Cornell 2020

[VeryRustyRed]

Dalton appears to be a very talented player based on his tape.
As for Graham --- I can't help but think of Mac O'Keefe. 'Love his lefty side/underarm release.

[laxjuris]

2020 schedule has been released. I don't think strength of schedule will be any concern this season:

https://cornellbigred.com/news/2019/11/ ... edule.aspx

[VeryRustyRed]

Cornell's 2020 Lax schedule has just been published.
The good news is that the out-of-conference schedule is very strong.
However..."in life," too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing.

-The out-of-conference opponents are Albany, Towson, High Point, Ohio State, Penn State, Colgate, Hobart, and Syracuse.
-The schedule is even tougher than it appears at first blush because the first 5 games are on the road - either Away games or Neutral Site games.
These 5 games include powerhouses Penn State and Ohio State and (I believe) top 20 Towson, High Point, and and Albany. AND...a tough early schedule is even more difficult given Cornell's absence of an indoor training facility.
-The next two games following the initial 5 game road show are against Top 10 Yale (H) and Penn (A).

If nothing else, the boys will be battle tested very early on.
With a meat grinder schedule like this, the road to the NCAA's other than via an AQ will be very difficult.

[HopFan16]

With a meat grinder schedule like this, the road to the NCAA's other than via an AQ will be very difficult.

Disagree—this could improve RPI/SOS, which the selection committee values over win-loss record. As long as you stay above .500 I think this increases your chances of an at-large bid. Take it from a Hopkins fan...that's how we've been getting in recently.

[admin]

[Wheels]

What a great schedule that is. Every game has meaning, whether it's a national match up, a league match up, or a "local" match up.

[Gobigred]

With a meat grinder schedule like this, the road to the NCAA's other than via an AQ will be very difficult.

Disagree—this could improve RPI/SOS, which the selection committee values over win-loss record. As long as you stay above .500 I think this increases your chances of an at-large bid. Take it from a Hopkins fan...that's how we've been getting in recently.

I agree with your last paragraph. Last year was a particularly egregious example.

[HopFan16]

With a meat grinder schedule like this, the road to the NCAA's other than via an AQ will be very difficult.

Disagree—this could improve RPI/SOS, which the selection committee values over win-loss record. As long as you stay above .500 I think this increases your chances of an at-large bid. Take it from a Hopkins fan...that's how we've been getting in recently.

I agree with your last paragraph. Last year was a particularly egregious example.

Blame Maryland

[Gobigred]

No mention of Dartmouth in the CornellBigRed website write-up. Tsk tsk.

[FannOLax]

2020 schedule has been released. I don't think strength of schedule will be any concern this season:

https://cornellbigred.com/news/2019/11/ ... edule.aspx

The (or a) main change I see from last year is Notre Dame dropped in favor of The Ohio State. Looks like there will be plenty of Big 10 v Ivy in 2020, with Penn State playing Yale, Penn and Cornell; Cornell and Yale both facing two Big Ten teams, etc.

[VeryRustyRed]

HopFan - I understand your point that the rigorous schedule MAY positively impact Cornell's RPI (SOS will certainly not be an issue). But your post went on to reference staying above .500. I have no doubt that Cornell will stay (well) above .500. However, using last year's Hopkins as an example - Hopkins, given its regular season record, made it in as an at-large by the slimmest of margins. A real roll of the dice.
My point is that Cornell's schedule is really tough. Besides playing two pre-season top 3 teams, PSU (a dreadful matchup) and Yale, opening the season with 5 away games against teams all in the top 10 or 20...followed by Yale and Penn is brutal. And don't forget Syracuse (who should be loaded) on short-rest late in the season.
Not winning the AQ, very strong SOS or not, is a roll of the dice as well.

[OCanada]

Nicely put

[HopFan16]

However, using last year's Hopkins as an example - Hopkins, given its regular season record, made it in as an at-large by the slimmest of margins. A real roll of the dice.

...and yet, they made it in, while Cornell—with its better win-loss record—did not.

You need a very tough schedule to make it in as an at-large these days. Ask High Point how much their 13-3 record helped them last year.

It's definitely a roll of the dice to make your schedule so tough. No argument there. But at least you're getting to roll the dice. Without a top SOS, you don't even have the opportunity to roll. It's a non-starter.

You would much rather be 9-5 or even 8-6 with a top 10 RPI than 10-4 with an RPI of 12, 13+. Who knows how things ultimately play out—this schedule could end up looking much harder or easier in May than it does now depending on how the other teams perform—but good on Milliman for doing what he can to give his team a chance.

[wgdsr]

HopFan - I understand your point that the rigorous schedule MAY positively impact Cornell's RPI (SOS will certainly not be an issue). But your post went on to reference staying above .500. I have no doubt that Cornell will stay (well) above .500. However, using last year's Hopkins as an example - Hopkins, given its regular season record, made it in as an at-large by the slimmest of margins. A real roll of the dice.
My point is that Cornell's schedule is really tough. Besides playing two pre-season top 3 teams, PSU (a dreadful matchup) and Yale, opening the season with 5 away games against teams all in the top 10 or 20...followed by Yale and Penn is brutal. And don't forget Syracuse (who should be loaded) on short-rest late in the season.
Not winning the AQ, very strong SOS or not, is a roll of the dice as well.

albany won't be a top 20 team, at least not until they can post some wins. high point had an impressive 2 and oh record vs the acc last year and scraped into the top 20, but a big ask for them to do that again. they do have 4 tough ooc games including cornell to try.

i can see getting off to a 3-0 or 4-0 start, though all on the road likely not. they've got 2 at baltimore over a long weekend, and last year did well to hammer a hot towson team on the back half in charlotte. so one less weekend on the road, too.
then psu, yale, penn. lordy. get one there.

[RedIvy]

However, using last year's Hopkins as an example - Hopkins, given its regular season record, made it in as an at-large by the slimmest of margins. A real roll of the dice.

...and yet, they made it in, while Cornell—with its better win-loss record—did not.

You need a very tough schedule to make it in as an at-large these days. Ask High Point how much their 13-3 record helped them last year.

It's definitely a roll of the dice to make your schedule so tough. No argument there. But at least you're getting to roll the dice. Without a top SOS, you don't even have the opportunity to roll. It's a non-starter.

You would much rather be 9-5 or even 8-6 with a top 10 RPI than 10-4 with an RPI of 12, 13+. Who knows how things ultimately play out—this schedule could end up looking much harder or easier in May than it does now depending on how the other teams perform—but good on Milliman for doing what he can to give his team a chance.

Makes sense and note that it’s a tournament that delivers the AQ, this schedule prepares them well for that. Here’s hoping for a mild winter in Ithaca.....

[stupefied]

HopFan - I understand your point that the rigorous schedule MAY positively impact Cornell's RPI (SOS will certainly not be an issue). But your post went on to reference staying above .500. I have no doubt that Cornell will stay (well) above .500. However, using last year's Hopkins as an example - Hopkins, given its regular season record, made it in as an at-large by the slimmest of margins. A real roll of the dice.
My point is that Cornell's schedule is really tough. Besides playing two pre-season top 3 teams, PSU (a dreadful matchup) and Yale, opening the season with 5 away games against teams all in the top 10 or 20...followed by Yale and Penn is brutal. And don't forget Syracuse (who should be loaded) on short-rest late in the season.
Not winning the AQ, very strong SOS or not, is a roll of the dice as well.

Powers that be should spend time figuring out how to best ensure that all really good teams are in the NCAA tourney. Cornell may very well have been the 17th team but they should have been in .

Understand there are logistics and no one wants to water down a tourney but strong teams shouldn't be wary or penalized for playing tough sos. A .500 record should obviously be a cutoff but a 8-6 team with a tough sos could be a legit title contender.

Why couldn't the tourney be expanded to 24 teams and have 9-16 seeds play seeds 17-24 at home in preliminary round with 1-8 playing the prelim winners in next round whether that be a normal week or just 4 days later for the prelim winners .

No extra rounds for top 8 seeds and a home game is their reward for being a top seed , 9-16 advantage is a home game in prelim that they wouldn't enjoy and including 8 more teams seeds more than covers any team that has any legit claim to tourney inclusion. If you have to massage the schedule to include two games within a week for the prelims then so be it. Price of inclusion for 9-24

[OCanada]

Zero chance teams 17-24 win the title on the next decade or more if ever. Zero chance in FB and virtually zero in Hoops.

It’s a revenue loser. So there is that. The NCAA would like lax to be self supporting.

There are some on LaxPower who thought a team that went undefeated playing the bottom 15 teams should get in over an 8-6 team.

[Laxman23]

I believe you must have a certain maximum percentage of NCAA slots relative to total number of teams in a given sport to increase the number of teams in a given NCAA tournament. In other words there are 360 or so D1 basketball teams and a tournament of 65 teams.
There are 60 D1 hockey teams and a tournament of 16. There are 16 slots in lacrosse with 72? Teams. Maximum ratio of 25-28%?
When more PAC 10 schools support a D1 program the PAC 10 will have an AQ and the field would increase to 18??

I am certain a school like Cornell is not limited by financial resources and High Point too would happily pay the additional money to be included in an NCAA. It is very difficult for teams 16-30 to compete with the recruiting hauls that the top IVIES and ACC and BIG 10 schools are reeling in. Cornell should very much be applauded for an awesome OOC schedule. That strategy will allow a few losses to top ranked teams not cripple their NCAA chances.
Am I wrong about this percentage issue limiting the LAX teams to 16 in the NCAA tournament?? I do not believe it is financial

[wgdsr]

could be wrong, but fairly sure there us no set # and what they actually do across sports is more of the guideline or spot they want to be in. low to mid 20s. men's lacrosse is already there.
a case could be made that 18 (or even 20, though very high side) would work, but then again you may end up just adding another each from acc, b1g, ivy and we'd have the same scenario, just with lower finishers from those conferences getting included.

[Tdemling6]

Milliman and Cornell names in what appears to be a money grab type lawsuit.

https://lacrossebucket.com/2019/11/25/m ... e-lawsuit/