UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

[Dan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

I'm beginning to understand why recruits with options are jumping (Laleggia) and why "roll over kids" like Smith, Hill, Correale and Silengo are populating the roster.

Somehow citing Downing as an example of the coaches being right doesn't resonate. He stepped right in, but also would have done well last year and had a leg up on the soph jump this year (like Sorkin). And, as we see with Laleggia and MV, he could have gone elsewhere.

This. Downing was ready - UNH is lucky he didn't look elsewhere. He had already reached the summit of the BCHL (I saw a lot of him there) and would have been better served by competing against older, stronger players in HE and everyday in practice. Fortunately, he made it to UNH and is playing very well. Unfortunately, this same strategy has cost UNH a lot of great players.

These players may make mistakes early, but they'll learn quickly and the payoff is so much greater than older kids with low-ceilings. I think the UNH staff has been hoping to have their cake and eat it too and its bitten them in the ***. They need to adjust their thought process quickly before they run off the top recruits they currently have in the pipeline. I'll take a younger unfinished talent over a finished, overaged and career bottom six forward EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.

Accelerate the learning curve and you'll end up with great SO, JR and SR seasons. Do this often enough and you end up with a talented and deep roster that can carry developing players on the 3rd/4th line without problems. The amount of 'roll-over' kids is likely the reason they feel they can't afford a young, developing MV. UNH used to fill top-6 roles with ease, with a defensive third line and a young, developing 4th line (ie. Sislo, Thompson, DeSimone). These days, they struggle to have even 6 top-six talents on the entire roster. I think they could stand to take a few chances on kids they may not think are ready. Especially if the alternative is losing them altogether.

I can't agree with the UNH staff being dishonest in the MV situation. Although I completely disagree with the decision - it seems to simply be a change of plans/heart. By making the decision now MV has plenty of time to find a new home. Dishonest would have been waiting until the end of the year when he had no other options. He has every right to change his mind and its UNH's loss, but it doesn't sound like dishonesty. That said, I really don't care to get up in arms over a simple tweet - but then I'm just not a twitter guy...

 

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

Clearly they were honest with the kid and told him the truth, thats why he decommitted.

You have some sort of strange hillbilly definition of "honest".

 

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

This. Downing was ready - UNH is lucky he didn't look elsewhere. He had already reached the summit of the BCHL (I saw a lot of him there) and would have been better served by competing against older, stronger players in HE and everyday in practice. Fortunately, he made it to UNH and is playing very well. Unfortunately, this same strategy has cost UNH a lot of great players.

These players may make mistakes early, but they'll learn quickly and the payoff is so much greater than older kids with low-ceilings. I think the UNH staff has been hoping to have their cake and eat it too and its bitten them in the ***. They need to adjust their thought process quickly before they run off the top recruits they currently have in the pipeline. I'll take a younger unfinished talent over a finished, overaged and career bottom six forward EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.

Accelerate the learning curve and you'll end up with great SO, JR and SR seasons. Do this often enough and you end up with a talented and deep roster that can carry developing players on the 3rd/4th line without problems. The amount of 'roll-over' kids is likely the reason they feel they can't afford a young, developing MV. UNH used to fill top-6 roles with ease, with a defensive third line and a young, developing 4th line (ie. Sislo, Thompson, DeSimone). These days, they struggle to have even 6 top-six talents on the entire roster. I think they could stand to take a few chances on kids they may not think are ready. Especially if the alternative is losing them altogether.

Well put.

 

[dover4345]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

This. Downing was ready - UNH is lucky he didn't look elsewhere. He had already reached the summit of the BCHL (I saw a lot of him there) and would have been better served by competing against older, stronger players in HE and everyday in practice. Fortunately, he made it to UNH and is playing very well. Unfortunately, this same strategy has cost UNH a lot of great players.

These players may make mistakes early, but they'll learn quickly and the payoff is so much greater than older kids with low-ceilings. I think the UNH staff has been hoping to have their cake and eat it too and its bitten them in the ***. They need to adjust their thought process quickly before they run off the top recruits they currently have in the pipeline. I'll take a younger unfinished talent over a finished, overaged and career bottom six forward EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.

Accelerate the learning curve and you'll end up with great SO, JR and SR seasons. Do this often enough and you end up with a talented and deep roster that can carry developing players on the 3rd/4th line without problems. The amount of 'roll-over' kids is likely the reason they feel they can't afford a young, developing MV. UNH used to fill top-6 roles with ease, with a defensive third line and a young, developing 4th line (ie. Sislo, Thompson, DeSimone). These days, they struggle to have even 6 top-six talents on the entire roster. I think they could stand to take a few chances on kids they may not think are ready. Especially if the alternative is losing them altogether.

I can't agree with the UNH staff being dishonest in the MV situation. Although I completely disagree with the decision - it seems to simply be a change of plans/heart. By making the decision now MV has plenty of time to find a new home. Dishonest would have been waiting until the end of the year when he had no other options. He has every right to change his mind and its UNH's loss, but it doesn't sound like dishonesty. That said, I really don't care to get up in arms over a simple tweet - but then I'm just not a twitter guy...

He had reached the summit of the BCHL? That is a league known for kids having inflated numbers due to a lack of dpeth in the league--it is a great league, but the bottom 4-5 teams are not very good. In 2009-2010 down had a 18-18-36 line in 43 games played, how on earth does that indicate that he is ready? How many points did B. Hemingway, C. Hemingway, Gare, Aikins,etc have in that league before they arrived at UNH? All were well over a point a game.

And these average recruits with low ceilings that you speak of--I think Silengo, Hill, and Smith have been some of the names thrown around...well I got news for you, MV is one of those players.

 

[dover4345]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

Well, why would he sit when he's better than Smith, Hill, Camper, Pavelski, Block, etc. Sounds more like "we'll punish you if you disagree and make sure you never see the ice" rather than "if you come, we are skeptical, but will give you a fair shot." Both the coaches and the players know there is a a world of the difference that you can hear when they're part of the discussion (see Tiefenwerth).

Frankly, if Vecchione as a '93 averaging .6 points per game is not ready, then what are we to believe about Gaudreault (14 points), Hill and Smith, or last year Thrush (28 points in 60 games). Instead, his comments about "overrecruiting" sounds like he knew the deal - he's just as ready to compete as Thrush, but UNH couldn't afford him money wise, so deferred him for convenience.

And lastly, about "promises" - from his reaction he seemed pretty clear he was promised for 2012. If so, the "evaluation" after 17 games is inconsistent -- are we to believe after promising 2012, 17 games makes them "know" he's not ready?

I will be pretty surprised if Hill, Smith and Pavelski find their way into the UNH line-up next season as well. I also do not think it took UNH 17 games to decide he was not ready--I think they knew this last year but were hoping things would look up in the USHL--and they have not. His .6 points per game are on the worse team in the league, it probably equates to .3 on a good team. Also, when a player receives a partial scholorship, it is standard practice to have the player pay the up front cost with the scholorship on the backend--every school does some form of this. MV was not on a full scholorship and would have been paying for his first year in Durham--so saying they did not have scholorship money available is not the case. If they felt he could contribute they would have told someone else to play another year of juniors. I dont know why this is so hard for everyone to grasp--the staff did not think he was good enough to play...it is that simple.

 

[hockey east fan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

Well if the coaching staff didnt think he was ready to play...then they should all be canned period....this is a trend now for UNH....and believe me,it will snowball. thats why UNH is 6-9-2.... they have to many fillers on the roster and it has caught up with them...

 

[hockey east fan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

And a merry christmas to all...except the admissions office...lol

 

[dover4345]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

Well if the coaching staff didnt think he was ready to play...then they should all be canned period....this is a trend now for UNH....and believe me,it will snowball. thats why UNH is 6-9-2.... they have to many faillers on the roster and it has caught up with them...

It is a trend everywhere--lets not just say it happens at UNH only...it comes with the territory of committing to kids so early, every program has the same issue...

And you know what, dont pat yourself on the back too much for identifying that UNH has too many fillers. I think they are well aware of that and maybe they are trying to do something about it? Have you not been reading the thread in regards to MV?

 

[Hokydad]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

I will be pretty surprised if Hill, Smith and Pavelski find their way into the UNH line-up next season as well. I also do not think it took UNH 17 games to decide he was not ready--I think they knew this last year but were hoping things would look up in the USHL--and they have not. His .6 points per game are on the worse team in the league, it probably equates to .3 on a good team. Also, when a player receives a partial scholorship, it is standard practice to have the player pay the up front cost with the scholorship on the backend--every school does some form of this. MV was not on a full scholorship and would have been paying for his first year in Durham--so saying they did not have scholorship money available is not the case. If they felt he could contribute they would have told someone else to play another year of juniors. I dont know why this is so hard for everyone to grasp--the staff did not think he was good enough to play...it is that simple.

Listening to you is like listening to my daughter who always has to right.. You my friend are not. You tell us that "the staff cant comment on it" but in the next sentence, have the answer to eevrything. "they didnt think he was good enough", "they told him directly that he could come but would be in the stands", on and on... You sound like Charlie Browns teacher afrter a while, blah blah blah wah wah wah


"His .6 points per game are on the worse team in the league, it probably equates to .3 on a good team" ??? Find me one coach that would agree with that stupid statement. Take an F from U Mass and put him on BC and he goes from .6 to 1 game, not the other way.

He is on pace for around 25-35 points as a 3 year left underager. That is very good in that league and to say otherwise shows you do not know a single thing about the USHL.

You are also saying they knew it last year, if that was the case, the dishonesty is more than just recently.

 

[Saetia22]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

What's another persons opinion? But I read this situation as UNH over recruiting at the forward position for Fall 2012. They had 5 forwards lined up and they signed MacDonald late this summer. 6 coming in and 3 departing. They made a poor choice asking MV to defer to 2013. They had too many overagers/ people they already deferred.

Someone said they will get someone better with MVs money... I hope you're right but Quast isn't the answer. Is he a walk on? I hope so. I don't get the impression he had any other offers. UNH needs to be careful not to scare off our high potential defensive recruits by having a clog of overage/ less talented upperclassmen. With Quast coming in and three "freshmen" this year things may not look overally favorable.

Either way we have some talented players coming in and I really hope they all show up. IE Kelleher. Any word on a goalie recruit for 2013?

 

[dover4345]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

Listening to you is like listening to my daughter who always has to right.. You my friend are not. You tell us that "the staff cant comment on it" but in the next sentence, have the answer to eevrything. "they didnt think he was good enough", "they told him directly that he could come but would be in the stands", on and on... You sound like Charlie Browns teacher afrter a while, blah blah blah wah wah wah


"His .6 points per game are on the worse team in the league, it probably equates to .3 on a good team" ??? Find me one coach that would agree with that stupid statement. Take an F from U Mass and put him on BC and he goes from .6 to 1 game, not the other way.

He is on pace for around 25-35 points as a 3 year left underager. That is very good in that league and to say otherwise shows you do not know a single thing about the USHL.

You are also saying they knew it last year, if that was the case, the dishonesty is more than just recently.

Im the one that has to be right? You my friend just dont get the game. Syner and Sheary are both good forwards for UMass, they play PP, 5X5 and PK. Put them on BC and they no longer play PP--they would be 3rd/4th line energy guys. Who in BC's top 6--make that top 9--would you replace for either of those players? Not playing on the 1st PP unit, or 2nd PP unit for that matter would deflate-NOT inflate their numbers...Find me a coach that would disagree with that statement. If MV is a 2nd/3rd line player on a bad team, there is a strong chance that he would be a 3rd/4th line player on a good team. This is not Rocket Science.

Also, you refer to a '93 as a three year underager? haha... He is not young in that league. There are quite a few 95's and many 94's... And I never said his .6 point per game were BAD per say...But it is not good. Not for a scholorship player... Not for a player expected to fill a role outside of the 4th line. My point is that he is not a "top recruit"...Taylor Cammarata is a "Top Recruit"...he is a '95 and has 3X more points than MV...If UNH lost a player of his caliber I would be on this message board calling them morons as well. Fact is that they lost a depth guy...A depth guy that numerous people come on this forum and state that they have too many of in the first place.

25-35 points in not VERY good for an 18 year old in that league--I know plenty about that league. 25-35 points means you need another year bud. Ever heard the saying, "you should not move on to the next level until you have mastered the current level?" Half a point a game does not qualify...

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

It is a trend everywhere--lets not just say it happens at UNH only...it comes with the territory of committing to kids so early, every program has the same issue...

You keep saying this - prove it to us. Show me another program that has lost this many top recruits. Don't bother mentioning major junior losses. That certainly is an across NCAA hockey issue. Instead, show me another school who has had the issues with academics and deference to the extent UNH has the past few years. Give me schools and names because I'm tired of simply hearing vague excuses...

Show me another school that has defered so many of their top recruits over the past few seasons - because they either can't cut it or because there is no room due to kids who cannot cut it either in the program or sharing a recruiting class. Show me another program who defers players like Laleggia but brings in a Justin Agosta. Who defers a Grayson Downing but is pressed to get a Jeff Silengo/Scott Pavelski in as soon as possible. And then more often than not watches the talent move on and in turn brings in more basement level kids mucking up future classes. Give me an example with some evidence. At best its horrible evaluation - at worst its reckless recruiting. Lets not forget that they whiffed so badly on Chevrier that he's already gone. Now were counting on Harry Quast to step right into the line-up??

Show me another program that - according to your logic - passes on a Vecchione (averaging .6 ppg on a bad team in his 1st USHL season) to bring in a trio of guys like Jamie Hill (.5 ppg in his 3rd USHL season), Maxim Gaudreault (<.5 ppg in his 2nd USHL season) or Kyle Smith (3rd year juniors player CUT from the USHL). How are they more prepared than MV? Certainly not based on talent or USHL production. So what are the rest of us missing?? Sorkin and Thrush averaged less than a point per game in the USHL - yet they've made the jump just fine. Why couldn't MV? Sorkin was hardly a liability last season? Why would MV be a liability and in the stands? All you've mentioned is the statistics, but apparently thats not a very good indicator?

Let's assume your correct that MV sat his whole freshman year or skated on the 4th line and turned in 8 points. Tell me how is UNH better off with four years of a replacement level talent than the SO, JR and SR seasons of Vecchione. The crux of your argument seems to be - don't get upset about losing Vecchione because he's simply another poor coaching evaluation just like the rest (how did he get a 75% scholarship in the first place??)??? Sorry, but that doesn't cheer me up...

Until these lost recruiting classes UNH was filled with elite college hockey talent. They were not an also ran. Its one thing to defer talent when your cupboard is full - UNH's cupboard is NOT full. It hasn't been full. Reid, White and Laleggia are college studs at other schools. Soon Vechione will join them. How do you not see this is a problem...? Show me another program that has had these issues plague four-straight recruiting classes!!

Re: Downing. I watched Downing, Reid and Laleggia nearly everytime they came to play a Coastal Conference team. Downing was ready. Downing was smooth, responsible and confident - i don't care what 18-18-36 says to you. He played on the team's top PP. He played on the team's top PK. He stuck out like a sore thumb with his confidence and ability. He would have been the team's top FR last year - just like he will be this year. Defering him worked out fine for UNH because he's here...but that doesn't change the fact that they were playing with fire.

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

Who in BC's top 6--make that top 9--would you replace for either

Remember when UNH had a top 9...???

 

[dover4345]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

Dan,

I have a xmas dinner to attend so I will keep this as brief as possible. First- dont swing the argument in you favor by letting programs off the hook for kids going MJ instead--a lost recruit is a lost recruit...doesnt matter if it is admissions or not. In the last year BU has lost Deangelo, Erne, Trivino, and Coyle--Need I bring up BC and Tiefenworth? How about the revolving door up in Maine? I can dig and provide more evidence, but do I really need to? I would hope you follow college hockey that you know of plenty of Maine players to enroll and not graduate, no? You asked me to name another program and I did.

Secondly, you need a lesson in the economics of college hockey. Would you compare Bergeron to Paille? How about Lucic/Horton to scott thornton? No, you wouldnt, because Bergeron, Lucic and Horton all make far more money than those other three players and are thus held to higher standards. The same rules apply in college hockey my friend. KJ Tiefenworth is plenty good enough to play for BC, but not for a full scholorship--he is compared to Gaudreau, Arnold, Kreider, etc....Not the bottom half guys. You/NCAA watcher have compared MV to Thrush--and the scary thing is their #'s are comparable. Thrush committed as a RECRUITED WALK-ON, MV is a 75% guy, and they are producing at the same rate! Stop comparing MV to Hill, Smith, Silengo, Thrush---Compare him to the players who receive substantail scholorship money--Moses, Speelman, Goumas, Sorkin, etc...And please dont give me, "Sorkin is doing fine and wasnt overly productive." That kid has SO much more upside than MV--6'3---and the UNH staff could obviously see that. All of those players were producing at higher rates than .53 points per game. It is money ball my friend. And please do not put MV in the same category as Reid, Joey L, Matt White, etc...Matt White had an MVP year when UNH lost him--MV is not even at a point a game---NOT A TOP RECRUIT! I am done saying that. The kid has accomplished nothing outside of loading on points in house league. No offense to him--but produce at a high level and I will retract my comments...that has not happened yet...

 

[Hokydad]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

Dan,

I have a xmas dinner to attend so I will keep this as brief as possible. First- dont swing the argument in you favor by letting programs off the hook for kids going MJ instead--a lost recruit is a lost recruit...doesnt matter if it is admissions or not. In the last year BU has lost Deangelo, Erne, Trivino, and Coyle--Need I bring up BC and Tiefenworth? How about the revolving door up in Maine? I can dig and provide more evidence, but do I really need to? I would hope you follow college hockey that you know of plenty of Maine players to enroll and not graduate, no? You asked me to name another program and I did.

Secondly, you need a lesson in the economics of college hockey. Would you compare Bergeron to Paille? How about Lucic/Horton to scott thornton? No, you wouldnt, because Bergeron, Lucic and Horton all make far more money than those other three players and are thus held to higher standards. The same rules apply in college hockey my friend. KJ Tiefenworth is plenty good enough to play for BC, but not for a full scholorship--he is compared to Gaudreau, Arnold, Kreider, etc....Not the bottom half guys. You/NCAA watcher have compared MV to Thrush--and the scary thing is their #'s are comparable. Thrush committed as a RECRUITED WALK-ON, MV is a 75% guy, and they are producing at the same rate! Stop comparing MV to Hill, Smith, Silengo, Thrush---Compare him to the players who receive substantail scholorship money--Moses, Speelman, Goumas, Sorkin, etc...And please dont give me, "Sorkin is doing fine and wasnt overly productive." That kid has SO much more upside than MV--6'3---and the UNH staff could obviously see that. All of those players were producing at higher rates than .53 points per game. It is money ball my friend. And please do not put MV in the same category as Reid, Joey L, Matt White, etc...Matt White had an MVP year when UNH lost him--MV is not even at a point a game---NOT A TOP RECRUIT! I am done saying that. The kid has accomplished nothing outside of loading on points in house league. No offense to him--but produce at a high level and I will retract my comments...that has not happened yet...

You are nothing but a loud mouthed know it all fool. What have you accomplished? A bitter fool with zero info

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

I have a xmas dinner to attend so I will keep this as brief as possible. First- dont swing the argument in you favor by letting programs off the hook for kids going MJ instead--a lost recruit is a lost recruit...doesnt matter if it is admissions or not.

Wrong. Every program loses players to MJ issues - we've all seen it (although UNH has only lost ONE). That is a completely different issue than UNH losing players because theyre recruiting kids that don't meet the admissions standard. It is a completely different issue than consistently missing on talent or over recruiting. You don't want to see the difference because it supports your argument.

Just because kids leave for MJ doesn't excuse UNH for filling their roster with kids who shouldn't be playing at high-level DI programs. It doesn't excuse them from not paying attention to the academic standards they are saddled with. BU and Maine losing players to MJ is not the same as what is happening at UNH. Major junior programs contact, convince and sometimes pay players to turn on college scholarships. That's not happening at UNH. UNH is defering and losing kids all on their own!

I knew you'd bring up Tiefenworth - but thats ONE example from BC. One instance does nothing to prove this happens all the time at other schools. Its a poor example at that - as BC passing on Tiefenworth essentially opens the door for the Gadreau brothers. MV gets compared to the 2012 forwards because those are the players that UNH has decided to bring in for 2012 instead of him. UNH would rather spend that 75% on Hill, Smith, Silengo, etc than on MV. Its pretty easy to understand if you could just think objectively for a minute...

Secondly, its not as if UNH has players like Billy Arnold, Chris Kreider and the top-6 talent a BC has blocking the path of an MV/KT. Goumas and Speelman are here because of the players they lost. They are solid, but not the elite forwards UNH has had in the past. Moses is FINALLY playing at a top-6 level as a senior and he's only in the top-6 because UNH's forward depth has been crushed by recruiting.

Secondly, you need a lesson in the economics of college hockey.

Every major college program gets 18 scholarships to build a team. Thats the 'economics' of college hockey. UNH gave Vecchione a 75% scholarship and, in just over a year would rather walk away completely, than take him a year earlier than they'd hope? It doesn't add up - as much as you want it to. Its clear they over-recruited. The only way you wouldn't compare Vecchione to Smith/Hill/McDonald/Correale is to say they over recruited for the future - ie. 2013/14 forwards. But if they were okay defering Vecchione for a year than that doesn't add up either. Until they spend Vecchione's money he gets compared to the 2012 class, period. I hope for your sake that when they spend it the comparison looks a lot better...

MV is a 75% guy - MV is NOT A TOP RECRUIT!

Which is it? They either did a crappy job deciding how to spend their money or they ran a 75% scholarship kid out the door?

And please dont give me, "Sorkin is doing fine and wasnt overly productive."

So we only get to use the #'s as if they are gospel when they suit your argument? You brought up all the numerical comparisons in the first place to disparage MV - but now we can't compare MV's stats to Sorkin's cause he has good size or to Smith/Hill/Gaudreault because (even though they are being chosen over Vecchione) they have low expectations based on scholarship dollars???

And please do not put MV in the same category as Reid, Joey L, Matt White, etc...

The problem is not MV - the problem is he is another in a LONG trend of lost recruits at UNH. Which is frustrating AND UNUSUAL at the NCAA level.

I guess you have some strong bias towards the coaching staff, whatever that may be. I love how you rip HokyDad claiming an obvious bias, while your arguments are filled with bias and hyperbole.

 

[Dan]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

I wonder what UNH would have done if they were fortunate enough to land Destry Straight, who has only scored 1-1-2 in 18 games at BC. He probably could play a top-6 role at UNH right now, especially with Speelman out indefinitely - but would they have even brought him in? Or would they have asked him to defer until he was ready to make an immediate impact (as they did Laleggia - who would have stepped right into the UNH line-up if Umile hadn't prefered mediocre, upperclass defenders like Campanale & Beck)?

BC decided to bring Straight in on schedule. Would have prefered he play another year in juniors? As stated above he is skating on a lower line and has managed just two points. Did they prefer he develop at BC? We're they fearful that he might play MJ or look at other colleges if they asked him to defer? Whatever the reason, BC decided to add talent (if not necessarily readiness) to the roster and guarantee Straight's spot on the club.

Long story short UNH defers, Laleggia is a Pioneer. Straight comes directly to BC to develop and I'd bet he has a BIG sophomore year and a great career. Two different recruiting strategies, two different programs...

Freshman shouldn't be expected to make immediate major impacts at top programs. Some do and that's a fantastic bonus. The fact that UNH feels like they absolutely need immediate FR help highlights their recent recruiting issues.

 

[Hokydad]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

as usual, we have one major snafu with the scenerios being rolled out...

IT WAS NOT UNH'S CHOICE TO HAVE HIM WALK AND THEY MADE MANY CALLS TO GET HIM TO STAY AND COME BACK

So I guess that would lead one to believe they didnt feel like they thought they could spend money better elsewhere.

He left because he was dealt with in a dishonest fashion, period. Not the other way around

 

[Hokydad]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

I wonder what UNH would have done if they were fortunate enough to land Destry Straight, who has only scored 1-1-2 in 18 games at BC. He probably could play a top-6 role at UNH right now, especially with Speelman out indefinitely - but would they have even brought him in? Or would they have asked him to defer until he was ready to make an immediate impact (as they did Laleggia - who would have stepped right into the UNH line-up if Umile hadn't prefered mediocre, upperclass defenders like Campanale & Beck)?

BC decided to bring Straight in on schedule. Would have prefered he play another year in juniors? As stated above he is skating on a lower line and has managed just two points. Did they prefer he develop at BC? We're they fearful that he might play MJ or look at other colleges if they asked him to defer? Whatever the reason, BC decided to add talent (if not necessarily readiness) to the roster and guarantee Straight's spot on the club.

Long story short UNH defers, Laleggia is a Pioneer. Straight comes directly to BC to develop and I'd bet he has a BIG sophomore year and a great career. Two different recruiting strategies, two different programs...

Freshman shouldn't be expected to make immediate major impacts at top programs. Some do and that's a fantastic bonus. The fact that UNH feels like they absolutely need immediate FR help highlights their recent recruiting issues.

BC has a long list of kids they have brought in who did ok at best freshman year. Many who have come in, worked with team and got better every year. Which is how you get blue chip 18 year olds. Than you develop them and win national championships

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Recruits: 2012-2014

dover, still waiting for you to convince anyone that the 07-08 team was more talented than the 01-02 team (the most talented team top to bottom we've seen)...

Merry Christmas W'Cat fans...you too hoky.