Recruiting

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

I don't see KT in this move at all. In fact it's fairly basic. Another low attacker from UNC often does this same move as well. She was once referred to as the next KT. Let's wait until someone plays à year in the ACC doubled teamed by AA defenders before you compare them to KT.

[jff97]

ILWomen came out with their Power 100 Rankings. Here's how it broke down by school, with the number of 4 stars and 5 stars in parentheses. 5 stars are listed first. There were 50 ranked players, then 50 watchlist 4 star players listed in alphabetical order.
https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... ings/60324
7-North Carolina (6,1), Stanford (3,4)
6-Maryland (5,1), Boston College (4,2)
5-Notre Dame (1,4), Northwestern (2,3), Virginia (1,4)
4-Duke (1,3), Florida (1,3)
3-Stony Brook (1,2), Michigan (0,3), Syracuse (0,3), Penn State (0,3), Dartmouth (0,3)
2-Virginia Tech (1,1), Georgetown (0,2), Johns Hopkins (0,2), Princeton (0,2), James Madison (0,2), Rutgers (0,2), Penn (0,2), Denver (0,2), Louisville (0,2), Loyola (0,2), Jacksonville (0,2), Yale (0,2)
1-Hofstra (0,1), Cornell (0,1), Clemson (0,1), Cincinnati (0,1), Saint Joseph's (0,1), Harvard (0,1), Brown (0,1), UConn (0,1), Richmond (0,1), Colorado (0,1), Villanova (0,1), Navy (0,1)

[njbill]

I looked through this list. I have seen 37 of the 100 at least once, either in person or on a full game film. I have seen four of the top 10 and 12 of the top 25. Of the 37 I saw, I saw 14 enough times to have a pretty firm opinion about them.

Of the 37 I saw, I think most will contribute and perhaps even end up as starters. I don’t think any will be superstars with the caveat that I don’t really know enough about some of the players I only saw once.

Pre-Covid, I usually would see five or more Maryland games a year. I only saw one Md. game (on film) this past season. I saw (I think) two Island teams on film this year. None in person.

The gaping problem I see with this list is that it does not include the best 2022 player I have seen, Eva Pronti of Victor and Duke. I don’t know why she’s not on the list. It’s a very serious omission. I can’t say she’s the best 2022 because I only saw about a third of the girls on the list, but to my mind, she absolutely should be in the top 10, probably higher.

[Kleizaster]

I looked through this list. I have seen 37 of the 100 at least once, either in person or on a full game film. I have seen four of the top 10 and 12 of the top 25. Of the 37 I saw, I saw 14 enough times to have a pretty firm opinion about them.

Of the 37 I saw, I think most will contribute and perhaps even end up as starters. I don’t think any will be superstars with the caveat that I don’t really know enough about some of the players I only saw once.

Pre-Covid, I usually would see five or more Maryland games a year. I only saw one Md. game (on film) this past season. I saw (I think) two Island teams on film this year. None in person.

The gaping problem I see with this list is that it does not include the best 2022 player I have seen, Eva Pronti of Victor and Duke. I don’t know why she’s not on the list. It’s a very serious omission. I can’t say she’s the best 2022 because I only saw about a third of the girls on the list, but to my mind, she absolutely should be in the top 10, probably higher.

i'm usually a defender of IL and i think they do a good job overall but i agree with you. Pronti is really good. Easily a top 25 player. I like what Duke is building here. They showed flashes last year but you could tell they were still a few pieces away. They have ramped up recruiting and have landed some under valued gems in the last 3 cycles.

With that said, ranking 100 players is a huge under taking. Outside the top 30 it's pretty much a crapshoot. But the content drives huge traffic for them so from a business side of things it makes sense.

[wlaxphan20]

With that said, ranking 100 players is a huge under taking. Outside the top 30 it's pretty much a crapshoot. But the content drives huge traffic for them so from a business side of things it makes sense.

+1, especially on the last part. IL also probably has a fraction of a percent of the personnel and funding that other HS sport recruiting publications/lists have. Plus, nothing is set in stone.

[njbill]

Kleizaster, I’m not as big a fan of these lists as you are, but I certainly agree trying to rank 100 players is a big undertaking and that at a certain point it just becomes a crapshoot, picking names out of a hat.

I said before that I really don’t like the idea of numerical rankings. If we have to have rankings, I would prefer the star system.

Maybe my views are driven by the fact that it seems every year I think I can pick out a big mistake in one direction or the other. The Pronti omission this year is the biggest one I can think of over the years. I’m not going to name names, but there is one kid in the top 10 who would shock me if she does much in college.

[jff97]

I feel like the biggest misses in these rankings come from positional changes in college. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like a lot of the top players play midfield in HS because they're the best athletes on the field but can't play it at the college level. So it's hard to predict who excels in what position, especially on defense. I know Bosco and Trenchard were not in ILWomen's recruiting rankings back in 2017, but both came in as midfielders before switching to defense.

[njbill]

Good point. Megan Douty is another example. She was a pretty good, but I didn’t think great, midfielder in high school in New Jersey. When she got to Maryland, they put her on defense, and she’s become an all world defender.

Then there is Lizzie Colson who was a fabulous midfielder in HS, who, still inexplicably to me, was put on defense at Maryland. Nevertheless, she became a tremendous defender.

[Kleizaster]

I feel like the biggest misses in these rankings come from positional changes in college. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like a lot of the top players play midfield in HS because they're the best athletes on the field but can't play it at the college level. So it's hard to predict who excels in what position, especially on defense. I know Bosco and Trenchard were not in ILWomen's recruiting rankings back in 2017, but both came in as midfielders before switching to defense.

yep and part of that is due to necessity. Finding a top tier pure defender out of HS is hard and it's gotten harder the last 10 years or so. Top ranked defenders out of HS have a higher bust rate than middies and attackers. and there just aren't that many at the college level. With the speed and skill of the game increasing, alot of girls wanna play offense growing up. There are girls who were ok offensive players in HS, then get stuck in college behind a log jam of middies and are forced to become defenders if they are fast learners. Then there are girls who were highly ranked offensive players out HS but are forced to play more defensive roles. Prime example is Elizabeth Hillman. #1 player in HS a few years ago and was an offensive dynamo. At UNC she has developed into a fantastic defensive middie. Wreaks havoc all over the field causing turnovers and springing attacks. Still a very important impact player without the offense. Part of it could've been injuries or maybe that was just an aspect of her game that was always there. Never know how these players will develop.

[Bart]

I looked through this list. I have seen 37 of the 100 at least once, either in person or on a full game film. I have seen four of the top 10 and 12 of the top 25. Of the 37 I saw, I saw 14 enough times to have a pretty firm opinion about them.

Of the 37 I saw, I think most will contribute and perhaps even end up as starters. I don’t think any will be superstars with the caveat that I don’t really know enough about some of the players I only saw once.

Pre-Covid, I usually would see five or more Maryland games a year. I only saw one Md. game (on film) this past season. I saw (I think) two Island teams on film this year. None in person.

The gaping problem I see with this list is that it does not include the best 2022 player I have seen, Eva Pronti of Victor and Duke. I don’t know why she’s not on the list. It’s a very serious omission. I can’t say she’s the best 2022 because I only saw about a third of the girls on the list, but to my mind, she absolutely should be in the top 10, probably higher.

i'm usually a defender of IL and i think they do a good job overall but i agree with you. Pronti is really good. Easily a top 25 player. I like what Duke is building here. They showed flashes last year but you could tell they were still a few pieces away. They have ramped up recruiting and have landed some under valued gems in the last 3 cycles.

With that said, ranking 100 players is a huge under taking. Outside the top 30 it's pretty much a crapshoot. But the content drives huge traffic for them so from a business side of things it makes sense.

I don't get the omission of that particular player. Really good player on a really good team. Probably the best offensive player in the area she plays HS.

[Sunnylax]

I feel like the biggest misses in these rankings come from positional changes in college. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like a lot of the top players play midfield in HS because they're the best athletes on the field but can't play it at the college level. So it's hard to predict who excels in what position, especially on defense. I know Bosco and Trenchard were not in ILWomen's recruiting rankings back in 2017, but both came in as midfielders before switching to defense.

yep and part of that is due to necessity. Finding a top tier pure defender out of HS is hard and it's gotten harder the last 10 years or so. Top ranked defenders out of HS have a higher bust rate than middies and attackers. and there just aren't that many at the college level. With the speed and skill of the game increasing, alot of girls wanna play offense growing up. There are girls who were ok offensive players in HS, then get stuck in college behind a log jam of middies and are forced to become defenders if they are fast learners. Then there are girls who were highly ranked offensive players out HS but are forced to play more defensive roles. Prime example is Elizabeth Hillman. #1 player in HS a few years ago and was an offensive dynamo. At UNC she has developed into a fantastic defensive middie. Wreaks havoc all over the field causing turnovers and springing attacks. Still a very important impact player without the offense. Part of it could've been injuries or maybe that was just an aspect of her game that was always there. Never know how these players will develop.

I also think if a player has a basketball background, playing in HS, easier for them to move to the defensive end as well. Same skill set needed for bball defense and lacrosse. moving feet quickly.

[GratefulRed]

I looked through this list. I have seen 37 of the 100 at least once, either in person or on a full game film. I have seen four of the top 10 and 12 of the top 25. Of the 37 I saw, I saw 14 enough times to have a pretty firm opinion about them.

Of the 37 I saw, I think most will contribute and perhaps even end up as starters. I don’t think any will be superstars with the caveat that I don’t really know enough about some of the players I only saw once.

Pre-Covid, I usually would see five or more Maryland games a year. I only saw one Md. game (on film) this past season. I saw (I think) two Island teams on film this year. None in person.

The gaping problem I see with this list is that it does not include the best 2022 player I have seen, Eva Pronti of Victor and Duke. I don’t know why she’s not on the list. It’s a very serious omission. I can’t say she’s the best 2022 because I only saw about a third of the girls on the list, but to my mind, she absolutely should be in the top 10, probably higher.

i'm usually a defender of IL and i think they do a good job overall but i agree with you. Pronti is really good. Easily a top 25 player. I like what Duke is building here. They showed flashes last year but you could tell they were still a few pieces away. They have ramped up recruiting and have landed some under valued gems in the last 3 cycles.

With that said, ranking 100 players is a huge under taking. Outside the top 30 it's pretty much a crapshoot. But the content drives huge traffic for them so from a business side of things it makes sense.

I agree with much of the commentary on the rankings. If you keep the "for entertainment purposes only" perspective, it's fun. It's also inevitable that it is going to have an effect on some kids one way or the other. I have plenty of arguments within the rankings but want to call out another glaring snub - Ava Angello (Hopkins). Ava is a 6' draw wizard and silky finisher with great IQ and character. She played HS ball in SYR and for a prominent upstate club. I believe she will be an All-American.

[GratefulRed]

I'll shake the bushes again and shout out another '22 who deserved some IL Power 100 recognition. Brigid Duffy (Queensbury, NY/Army) is a hustling two-way middie who played for a NYS championship this year and also played for the Team USA U18 NTDP last fall. She should be formidable in the Patriot.

[Kleizaster]

I'll shake the bushes again and shout out another '22 who deserved some IL Power 100 recognition. Brigid Duffy (Queensbury, NY/Army) is a hustling two-way middie who played for a NYS championship this year and also played for the Team USA U18 NTDP last fall. She should be formidable in the Patriot.

Agreed. Classic New York kid, tough and gritty and also a multi sport athlete. I like the selection method of the USA NTDP youth teams in that they don't just pick all the stars and highest rated players. They focus on kids who try out and perform well at those tryouts. Casts a wider net for other kids to be a part of the program. As the sport grows there will be more girls who are really good and just slip through the cracks

[jff97]

Writeups of their top 10 recruits. Wonder if they'll even do it next year because it will only be UNC commits
#10 Abigail LoCascio, Northwestern https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... work/60382
#9 Ava Besson, Boston College https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... rgia/60386
#8 Caroline Godine, North Carolina https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... ries/60393
#7 Jaylen Rosga, Maryland https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... avor/60397
#6 Shea Dolce, Boston College https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... bits/60398
#5 Emma Murphy, Notre Dame https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... nted/60401
#4 Maggie Weisman, Maryland https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... tion/60431
#3 Madison Beale, Duke https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... tact/60436
#2 Marissa White, North Carolina https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... dard/60445
#1 Kori Edmondson, Maryland https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... mage/60449

[Kleizaster]

Writeups of their top 10 recruits. Wonder if they'll even do it next year because it will only be UNC commits
#10 Abigail LoCascio, Northwestern https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... work/60382
#9 Ava Besson, Boston College https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... rgia/60386
#8 Caroline Godine, North Carolina https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... ries/60393
#7 Jaylen Rosga, Maryland https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... avor/60397
#6 Shea Dolce, Boston College https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... bits/60398
#5 Emma Murphy, Notre Dame https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... nted/60401
#4 Maggie Weisman, Maryland https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... tion/60431
#3 Madison Beale, Duke https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... tact/60436
#2 Marissa White, North Carolina https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... dard/60445
#1 Kori Edmondson, Maryland https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... mage/60449

The 2023 kids were being recruited during covid so their evaluation process was significantly delayed. IL originally planned to rank the class in February of 2022 as part of a bigger recruiting issue spanning all three classes (22,23,24) but never did. Shifted focus to the 2022s and 2024s. The only ranking they gave out was stating that CH was #1. They want to expand their recruiting coverage as it's a huge traffic driver so there's a good chance they'll do this again with the 2023 class once they re-evaluate. Also, i've noticed that each school page now has a tab with a huge list of "interested" players. Before it used to be just 1 or 2 but seems like they've expanded that feature on the girls' side.

[jff97]

With the 2023 season right around the corner and some time during the holidays, I decided to see how the blue-chip index would work with lacrosse. For those not familiar with it, the blue-chip index is a metric used in college football to show what percentage of your recruits are "blue-chips," aka 4 or 5 star players. In college football, the general theory for at least a decade is your last four recruiting classes need to have at least 50 percent blue-chip players to be able to win a national championship.
Here's more info on the metric: https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/B ... 90039196_3

I posted the men's lacrosse blue-chip index on the D1 forum yesterday, and decided to do the same for the women's. It's a little trickier for the women, since they only started using star ratings for players for the 2022 class compared to 2017 for the men. To be able to use the same reference point for both men and women (2017) I used the ILWomen power 100 ratings. I then estimated there were about 30 players on a D1 roster, so teams with 15 or more top 100 recruits over the last four years met the standards. Like the college football ratio, transfer are not included in this. Below are the rankings, along with a few takeaways. And before the inevitable arguments about how recruiting rankings are biased and mean nothing, please remember that this is just one part of the equation. You still need to have good coaching and be able to use the talent at your disposal. It can be easier to do that, though, if you can continue to have a certain level of talent coming in. Here is the index for the last three seasons, with national champions in all caps and Final Four teams with an asterisk.

2021
Maryland 32
North Carolina* 28
Florida 25
Northwestern* 25
Duke 22
Notre Dame 20
Stanford 20
BOSTON COLLEGE 19
Syracuse* 19
Virginia 19
Penn State 17
Loyola 15

2022
Maryland* 34
NORTH CAROLINA 28
Northwestern* 25
Florida 24
Duke 23
Stanford 23
Notre Dame 21
Boston College* 19
Virginia 16
Syracuse 15
Dropped out: Penn State, Loyola

2023
Maryland 33
North Carolina 29
Northwestern 24
Stanford 24
Notre Dame 23
Duke 21
Florida 21
Boston College 19
Virginia 18
Dropped out: Syracuse

Takeaways:
-Despite having more teams than D1 men's lacrosse, there's less teams in the ratio then on the men's side. Part of this may be the recruiting database on the women's side isn't as deep on the men's side.
-There may be more parity throughout the game, but only 5 teams have made the Final Four in the last three NCAA Tournaments. No surprise that all five of them are on this list at least twice.
-I didn't weight by whether players were listed as top 50 players or "best of the rest," but I think you'd find a mix become impact players on all these teams, especially defenders and goalies
-Since ILWomen has star ratings for the 2022 class, I was able to break that down by percentage. The nine teams in the blue-chip index for this year were also the only teams to met the threshold for their 2022 recruiting class
-If this had gone back further, James Madison likely would've been the exception to the rule for their 2018 title. However, James Madison still has brought in 8 top 100 players over their last four classes, which is tied for 16th. That's still recruiting at a high level.
-As I said before, recruiting is only one part of the equation. It doesn't mean teams not on this list can't win a national championship. It's just harder for them because they don't bring in the same depth of talent as the programs on this list.
Let me know what you think or if you have any other questions.

[jff97]

ILWomen is out with its Top 60 for 2023.
https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... ngs/60556
Ranked the 30 best players then included 30 more on the Watchlist. Here's the breakdown by school:
Florida-6
Virginia-6
Clemson-5
North Carolina-5
Stanford-5
Duke-4
Northwestern-4
Syracuse-4
Boston College-3
Maryland-3
Dartmouth-2
Notre Dame-2
Stony Brook-2
Cornell-1
James Madison-1
Harvard-1
Michigan-1
Navy-1
Penn-1
Rutgers-1
Virginia Tech-1
Yale-1

[njbill]

I’ve seen three of the top 10 and five of the top 20 a number of times each, plus a handful of the others further down the list.

Of the 2023s I’ve seen, Chloe is clearly the best. As usual with lists of this nature, there are some head scratchers.

[cltlax]

ILWomen is out with its Top 60 for 2023.
https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... ngs/60556
Ranked the 30 best players then included 30 more on the Watchlist. Here's the breakdown by school:
Florida-6
Virginia-6
Clemson-5
North Carolina-5
Stanford-5
Duke-4
Northwestern-4
Syracuse-4
Boston College-3
Maryland-3
Dartmouth-2
Notre Dame-2
Stony Brook-2
Cornell-1
James Madison-1
Harvard-1
Michigan-1
Navy-1
Penn-1
Rutgers-1
Virginia Tech-1
Yale-1

According to this list, apparently lacrosse still isn't really played south of Maryland.