Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #31
    Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

    Not only did the Gophers lose 11 or 12 players early but they probably lost a combined 20-30 years of college eligibility. With scholarship limits no school could sustain those loses.

    If you look back at the last decade Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin (among others) played a dangerous game recruiting 16 year-olds. These recruits were exceptional prospects, but they either went pro early or were busts. Now Lucia is left holding the empty bag.

    Should he have expanded Minnesota's recruiting footprint earlier? Yes.

    Should he have gone after more players who's families valued the education AND the hockey? Yes.

    Comment


    • #32
      Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

      Originally posted by dggoddard View Post
      Not only did the Gophers lose 11 or 12 players early but they probably lost a combined 20-30 years of college eligibility. With scholarship limits no school could sustain those loses.

      If you look back at the last decade Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin (among others) played a dangerous game recruiting 16 year-olds. These recruits were exceptional prospects, but they either went pro early or were busts. Now Lucia is left holding the empty bag.

      Should he have expanded Minnesota's recruiting footprint earlier? Yes.

      Should he have gone after more players who's families valued the education AND the hockey? Yes.
      I think you are 100% correct in that last statement, and what is frustrating is that for the past 2 seasons many Gopher fans who have criticized the coaching staff and it's recruiting strategies have said the same thing. Yet when Lucia made recruiting decisions this offseason that were in line with this new approach to recruiting, he was criticized for it.

      What I was most grateful for in this article was an explanation to the Ambroz situation.

      This article also made it sound like Birkholz left entirely of his own accord, when I have read in other places that he was suspended by the team and subsequently left because of that suspension. Does anyone have any solid information regarding this?

      Comment


      • #33
        Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

        Jerry York realized this trend ten years ago and molded his team around it. No surprise at BC's success. I'm more surprised more schools haven't tried to emulate how they recruit and whom they offer scholarships to.

        Comment


        • #34
          Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

          Originally posted by Slasher7 View Post
          Jerry York realized this trend ten years ago and molded his team around it. No surprise at BC's success. I'm more surprised more schools haven't tried to emulate how they recruit and whom they offer scholarships to.
          Agreed. BC still loses some guys early, but not nearly as many as some other top programs. That's a huge difference.

          Although, next offseason could be rough for BC...
          Last edited by J.D.; 08-03-2010, 11:38 AM.

          Comment


          • #35
            Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

            Originally posted by scsutommyboy View Post
            If he wants the same rule Major Junior has then you are correct. We all know that isn't possible for many reason's. I would assume he wants to force the NHL team to keep him on their roster all year if they sign a player. Of course if they do that and the player isn't ready then that player will just sit every game and how will that help them develop?

            In my opinion Lucia hasn't done a good enough job handling players and now he is backtracking to make himself look better. The fact is other big name schools have players leave early and haven't slid back as far as his team has. Is it all his fault? Probably not, but it is his job to win games and when you are the coach of the Gophers you know what you are getting into. That article will not change how most Gopher fans feel about him. If he wants to keep his job he needs to stop making excuses and win.
            Originally posted by Bronzebacks View Post
            Making a spelling error is one thing. Not being able to grasp the concept of a well written article is another.
            .

            Comment


            • #36
              Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

              Originally posted by Bronzebacks View Post
              Making a spelling error is one thing. Not being able to grasp the concept of a well written article is another.
              No worries. I completely understand your point, just poking some fun.
              I like chocolate milk and Kate Beckinsale and Lauren Graham and Brooke Burke and Elisha Cuthbert and Eva Longoria.

              Fighting Sioux Hockey

              Comment


              • #37
                Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                Originally posted by brianvf View Post
                No worries. I completely understand your point, just poking some fun.
                Fair enough.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                  All coaches search for the elusive balance between talent and character.

                  As coaches, I think there is a tendency to fear not having enough talent - injuries and defections can rob a team of it's talent and most coaches would rather stockpile as much talent as they can to mitigate such losses. Unfortunately, there is usaully a higher correlation between the talent of a player and his ambition to play a key role, but there are only enough top six forward /top four d spots for some and not all to develop they way they imagined when they signed.

                  That's where character comes in.

                  It's not the pure talent that makes a coach so much as it is the ability to get players to thrive in different roles to help the team be more than the sum of its parts. It sounds so simple, yet it's so difficult in practice. Having teams with as many highly drafted players, as great as it is to have the Tomas Vanek's of the world who can beat you with pure skill and brilliance, you also need the Gino Guyers of the world who can beat you with their grit and tenacity.

                  Minnesota will be a great program again when Don (or his successor) finds the right balance...

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                    Originally posted by Stauber1 View Post
                    What I was most grateful for in this article was an explanation to the Ambroz situation.
                    I felt his comment regarding Seth Ambroz was the most unfortunate comment of the entire interview. Don Lucia's comment clouded, rather than clarified, the issues surrounding Seth Ambroz's return to the USHL. According to Seth's mother, Lucia told him that he probably would not receive adequate ice time with the Gophers and it would be in his best interests to return to the USHL where he could get lots of it.

                    IIRC Hammy reported that Seth did have some academic issues but his understanding was they were minor.

                    Lucia, according to Sue Ambroz, Seth's mother, told her son and her that another year of juniors would probably be best for Seth in his draft year. At Omaha, he could be the team captain, play on power plays and penalty kills, get lots of ice time.
                    Lucia told Seth he wouldn't play him on the fourth line, that he is better than that. So he had to make one of the top three lines or he would sit him. He told Ambroz he needs to play and play a lot and the best place for him is Omaha.
                    Retrieved from http://www.startribune.com/sports/go...17.html?ic=368

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                      Originally posted by Slasher7 View Post
                      Jerry York realized this trend ten years ago and molded his team around it. No surprise at BC's success. I'm more surprised more schools haven't tried to emulate how they recruit and whom they offer scholarships to.
                      it's a lot easier to do that in the East, where there is only one elite team that first round talent wants to play for, as opposed to the west, where there are many more choices.

                      Some of you may have missed that fact that more Gophers played in the NHL than any other school, so He knows how to recruit, he just can't keep them away from the cash.
                      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX


                      The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

                      Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
                      Menards could have sold a lot of rope

                      this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                        Originally posted by Happy View Post
                        it's a lot easier to do that in the East, where there is only one elite team that first round talent wants to play for, as opposed to the west, where there are many more choices.

                        Some of you may have missed that fact that more Gophers played in the NHL than any other school, so He knows how to recruit, he just can't keep them from under-performing before they leave for the cash.

                        FYP

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                          Originally posted by Happy View Post
                          it's a lot easier to do that in the East, where there is only one elite team that first round talent wants to play for, as opposed to the west, where there are many more choices.
                          I don't think it's that much easier. BU, UNH and Maine have all had first round talent over the years, and other schools like Harvard, Dartmouth and Cornell snag first rounders, too.

                          BC's first rounders are rarely the guys that win titles for them - it's the little guys with speed and tenacity that are the diference makers...
                          Last edited by Puck Swami; 08-03-2010, 11:54 AM.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                            Originally posted by Happy View Post
                            it's a lot easier to do that in the East, where there is only one elite team that first round talent wants to play for, as opposed to the west, where there are many more choices.
                            One? Come on. JVR, Colin Wilson, Louis LeBlanc, Riley Nash...all went to different schools in the dreaded East.

                            Originally posted by Happy View Post
                            Some of you may have missed that fact that more Gophers played in the NHL than any other school, so He knows how to recruit, he just can't keep them away from the cash.
                            That's fantastic--except Don Lucia isn't being paid to put guys in the NHL. Thus, maybe he should change his recruiting philosophy.

                            On another note, how does the talent level in Minnesota compare to when Minny won the back-to-back titles?

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                              Originally posted by willythekid View Post
                              FYP
                              Vanek won the trophy, and UND couldn't with god on the roster. if you can't win with god, who is doing the underachieving?
                              XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX


                              The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

                              Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
                              Menards could have sold a lot of rope

                              this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                                Originally posted by Happy View Post
                                Vanek won the trophy, and UND couldn't with god on the roster. if you can't win with god, who is doing the underachieving?
                                God.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X