Summer Lax News and Notes

[burnspbesq]

First in an occasional series.

Marquette head coach Joe Amplo is leaving to become the head coach at Navy.

Boston University attackman Chris Gray, a 111-point scorer as a sophomore, has put himself in the NCAA transfer portal. Reports say that he told his Terrier teammates he was looking for better academics. Hmmm ... we know a place that would offer that.

[burnspbesq]

Congrats to Duke rising sophomore Maddie Jenner on being named to the USA U-19 national team that will compete in this summer’s U-19 world championship.

[burnspbesq]

Another big name hits the transfer portal: Loyola midfielder Chase Scanlan, a second-team A-A as a freshman, is on the move.

[budwom]

Another big name hits the transfer portal: Loyola midfielder Chase Scanlan, a second-team A-A as a freshman, is on the move.

Chase is a great name for a midfielder...thanks for this Paul, keep us informed on what happens...

[Native]

Not necessarily Duke-related, but Loyola Greyhound and reigning Tewaaraton winner Pat Spencer is transferring to Northwestern hoops (https://watchstadium.com/news/lacrosse-star-pat-spencer-has-one-shot-to-play-college-basketball-and-hes-taking-it-05-10-2019/) to play for Chris Collins.


...few have watched Spencer play basketball the last four years. He’s played pickup against [Josh] Selby and other pros at the UA Center in Baltimore. He excelled in the Annapolis Summer Basketball League, earning MVP honors, and also averaged 19 points in the Brunson League last summer. But the kid who had a late growth spurt in high school (he was 5-foot-4 as a freshman), the one who committed to Loyola prior to his junior year of high school, is a complete mystery on the hardwood. He didn’t play AAU ball in the summer because he was playing lacrosse.

Former Towson star and overseas player Kurk Lee, who runs the UA Center and played 48 NBA games, said Spencer wasted no time making an impression the first time he came down to play pickup a few years ago. Spencer got the ball on the break, Lee was defending him and went up to try and block the shot.

“He dunked right on top of me and everyone in the gym went crazy,” Lee said. “I had no idea who he was. I didn’t know he was the number one lacrosse player in the country. He doesn’t say a word about that.”

“He’s tough as nails,” Lee added. “I always put him against pros when he comes down and he holds his own.”

[fuse]

First in an occasional series.

Marquette head coach Joe Amplo is leaving to become the head coach at Navy.

Boston University attackman Chris Gray, a 111-point scorer as a sophomore, has put himself in the NCAA transfer portal. Reports say that he told his Terrier teammates he was looking for better academics. Hmmm ... we know a place that would offer that.

And....Chris Gray selects UNC. 🤔

[TruBlu]

And...Chris Gray selects UNC. 🤔

Boston U must have really terrible academics.

[burnspbesq]

Boston U must have really terrible academics.

This is hard to figure. If academics were the real deciding factor, and not a pretext, how does Carolina win out over Duke, Cornell, Hop, and Virginia?

Whatevs. Best of luck to the young man.

[budwom]

This is hard to figure. If academics were the real deciding factor, and not a pretext, how does Carolina win out over Duke, Cornell, Hop, and Virginia?

Whatevs. Best of luck to the young man.

In several conversations with Danowski, I've wanted to ask him about how he offers scholarships (but I didn't want to bore him to tears). The NCAA only allows something like 12.6 scholarships, and it obviously takes
a lot more than 13 guys to field a competitive team, so the trick is in maximizing what you get via partial scholarships...this is a longwinded way of speculating that perhaps some schools offered more of a scholarship than others, purely a guess...

[-jk]

In several conversations with Danowski, I've wanted to ask him about how he offers scholarships (but I didn't want to bore him to tears). The NCAA only allows something like 12.6 scholarships, and it obviously takes a lot more than 13 guys to field a competitive team, so the trick is in maximizing what you get via partial scholarships...this is a longwinded way of speculating that perhaps some schools offered more of a scholarship than others, purely a guess...

As at most private schools, prospective Duke athletes with a partial offer have to contend with the remainder of the tuition, et al. State schools have a big advantage, starting with much lower tuition. 12.6 scholarships don't go as far at Duke...

As far as I can tell, though, Lax is still a more upper-middle-class high school sport, so the parents have more options, using Lax to get (legal) preferred admissions. It's changing, though...

-jk

[budwom]

As at most private schools, prospective Duke athletes with a partial offer have to contend with the remainder of the tuition, et al. State schools have a big advantage, starting with much lower tuition. 12.6 scholarships don't go as far at Duke...

As far as I can tell, though, Lax is still a more upper-middle-class high school sport, so the parents have more options, using Lax to get (legal) preferred admissions. It's changing, though...

-jk

Right...that's why I'd love to talk with Danowski about how he handles that...some kids need the scholarship, or partial, more than others...and he only has 12.6 to work with, while you really need a couple dozen contributors on the field. Complicated.
Meanwhile, hoops has more scholarships than they can typically use (giving scholarships to walkons, which is nice).

[burnspbesq]

Right...that's why I'd love to talk with Danowski about how he handles that...some kids need the scholarship, or partial, more than others...and he only has 12.6 to work with, while you really need a couple dozen contributors on the field. Complicated.
Meanwhile, hoops has more scholarships than they can typically use (giving scholarships to walkons, which is nice).

Next year Duke will likely have four players (two Caputos and two Carpenters) who are faculty offspring. Presumably they attend for free.

[budwom]

Next year Duke will likely have four players (two Caputos and two Carpenters) who are faculty offspring. Presumably they attend for free.

Nice...does CJ Carpenter come back having been injured one year?
And these guys don't count against the NCAA limit? That's nice...

[burnspbesq]

Nice...does CJ Carpenter come back having been injured one year?
And these guys don't count against the NCAA limit? That's nice...

CJ didn’t play at all in 2018. That should be a medical redshirt year, giving him one more year of eligibility to use either at Duke or as a grad transfer somewhere else.

[duke2x]

CJ didn’t play at all in 2018. That should be a medical redshirt year, giving him one more year of eligibility to use either at Duke or as a grad transfer somewhere else.

That would be mildly awkward for Coach Nagel and Tyler, particularly since he scored 3 goals in the NCAAs against ND.

[sagegrouse]

Next year Duke will likely have four players (two Caputos and two Carpenters) who are faculty offspring. Presumably they attend for free.

So, we could effectively expand our athletic scholarships if we hire parents of recruited athletes to serve on the Duke faculty. If I see Vince Price any time soon, I'll be sure to mention it.

[MCFinARL]

This is hard to figure. If academics were the real deciding factor, and not a pretext, how does Carolina win out over Duke, Cornell, Hop, and Virginia?

Whatevs. Best of luck to the young man.

Well, okay, but you are making a lot of assumptions here. For one, he may be smart enough to want better academics than he has at BU but not necessarily smart enough to be a good academic fit in every elite school in the country. For another, he may have been looking for a specific program or major. And for a third, while he played very well at BU, he may not be the perfect lacrosse fit for every one of those teams.

Kids gonna do what kids gonna do, for a whole lot of reasons, and more power to them.

[camion]

Well, okay, but you are making a lot of assumptions here. For one, he may be smart enough to want better academics than he has at BU but not necessarily smart enough to be a good academic fit in every elite school in the country. For another, he may have been looking for a specific program or major. And for a third, while he played very well at BU, he may not be the perfect lacrosse fit for every one of those teams.

Kids gonna do what kids gonna do, for a whole lot of reasons, and more power to them.

All true.

OTOH, assuming the worst about the Heels often gets you close to reality.

[BD80]

... assuming the worst about the Heels often gets you close to reality.

Totally disagree, there is no way any rational human being could have assumed how badly or pervasively unc was cheating with respect to the academic scandal. Worse case scenario wouldn't have gotten you anywhere near the ugliness underlying "the carolina way."

How about this:

assuming the worst about the Heels often gets you on the path to reality

[burnspbesq]

IL is reporting that Scanlan has narrowed his transfer choices to Virginia, Maryland, Hop, and Cornell. He has been quoted elsewhere as saying that his problems at Loyola were of the fish-out-of-water variety. Recall that he is one of nine children of a Seneca family from the Cattaraugus reservation (median household income < $30k/yr.). Upscale Catholic school in Baltimore probably didn’t feel much like home. Why Virginia? Well, former UVa standout Zed Williams is Scanlan’s cousin, for one. And Hoos’ head coach Lars Tiffany is from Lafayette, NY, home of the Onondaga Nation; he seems to get it.

All that said, I’d be surprised if Scanlan plays four years of college lacrosse. He’s a guaranteed first-round pick in the NLL draft whenever he declares; his numbers in Junior A box are astronomical.

[MCFinARL]

IL is reporting that Scanlan has narrowed his transfer choices to Virginia, Maryland, Hop, and Cornell. He has been quoted elsewhere as saying that his problems at Loyola were of the fish-out-of-water variety. Recall that he is one of nine children of a Seneca family from the Cattaraugus reservation (median household income < $30k/yr.). Upscale Catholic school in Baltimore probably didn’t feel much like home. Why Virginia? Well, former UVa standout Zed Williams is Scanlan’s cousin, for one. And Hoos’ head coach Lars Tiffany is from Lafayette, NY, home of the Onondaga Nation; he seems to get it.

All that said, I’d be surprised if Scanlan plays four years of college lacrosse. He’s a guaranteed first-round pick in the NLL draft whenever he declares; his numbers in Junior A box are astronomical.

How much are they paying in the NLL these days? Is it enough to forego a college degree? It seems like even the best lacrosse players have to piece together playing, coaching, youth camps and endorsements if they really want to make a living without a day job. And for coaching a degree is often a requirement.

[burnspbesq]

Scanlan is transferring to Syracuse.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Gerry Byrne, the architect of one of the nastiest defenses in all of college lacrosse, will be the new head coach at Harvard.

Five potential future Duke players—two incoming freshmen and three 2020 verbal commits—made it through the first stage of the selection process for the 2020 U.S. U-19 national team. Congrats to Jake Caputo, Aidan Danenza, Connor Drake, Cole Krauss, and Brennan O’Neill.

[fuse]

How much are they paying in the NLL these days? Is it enough to forego a college degree? It seems like even the best lacrosse players have to piece together playing, coaching, youth camps and endorsements if they really want to make a living without a day job. And for coaching a degree is often a requirement.

Looks like rookie salaries can be 7-9k and top players up to 35k.

I can recall a time when box lacrosse players were making $200/game.

I’d side with your perspective- professional lacrosse money is not worth abandoning college, or anything more than a side hustle / passion.

[burnspbesq]

Duke 2020 verbal commit Brennan O’Neill was named by U.S. Lacrosse as the boys national high school player of the year.

https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/high-school/boys/st-anthonys-ny-brennan-oneill-named-national-player-of-the-year

On the girls side, the award went to Jackie Wolak of Ridgewood (N.J.) (my alma mater), who is headed to Notre Dame.

[budwom]

Duke 2020 verbal commit Brennan O’Neill was named by U.S. Lacrosse as the boys national high school player of the year.

https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/high-school/boys/st-anthonys-ny-brennan-oneill-named-national-player-of-the-year

On the girls side, the award went to Jackie Wolak of Ridgewood (N.J.) (my alma mater), who is headed to Notre Dame.

Amazing article...Carcaterra is a terrific analyst, and he says the kid could play with the pros now and score 3-4 goals, that's pretty impressive.

[chrishoke]

Duke 2020 verbal commit Brennan O’Neill was named by U.S. Lacrosse as the boys national high school player of the year.

https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/high-school/boys/st-anthonys-ny-brennan-oneill-named-national-player-of-the-year

On the girls side, the award went to Jackie Wolak of Ridgewood (N.J.) (my alma mater), who is headed to Notre Dame.

Wow. Can't wait to see this guy at Duke.

[burnspbesq]

Wow. Can't wait to see this guy at Duke.

Imagine if Justin Guterding was as big as Joe Giles-Harris. That’s O’Neill. Pretty much the entire community thinks he’s a generational talent.

[budwom]

Imagine if Justin Guterding was as big as Joe Giles-Harris. That’s O’Neill. Pretty much the entire community thinks he’s a generational talent.

Hopefully he brings lots of other premier recruits with him...

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Imagine if Justin Guterding was as big as Joe Giles-Harris. That’s O’Neill. Pretty much the entire community thinks he’s a generational talent.
Lax’s Zion?!!! LGD GTHc!

[burnspbesq]

Lax’s Zion?!!! LGD GTHc!

I’d say Grant Hill is a better cross-sport comparable for O’Neill.

Myles Jones was the lax equivalent to Zion.

[burnspbesq]

Congrats to Duke incoming freshman Dyson Williams on a monster season in the Ontario Junior A box league. 109 points, 95 in 19 games in the regular season and 14 more in the first round of the playoffs. His Whitby team finished fifth in the regular season and lost a tough five-game playoff series.

Welcome to Duke, young fella.

[chrishoke]

What is the Junior A Box League?

[CrazyNotCrazie]

What is the Junior A Box League?

The league with better players than the Junior B Box League?

[burnspbesq]

What is the Junior A Box League?

The highest level of youth lacrosse in Canada (there is a similar league out west). Think EYBL and you’ll be on the right track.

[chrishoke]

The highest level of youth lacrosse in Canada (there is a similar league out west). Think EYBL and you’ll be on the right track.

Very cool. Tx. Is he left handed like all other Canadian attackers? :D

[Indoor66]

A high school from Imokolee High School, Imokolee, FL (a Seminole Indian reservation) will be competing in the Tournament in Charlotte this fall.

There is Lacrosse in Florida.

[budwom]

Last year's team could have used some more snipers, and it sounds like we're getting them...

[MCFinARL]

Congrats to Duke incoming freshman Dyson Williams on a monster season in the Ontario Junior A box league. 109 points, 95 in 19 games in the regular season and 14 more in the first round of the playoffs. His Whitby team finished fifth in the regular season and lost a tough five-game playoff series.

Welcome to Duke, young fella.

Very happy to hear someone with Canadian box lacrosse experience is on the way.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

A high school from Imokolee High School, Imokolee, FL (a Seminole Indian reservation) will be competing in the Tournament in Charlotte this fall.

There is Lacrosse in Florida.

Lacrosse has become very big in south Florida high schools in recent years. Look for future recruits to come from Pine Crest (Ft. Lauderdale), my alma matta, in the next few years. Fellow recent Pine Crest/Duke alums include Antonio Vrankovic and baseball players Griffin Conine, (?) Kone and Michael Rothenberg. Great academics and great athletics, a natural fit for our lacrosse team! :cool:

[burnspbesq]

Another member of Duke’s incoming freshman class is making an impression.

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/epoch-il-committed-academy-day-1-recap-photos-and-standout-players/55124

[burnspbesq]

Very cool. Tx. Is he left handed like all other Canadian attackers? :D

Williams is, in fact, sinistral—as is another member of the freshman class, Connor Drake.

[burnspbesq]

At the U-19 women’s world championships, thr U.S. wrapped up pool play unbeaten and atop Group A with a 13-5 win over Canada on Sunday. After a tight first quarter, a run of seven straight draw controls by Duke sophomore Maddie Jenner triggered a 7-0 second quarter, and the Americans cruised to the win.

The U.S’ round-of-16 opponent will be determined by the results of Monday’s final day of pool play.

[burnspbesq]

The U.S. U-19 women took care of business against Hong Kong and Wales in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, by a combined score of 51-0. They face Australia in today’s semifinals.

In other news, Duke recruit Christian Mule, a high-scoring attackman from Long Island (and younger brother of a current Duke player) had a change of heart about doing a PG year. He’s heading to Lehigh this fall instead.

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/recruiting-il-s-no-57-senior-christian-mule-set-to-join-lehigh-s-incoming-class/55177

[yancem]

Not a Duke or college lacrosse thing but felt that it was interesting none the less, anyone else hear that New Balance / Warrior dropped Rabil because he was wearing an Adidas jersey (league sponsor) for his PLL team. I'm sure that there is more to the story (why drop him now when he has played in the jersey all season) but find it still surprising. I can't imagine that this will help Warrior's marketing. Other players may have passed in skill on the field (?) but Rabil is still the face of lacrosse and it's biggest star. I have to wonder if he had been pushing buttons to either break his deal or get leverage to improve it. Or is there something else going on behind the scenes? I don't know but thought I would share.

[MCFinARL]

The U.S. U-19 women took care of business against Hong Kong and Wales in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, by a combined score of 51-0. They face Australia in today’s semifinals.

In other news, Duke recruit Christian Mule, a high-scoring attackman from Long Island (and younger brother of a current Duke player) had a change of heart about doing a PG year. He’s heading to Lehigh this fall instead.

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/recruiting-il-s-no-57-senior-christian-mule-set-to-join-lehigh-s-incoming-class/55177

US women beat Australia 21-6 and will face defending champ Canada in the final tomorrow. https://www.uslacrosse.org/blog/us-beats-australia-to-reach-u19-championship-game Apparently there will be live coverage/streaming on the Olympic Channel and Lax Sports Network (who knew there was such a thing?) at 3 PM Eastern.

[BD80]

US women beat Australia 21-6 and will face defending champ Canada in the final tomorrow. https://www.uslacrosse.org/blog/us-beats-australia-to-reach-u19-championship-game Apparently there will be live coverage/streaming on the Olympic Channel and Lax Sports Network (who knew there was such a thing?) at 3 PM Eastern.

The Los Angeles Airport has its own sports channel?

Actually, it makes sense: the Dodgers are essentially tied for the best record in baseball, the Lakers and clippers will be must see TV and the Rams and the Chargers are poised for playoff seasons.

[MCFinARL]

The Los Angeles Airport has its own sports channel?

Actually, it makes sense: the Dodgers are essentially tied for the best record in baseball, the Lakers and clippers will be must see TV and the Rams and the Chargers are poised for playoff seasons.

"you must spread some comments..." etc. etc.

[burnspbesq]

The U.S. U-19 women completed a dominant run at the world championship by beating Canada for the gold, 13-3.

Duke sophomores Maddie Jenner (U.S.) and Hannah Thurston (England) made the all-tournament team.

[devilirium]

Ugh. Per Ty Xanders on Twitter, Christian Mule decommitted from Duke to Lehigh. He was set to go the PG route this year. Cameron, his brother, is a rising junior with Duke.

[MCFinARL]

Ugh. Per Ty Xanders on Twitter, Christian Mule decommitted from Duke to Lehigh. He was set to go the PG route this year. Cameron, his brother, is a rising junior with Duke.

Too bad, but maybe he wanted to play right away. And I heard they have a pretty good lacrosse coach at Lehigh. :)

[burnspbesq]

Too bad, but maybe he wanted to play right away. And I heard they have a pretty good lacrosse coach at Lehigh. :)

Another former Duke player is making noise in the coaching community.

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/last-night-okotoks-raiders-get-first-minto-win-over-non-alberta-team/55211

[burnspbesq]

Not necessarily Duke-related, but Loyola Greyhound and reigning Tewaaraton winner Pat Spencer is transferring to Northwestern hoops (https://watchstadium.com/news/lacrosse-star-pat-spencer-has-one-shot-to-play-college-basketball-and-hes-taking-it-05-10-2019/) to play for Chris Collins.

Spencer started and had 21 points and 10 assists for Northwestern in the first game of their pre-season tour of France, a 96-68 win over the Paris All-Stars.