2004 College Lacrosse Thread

[Guest theklaffer]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by imagine29028 [/i]
[B]Lets not count out Towson here....it depends who they'd face in the NCAA quarters...(cause its almost certain they'll get out of the CAA tourney).

the only thing that stopped them from reaching the final 4 last year was Hopkins :mad: :( [/B][/QUOTE]

Oh come on! Who have they beaten? Rutgers. That's it. Their schedule is pathetically weak, and the few good teams they've played have beaten them. Virginia (at home), at MD, even Loyola (at home!!!!)! In fact, they're lucky they got Villanova at home, because I'm pretty sure they'd have lost to them in Philly.

Winning the CAA means absolutely nothing. Towson should get out of that conference for lacrosse if they want to be a player on the national scene. They stay in because they have loyalties to the conference in other sports and because it guarantees them an automatic berth in the NCAA's every year, which they are satisfied with. But don't expect to get very far against the big boys.

[Munson]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by theklaffer [/i]
[B]But look how they'll have finished. (6-2 and 4-0) How many in a row? (4) How did they start? (1-4 and 3-6). And they'll have avenged two of their losses (MD and UNC).
[/b][/quote]
You're right, they will finish strong if they win their last two. But, IMO you have to look over the whole season.

[quote][b]
You're right, Denver and Air Force look bad. But let's overlook those for a minute along with the Drexel win (in other words, the first 3 games of their season). Now you're looking at a team that's 6-4 with the losses coming to Syracuse, Princeton, MD, and UNC.
[/b][/quote]
They will have some quality wins, but I don't think it's possible to overlook those losses to Denver and Air Force.

[quote][b]
I just don't know how much you can fault a team for a rough start. Look at U-Dub in basketball this year.
[/b][/quote]
I'm just repeating myself, but IMO the beginning of the season should count just as much as the end of the season.
[quote][b]
Besides, when was the last time the ACC tournament champion failed to make the tournament?! I know they don't get an automatic bid because there are only 4 teams, but it certainly should count for something.
[/b][/quote]
Yeah, but when was the last time the ACC tournament champion finished with a 7-6 overall record? There hasn't been one with a record that bad.

If UVA does win their last two games, they would have a case for making the tournament. More than likely they will be the only team to knock off Hopkins, plus they will have victories over MD and UNC. It would be interesting how much the selection committee holds the Denver and Air Force losses against them.

[Munson]

Great game today between MD and UVA. I think the Terps lost their aggressive on offense and let UVA back in the game. BTW, the ACC Tournament will be at the Ravens Stadium the next two years.

[Guest theklaffer]

I suppose now we won't find out if UVA would have made the tournament. I can't see them getting in at 6-7.

I'm curious to know who the last defending champion to miss the tournament the following season was.

[imagine29028]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by theklaffer [/i]
[B]I suppose now we won't find out if UVA would have made the tournament. I can't see them getting in at 6-7.

I'm curious to know who the last defending champion to miss the tournament the following season was. [/B][/QUOTE]


you have to be above .500 to qualify...



but to the guy that badmouthed Towson...the team is different than it was in the beginning of the season ( I know it gets said alot in sports...but just like the Terps basketball team....Towson grew up all season long.) The young attackment are learning how to play D-1 lacrosse now...and these next two games (@UMBC, @ Hopkins) will be a big determing factor of where this team is. But to lose in OT to UVA, come back on MD, beat Hofstra (who was supposed to be the CAA champs) is all impressive.

As far as being in the CAA...where else would they go? They are already in a different conference for football (since they're 1-AA) and then you'd move the lax team to a different conference? The commission probably would kick them out of the conference in the other sports then (because its not like Basketball or anything are prominant). Plus the CAA is one of the largest conferences in D-1 lax...behind the Patriot and Ivy leagues.

[Munson]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by theklaffer [/i]
[B]

I'm curious to know who the last defending champion to miss the tournament the following season was. [/B][/QUOTE]
I don't think it's ever happened since lacrosse became an NCAA sport.

[The Wedge]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by imagine29028 [/i]
[B]you have to be above .500 to qualify...



but to the guy that badmouthed Towson...the team is different than it was in the beginning of the season ( I know it gets said alot in sports...but just like the Terps basketball team....Towson grew up all season long.) The young attackment are learning how to play D-1 lacrosse now...and these next two games (@UMBC, @ Hopkins) will be a big determing factor of where this team is. But to lose in OT to UVA, come back on MD, beat Hofstra (who was supposed to be the CAA champs) is all impressive.

As far as being in the CAA...where else would they go? They are already in a different conference for football (since they're 1-AA) and then you'd move the lax team to a different conference? The commission probably would kick them out of the conference in the other sports then (because its not like Basketball or anything are prominant). Plus the CAA is one of the largest conferences in D-1 lax...behind the Patriot and Ivy leagues. [/B][/QUOTE]

I think you mean me...and I didn't badmouth them! I just don't think they can hang. I've seen just about all of their games live (got paid for it too, :) ) and I've seen the top teams play too, and I just don't think, unless TU gets hot, that they can make a legit run at the tourney. It'd be awesome, but unlikely.

And yeah, they aren't moving out of the CAA. The CAA probably keeps them around in OTHER sports because of the lax rub.

Edit: Oh, sorry, you meant theklaffer. Not me. And yeah, he needs to realize that Towson, if hot, is the team that could play spoiler all tourney long.

[Guest theklaffer]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Wedge [/i]
[B]I think you mean me...and I didn't badmouth them! I just don't think they can hang. I've seen just about all of their games live (got paid for it too, :) ) and I've seen the top teams play too, and I just don't think, unless TU gets hot, that they can make a legit run at the tourney. It'd be awesome, but unlikely.

And yeah, they aren't moving out of the CAA. The CAA probably keeps them around in OTHER sports because of the lax rub.

Edit: Oh, sorry, you meant theklaffer. Not me. And yeah, he needs to realize that Towson, if hot, is the team that could play spoiler all tourney long. [/B][/QUOTE]

Yes, he meant me. And I stick by what I said regardin Towson. If they get hot, they can win their first round game. They aren't on the level of the teams they'd face in the quarters. Even a hot Towson team will come up short against a Hopkins or a Maryland on one of their bad days.

Let's see how Towson does against Hopkins in the regular season. I'm willing to change my mind if Towson gives Hopkins a real game. But my prediction is that the final score is Hopkins by at least 4 goals.

Towson belongs in the second tier of teams, with Georgetown and Rutgers. They are more than capable of winning a first round game, and I suppose they could get lucky and win a quarterfinal game. But they have no chance at all at reaching the finals.

As for the CAA, you are correct that they won't leave. But my point was that the schedule they have to face by being in the CAA is bringing them down. If they want to be a national power in lacrosse, they should be an independent. so that they have the freedom to schedule the powerhouse teams more regularly. However, it ismuch more important for Towson to remain in the CAA for other sports, so they sacrifice the lacrosse teams' chances at national glory for more important considerations. I don't disagree with them, BTW. But don't expect the lax team to be winning national titles either.

[imagine29028]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by theklaffer [/i]
[B]

As for the CAA, you are correct that they won't leave. But my point was that the schedule they have to face by being in the CAA is bringing them down. If they want to be a national power in lacrosse, they should be an independent. so that they have the freedom to schedule the powerhouse teams more regularly. [/B][/QUOTE]

what more do you want?

Every year we play:
Loyola
Hopkins
Maryland
and the last two years we've played UVA...

and then we play Hofstra, Delaware every year (not powerhouses, but not slouches) and this year we've picked up
UMBC.

Edit: Also, it is HIGHLY recommended that a team stay in a conference if they have other teams in a said conference, rather than going Independent. The reason Hopkins is independent, is cause Lax is the only D-1 sport at thier school...and Loyola is because, all their other sports are so horrible.

[ledzepp8]

just a test

[Guest theklaffer]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by imagine29028 [/i]
[B]what more do you want?

Every year we play:
Loyola
Hopkins
Maryland
and the last two years we've played UVA...

and then we play Hofstra, Delaware every year (not powerhouses, but not slouches) and this year we've picked up
UMBC.

Edit: Also, it is HIGHLY recommended that a team stay in a conference if they have other teams in a said conference, rather than going Independent. The reason Hopkins is independent, is cause Lax is the only D-1 sport at thier school...and Loyola is because, all their other sports are so horrible. [/B][/QUOTE]

Again, I'm not advocating that they leave, just saying that playing 5 games (plus conference tournament) against the CAA is killing their ability to schedule nationally, and thereby hurting their recruiting, their tournament preparation, and overall their program.

What more? How about Princeton? Syracuse? UNC? Dook? Georgetown? How about playing 2 of those 5 instead of UMBC and Providence?

All I'm saying is that having to play Villanova, Sacred Heart, and Drexel every year (and give me a break about Delaware and Hofstra, BTW - they are second rate programs, and you know it. And I think we can all admit that Loyola is quickly approaching their level too.) limits their ability to play top notch programs such as the ones above.

Even if Towson played the Ivies (Yale, Cornell), it would be a step up over what they are playing now.

You check out the schedules of Maryland, Hopkins, Syracuse and Princeton. Then you let me know how many cupcakes are on those schedules compared to Towson's.

[Munson]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by theklaffer [/i]
[B] And I think we can all admit that Loyola is quickly approaching their level too.[/B][/QUOTE]
No way. Loyola has a lot of very good young talent. That team has the chance to be a serious contender in a year or two.

Towson is doing the smart thing by playing in the CAA. They will get the automatic bid in that conference a lot more than they won't. I think that will help out their recruiting more than playing a tougher schedule will.

[Munson]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by theklaffer [/i]
[B]
You check out the schedules of Maryland, Hopkins, Syracuse and Princeton. Then you let me know how many cupcakes are on those schedules compared to Towson's. [/B][/QUOTE]
I wouldn't exactly be pounding my chest over the Princeton and Syracuse schedules.

[imagine29028]

The reason Maryland has such a tough schedule, is cause 3 of the best schools in the country, are in thier own conference, and then they get the normal every year games in (Towson, Hopkins, Navy) and then what's left over....


The reason Cuse, Hopkins have such hard schedules is cause they don't have conferences to stick to...so they can have more available time to bring in "big" schools, but even then, they have some cupcake teams on thier schedules.

I'm in no way saying Towson's schedule isn't easy...matter of fact when I was looking at it in Feb. I thought to myself, that it's quite easy this year. But let's not make it seem like they don't go out there and play a hard non-conference schedule....cause I'd say they do.

[mdpatsfan]

Towson gave Hopkins a hard time through three quarters today but Hopkins turned it on at the end.

Towson was pretty undisciplined, a lot of penalties called, a lot that should have been. They played a pretty dirty game, Hopkins took a few dives though and I think the officials just decided to let them play.