FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Redtooth]

For all the SJU folks that have been debating what is wrong in Collegeville, I would highly recommend reading the article in the StarTrib on transfers and their impact on the MIAC.  It is a very informative piece that presents today's reality. 

One last point, recruiting is an in exact science in the MIAC.  Some of the best MIAC players of all-time were not heavily recruited by anybody and some of the best HS recruits turned into duds.  Keep in mind, our beloved SJU has significantly changed it's student profile and increased the comprehensive cost steeply without a complementary increase in financial aid.

[AO]

MIAC PICK-EM'S
WEEK 4 STANDINGS

Name	W1	W2	W3	W4	W5	W6	W7	W8	W9	W10	W11	Overall
USTBench	14	13	11	11								49
miacmaniac	11	10	12	14								47
hazzben	13	8	9	14								44
FCGrizzliesGrad	10	5	15	14								44
Repete	12	5	13	11								41
sju56321	10	9	10	11								41
RoyalBU	7	11	10	11								39
GoldandBlueBU	9	10	7	12								38
WashedUp	8	10	8	11								37
smedindy	13	7	5	7								32
raiderguy	12	-	9	11								32
Retired Old Rat	9	10	2	10								31
finsleft	11	4	7	8								30
AO	5	7	8	7								27
SagatagSam	9	11	5	-								25
jayhawkdaddy	12	10	-	-								22
OzJohnnie	10	12	-	-								22
02 Warhawk	4	7	9	1								21
AlmostEx	6	10	1	4								21

Week 5 Sep. 29

Conference: 3pts
#10 Bethel @ Augsburg (+35.5)
#5 St. Thomas @ Carleton (+50.5)
St. Olaf @ St. John's (+2.5)
Hamline (+25.5) @ Gustavus

West Region: 1pt
Minnesota-Morris (+28.5) @ Northwestern
#4 UW-Whitewater @ #13 UW-Platteville (+10.5)

National: 1pt
Carnegie Mellon (+11.5) @ #17 Wabash

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

For all the SJU folks that have been debating what is wrong in Collegeville, I would highly recommend reading the article in the StarTrib on transfers and their impact on the MIAC.  It is a very informative piece that presents today's reality. 

One last point, recruiting is an in exact science in the MIAC.  Some of the best MIAC players of all-time were not heavily recruited by anybody and some of the best HS recruits turned into duds.  Keep in mind, our beloved SJU has significantly changed it's student profile and increased the comprehensive cost steeply without a complementary increase in financial aid.

It is an interesting read, but I dont buy into the point that you need transfers to succeed. It mentions a few transfers that helped UST in recent years, but also omitted 4-year guys like Waldvogel, Tracy, etc who had a much bigger impact on the team's success. Not diminishing the role the various transfers played, but they in and of themselves were not what turned things around.

I remember joking about the NDSU to SJU pipeline a few years back when NDSU moved to Division I and a number of players transfered to Collegeville. Seems that winning at the D-I level pretty much dried up that pipeline.

As an outsider, I think SJU has a very solid recruiting base in Stearns Co and the greater St Cloud area, combined with connections they have in the Twin Cities. Scuttle I hear is that the attitude seems to be "you can come to us" rather than "we want you"...operating under the assumption that the legend and historical success will lure top players, while other schools (Cord, UST, BU, Aug in particular) are aggressively pursuing kids who might have ended up elsewhere (including SJU) five-ten years ago.

With my purple bias, Im fine with SJU continuing that approach, much like most UST bashers would love to see a return to the pre-Caruso era. (and BU bashers would be happy if the Royals returned to their pre-Johnson days)

[USTBench]

Let's see what happens in 2 Weeks, then decide what you think of fisher.  Till then worry about your own conference.

UST is playing Carleton this weekend. Nothing to worry about in my conference right now, so I'm just going to go ahead and talk about how SJF fans think it's classless to play an entire football game.

[sfury]

For all the SJU folks that have been debating what is wrong in Collegeville, I would highly recommend reading the article in the StarTrib on transfers and their impact on the MIAC.  It is a very informative piece that presents today's reality. 

One last point, recruiting is an in exact science in the MIAC.  Some of the best MIAC players of all-time were not heavily recruited by anybody and some of the best HS recruits turned into duds.  Keep in mind, our beloved SJU has significantly changed it's student profile and increased the comprehensive cost steeply without a complementary increase in financial aid.

The inexact science part is right on. I've used this example before, but take Dakota Tracy. If there had been a discussion when they were recruited, would anyone have been patting St. Thomas on the back when they landed a kid from New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (yes, they used to beat up JWP but big whoop) while the Johnnies landed the QB who led Wayzata to the big school state title  in '08 and a kid who was an absolute stud in Baltimore? Yet Tracy barely lost a game at St. Thomas while the Johnnies have had the QB shuffle.

Obviously when it comes to a deep roster it's a bit easier to translate and if you get a ton of high school studs they probably will pan out and we can say this school is dominating recruiting, and the Tommies (and others) have that edge now. But many times the difference makers are somewhat under the radar guys. Offensively, I think the Johnnies have had more overall talented units in the nine years since the 2003 team. But that '03 team had one guy who changed everything.

[sjusection105]

Obviously when it comes to a deep roster it's a bit easier to translate and if you get a ton of high school studs they probably will pan out and we can say this school is dominating recruiting, and the Tommies (and others) have that edge now. But many times the difference makers are somewhat under the radar guys. Offensively, I think the Johnnies have had more overall talented units in the nine years since the 2003 team. But that '03 team had one guy who changed everything.

And he almost didn't go to SJU except for  encouragement fom Tom Linneman, he may not have ended up in Collegeville.

[USTBench]

Anyone catch this: http://deadspin.com/5946574/some-college-in-minnesota-painted-its-midfield-logo-on-the-wrong-yard-line

Might have to drive out and see it for myself. Crookston is only a 20 minute drive.

[DuffMan]

Oops.  Awesome!!! 

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

The inexact science part is right on. I've used this example before, but take Dakota Tracy. If there had been a discussion when they were recruited, would anyone have been patting St. Thomas on the back when they landed a kid from New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (yes, they used to beat up JWP but big whoop) while the Johnnies landed the QB who led Wayzata to the big school state title  in '08 and a kid who was an absolute stud in Baltimore? Yet Tracy barely lost a game at St. Thomas while the Johnnies have had the QB shuffle.

I for one was "oh lord, who dat???" till I saw Tracy play... a true diamond in the rough. Nothing fancy, just win, win, win

[SagatagSam]

Scuttle I hear is that the attitude seems to be "you can come to us" rather than "we want you"...operating under the assumption that the legend and historical success will lure top players, while other schools (Cord, UST, BU, Aug in particular) are aggressively pursuing kids who might have ended up elsewhere (including SJU) five-ten years ago.

This is what has always irritated me about the SJU approach to recruiting.

But, I've decided that today is going to be a glass-half-full kind of day. And, I am basing my optimism from a Gary Fasching quote in the SC Times this summer that I managed to come across where he talks about this season's incoming freshman class being the best recruiting class he's ever seen (Gary has been around since the mid-1990s and is not one to stretch words).

But, again, as many have said, some of the greatest players the MIAC has ever seen have flown completely under the radar.

[fisheralum91]

UST Bench- that wasnt aimed at you.
It was aimed at Hazzben.
Im long past the end of game arguments of a year ago.

[faunch]

Take note...Aryton Scott: FY QB at Augsburg could end up as one of the best offensive players in the MIAC.  I watched him play as a senior at Southwest.  Had he played at on a Lake Conference team in high school he would have gotten more attention. 

[Redtooth]

A couple quick points; the notion that SJU recruits with the "you can come with us" attitude is a near complete fabrication.  The players that SJU "targets" are always treated as well as anyplace and encouraged and asked to attend SJU and play.  Keep in mind, 400-500 high school juniors and seniors take "recruiting trips" to SJU and discuss their college football plans.  Some come in large school groups with 10+ teammates, others are invited to show up individually with their parents.  In my experience (both as a player and coach), a recruit spends a great deal of time with John and the rest of the coaching staff and is also involved in some capacity with the Admissions office...sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

The notion that Jimmy is only one responsible for recruiting is also incorrect.  Gary also involved significantly as are all the other coaches.

On the topic of transfers, there can be little argument that transfers helped speed the UST success under Caruso.  Without them, he would have been stuck with the leftovers of Roney.

[AO]

Do any of the SJU coaches make in-home recruiting visits like Caruso?  Is there any doubt that other schools do more texting/calling?    I have no doubt that Frank is correct when he says the recruiting style at St. John's hasn't changed over the years for the worse, it just hasn't kept up.

[cobbernation]

Anyone catch this: http://deadspin.com/5946574/some-college-in-minnesota-painted-its-midfield-logo-on-the-wrong-yard-line

Might have to drive out and see it for myself. Crookston is only a 20 minute drive.

Bench,

What are you doing near crookston?  Give the U of M-Crookston volunteer students credit, at least it's an M.