Michigan State Off-season

[owslachief]

MSU has added Taro Hirose to its 2016 recruiting class. He's a player with good offensive skills currently with Salmon Arm of the BCHL.

way cool. It's been a while since State has reached out to that part of the continent

[Decatur Spartan]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

MSU has added Taro Hirose to its 2016 recruiting class. He's a player with good offensive skills currently with Salmon Arm of the BCHL.

Still, At least two to three years before he makes an impact, If he does. At 5' 10" and just 150 lbs, either he puts on some weight, or he is going to get flattened. And by that time, Tommy (can you hear me) Anostos may not be around

[gomsuman]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

Still, At least two to three years before he makes an impact, If he does. At 5' 10" and just 150 lbs, either he puts on some weight, or he is going to get flattened. And by that time, Tommy (can you hear me) Anostos may not be around

You have to realize that he is essentially a high school junior right now so 5'10" 150lbs is actually decent sized. Arguably our best player last year Matt Berry is listed at 5'10" 168lbs and is 6 years older then Taro so I fully expect Taro to put on some muscle before/after he gets to MSU. I'm not trying to be mean about this but Hockey is about the one sport besides baseball where size really doesn't matter too much.

[Decatur Spartan]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

Let me tell you - there's some great young boys in the State pipeline right now, coming from the HoneyBaked system. I happen to know the families of a couple guys. Based on the year they just had there....With a year or 2 at thier respective USHL clubs, these kids are going to elevate the MSU program. Trust me. Remember the restaraunt scene in Mrs Doubtfire, when Stu was choking on shrimp? "Help is on the way Dear"!!!!!!

I've been looking at the kids numbers coming in, in the next two years. Not real impressed.
I've seen a number of them play. I'm really not impressed. Especially not with the ones in the USHL.

[alnike]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

You have to realize that he is essentially a high school junior right now so 5'10" 150lbs is actually decent sized. Arguably our best player last year Matt Berry is listed at 5'10" 168lbs and is 6 years older then Taro so I fully expect Taro to put on some muscle before/after he gets to MSU. I'm not trying to be mean about this but Hockey is about the one sport besides baseball where size really doesn't matter too much.

One website has Hirose as a 96 birthdate, like current freshman Josh Jacobs. So Hirose is old enough to be a college freshman, but appears to be a 20 year old freshman recruit.

[aallenpollreisz]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

You have to realize that he is essentially a high school junior right now so 5'10" 150lbs is actually decent sized. Arguably our best player last year Matt Berry is listed at 5'10" 168lbs and is 6 years older then Taro so I fully expect Taro to put on some muscle before/after he gets to MSU. I'm not trying to be mean about this but Hockey is about the one sport besides baseball where size really doesn't matter too much.

After years of watching some of those Comley teams get manhandled by Rico's group of, comparatively, red giants, I don't know if I totally agree with this.

[gomsuman]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

One website has Hirose as a 96 birthdate, like current freshman Josh Jacobs. So Hirose is old enough to be a college freshman, but appears to be a 20 year old freshman recruit.

After years of watching some of those Comley teams get manhandled by Rico's group of, comparatively, red giants, I don't know if I totally agree with this.

I overlooked that detail, my fault there. I still say that if you are talented enough, a lack of size doesn't mean you can't be a really good college player (look at Torey Krug). Especially in this time period of hockey where you are seeing even in the NHL more guys that are under 6' then ever before. Hockey is no longer entirely about being tougher then the other team, skill wins games now. You don't have to be a "big" team to compete anymore.

On a slightly different note I do think that MSU has been missing a guy who can change the momentum of games, for instance an Abdelkader type who knew when the team needed a spark and how to provide that spark whether it be a big hit or a scrum of some sort. We seem to have a team that just seems a little lackadaisical during stretches and is missing that energy guy to get the team going, but thats just my opinion.

[aallenpollreisz]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

B. Lerg got a goal in his first NHL game with the Sharks. Good for him.

Really happy the guy is getting a shot. The dude's been in the low and high minors for a while.

[gomsuman]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

B. Lerg got a goal in his first NHL game with the Sharks. Good for him.

Really happy the guy is getting a shot. The dude's been in the low and high minors for a while.

Yes, great for Bryan.

Also Hildebrand made first-team All-American today. A little surprised by this considering the overall record this year but it is well deserved.

[owslachief]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

I've seen a number of them play. I'm really not impressed. Especially not with the ones in the USHL.

While a couple of these 2015 freshmen have been disappointing, I'm surprised by the blanket statement. Did you watch Appleton? Osburn? My take is different.

As for Rosburg, whose injury may force him to delay to 2016, here is a defenseman who can really skate, has size, and can bring some offense. And I think once Godbout got traded, his new situation allowed him to be more productive. Don't know if he'll walk on now or find a scholarship, but I think he can be successful. I'm not sure what to think of Milan. I got a chance to see him on the international stage, and though he's got a great burst he doesn't seem to put himself in a position to score. Don't know where Sanford would fit in, either.

I can assure you that Lewandowski (speaking of 2016), will be impactful. Think Matt Berry, but with the maturity to wear a 'C'. I can't complain about Lalonde and Bederka, either. I'm curious to see what Ty Farmer and Mitch Eliot can do with another USHL season. Hirose is poised to put up big offensive numbers in the BCHL in 2015-16, if his team-leading numbers this season (as a rookie) are any indication. Same hopes for Keefer at Muskegon, as well. He got off to a fantastic start as a USHL rookie.

[Spartanforlife4]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

According to the schedules thread, NoDak will be coming during Thanksgiving weekend. With LSSU coming to Munn it's shaping up to be a good home schedule.

"Please no ASU, please no ASU, please no ASU"

[Pirateasaur]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

I've been looking at the kids numbers coming in, in the next two years. Not real impressed.
I've seen a number of them play. I'm really not impressed. Especially not with the ones in the USHL.

I can tell already that you are going to be a joy to have around.

[Pirateasaur]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

After years of watching some of those Comley teams get manhandled by Rico's group of, comparatively, red giants, I don't know if I totally agree with this.

Obviously, it is best to have both size and a lot of skill(Michigan) but size is not a necessity. I think a problem with those smaller Comley teams compared to Miami was that we simply did not have the same caliber hockey players that they did. I will use Miami(ironically) and Austin Czarnik as an example. He obviously has been a great player for them and as a senior, he is listed at 160 pounds. Not sure how accurate it is but he clearly is not heavy. I am pretty sure Duncan Keith played at MSU as a feather weight as well.

[Pirateasaur]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

"Please no ASU, please no ASU, please no ASU"

Heh, why not? Sure, PSU left a bad taste in our mouths but I am pretty sure our team next year will be quite a bit stronger than the one PSU first played.

[Pirateasaur]

Re: Michigan State Off-season

Also, if you want to feel something strange, go back and check out the birth years of long ago rosters that you still remember. I have grown so used to MSU players starting to feel like young kids that it somehow blew me away to see that there are a lot of players that I can still remember that were born in the 70's.