If my research is correct, today marks SLU's first series win against Rochester since 2014 and first double header sweep since 2013.

Quote from: ImTold on March 28, 2025, 09:01:08 PMI'm Told NYU HC Dave Klatsky is leaving to take an assistant coaching role at the University of Florida

I thought he was going to get the Columbia or Fordham job, but the coach he's replacing at Florida got the Columbia job.  Around and around we go.   

Big commit for SLU today, Aidan Phelan from West Genesee. 19 PPG, first team all league.  6'4" guard/wing that can jump out of the gym,  shoot and play defense.  A player I've been hoping SLU has been after, and very happy to see they were and closed the deal. Downs really mining the central NY talent post covid.

As far as other good NY talent, RPI got Kellan Driscoll from Glens Falls to commit.  Very, very good hooper.  He's a prototypical RPI player.  6'4", tough defender, great driving to the rim and can shoot at a good clip.  With the exception of a few teams almost the entire Liberty League was after him, as well as the top SUNYs.  Was the best player on a Glens Falls team that just won back to back class A state championships off of consecutive 32-0 seasons. 

It's not to say they won't make your team worse, you're most likely  better off with than without. But it can create significantly unrealistic expectations.

"D1 transfer" carries a lot of connotations, but in soccer this really does not mean a whole lot unless they are scholarship players from a power conference team.

Updated full SLU commit list:

Zach Amato, GK, Brooks School MA.
Verus Kibanga, CAM/CM, Tanzania/UWC East Africa.
Henry Blaxter, F/CAM, Stevenson School, Pebble Beach CA. 
Sam Bothwell, CAM/wing, Manchester Essex HS MA
Kenneth Mejia Lopez, LB/LW, Fox Lane HS NY.

Much prefer seeing a team built like Trinity win over a team like NYU.  No covid seniors, no 5th year d1 mercenary hires. 4 year players recruited and developed from the ground up.  I'm not a purist or anything, but I can't say I'm upset seeing teams that had massive advantages in terms of 5th year/graduate student recruitment not have anything to show for it in the end. 

Tristan How was on the Not Even D2 podcast very recently and I did not get the impression he had any remaining eligibility.

I didn't deny otherwise, it's a very crazy and unpredictable world.  That does not mean it's not a bad place for most potential coaching candidates.  For every Tony Bennett disillusioned with the world (after having already reached the pinnacle by the way) there are several hundred others that would do everything they could to get his position.  Dealing with NIL and portal issues is more than worth the effort to get the bag and prestige that comes with a job like that.

Arizona State's football coach summed it up best:  "There's a lot of negative of it, yes, but do you know how many people want to be a college football coach? I literally spent nine years of my life doing anything to become a coffee boy. So don't give me the, 'Oh, it's hard to be a college coach right now.' Then quit. That's how I look at it". 

Quote from: toad22 on March 17, 2025, 01:31:09 PMD1 is a bad place to be a coach. It is no fun anymore and you will likely get fired no matter what you do. D3 is the place to be!

I get the sentiment, but this just is not true.  For every coach that gets fired, there are hundreds that would kill to be in their place even with very little job security.  Most of the time the really weak job security applies to the power conference programs, and the amount of money you get as a fired power conference coach in terms of buyouts or remaining contract salary will always make d1 the place to be.  Anderson will get paid the remaining 3 years on his contract which is about 10 years worth of salary at a very high end coaching position you'd see at a NESCAC or UAA.   A situation like the one at Iona is still an exception when it comes to mid majors. I love d3 as much as the next person, but d1 is most definitely not a bad place to be a coach.

Quote from: HoopsDad34 on March 16, 2025, 09:38:02 AMMaybe a dumb question: how do you find out who is in the portal other than the athlete announcing it on X or Insta? The actual portal is only available to coaches, correct?

Verbal Commits only tracks d1 and d2 players in the portal, but does tell you the institution they transferred to even if it includes a d3.  It's a useful resource once players start committing to programs.

Next month or so commits should start being finalized. 

Some day in the near future I'll comb through the rest of the league, but so far this is the recruiting class next year for SLU:

Tommy McMahon, 6' PG, Deerfield Academy MA.
Nathan Clay, 6'1" SG, Kimball Union Academy NH.
Daniel Hoey, 6'5" G/F, Scarsdale HS NY.
Drew Baker, 6'8" F/C, Hamilton HS NY.

No surprise the class is very defensive oriented along with all players having good shooting ability.  Hoey is pretty highly touted, can be a 3 level scorer and at 6'5" can give defenses a lot of issues.   Good chance he ends up being a 4 year starter.

Not putting more time on the clock still essentially makes the game over if they try to inbounds in the back court. Can't get a shot off in time, it would have to be a full court heave baseball pass to get a tip attempt.

Deafening silence on the NESCAC board right now, well done Redlands!  One of the best comebacks I've seen in the NCAAT.

Represented the league well.  Got hot at the right time, beat a good team in the first round, hung with WPI for the whole game.  The Liberty League is tough.

Only 7 months until we get to do it all over again.