland. Naturally over time, lacrosse has become more accessible and more schools carry the sport and there are more options. But Maryland is still a top lax school and even with that, they should still be getting 3 or 4 of the best MD kids. In the past 3 years, they have landed 1, Maisy Clevenger and that was because of family ties.
A drop like that can't just be the result of there being better options elsewhere. Seems more like a more internal issue. Something is no longer connecting and even the idea of the once great MD dynasty is no longer enough for recruits. Maybe it is safety concerns..maybe Cathy has lost a bit of magic. Maybe UNC, BC, CUSE are now just a shinier toys to say no to. Whatever it is, MD needs to get that number back to 3+ or this simply will not be sustainable because every subsequent cycle, they are falling a step behind in talent compared to rivals. If they fall too far back they may never catch up again. Not sure what the best solution is but next year is absolutely crucial and a good year may help stable the ship. it'll give prospective recruits hope in the future of the program, which seems to be lacking.
My two cents on this as an MD grad and MD native:
I think any program in any sport which is in a hotbed area tries to keep the best kids home, but you can't keep always keep everybody. Some years for MD it's been that way and some years it hasn't. The 2024 and 2025 classes haven't been that way, with 18 commits and just five in-state kids. In the years since the rule change, Maryland seems to move quickly in filling its recruiting classes. I think with 8 this year given what will graduate in 2025, Maryland is probably done for this year. While in-state recruiting has been the backbone of the women's program, the men's program has done just fine getting kids from everywhere.
Now why don't all the top kids from Maryland end up at Maryland? I've posted this theory here before. Despite the methods to grow the game, lacrosse remains an elitist sport. If you're looking for a combined academics and athletics experience, there's probably a dozen top 25 schools that could be a better combination of the two than Maryland. I went to a pretty good public high school in MD and knew a lot of high achieving kids. Maybe one had MD as their dream school. A lot of kids ended up there because despite not looking to go there initially it is still a very good public university and the in-state tuition made it cost effective. I feel like that view is pretty common in the state, and with more of the lacrosse talent concentrating in private schools, it becomes more of a challenge since MD is not viewed as an elite school. Another thing to consider is that the school is not part of the cultural fabric of the state like some other schools in the Big 10 or those in the SEC. Much more of a pro sports area.
I think the Terps could have a pretty good year with all the experience returning, but the biggest issue is the group of fifth years seems to lack the killer instinct that the teams of the 2010s did. Then again, things can change quickly. Late in the 2022 season, ONW was still posting in a thread he made titled "Northwestern WAS a powerhouse." Now, he can't stop singing their praises.
. Most of the top kids in NY are looking to leave and are leaving. Just like anywhere else.