Class of 2018 Austin Staats (ON / OCC) Attack to NLL Draft

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[JeremyCuse]

Really hope we can land him. Would give us a ridiculous 2018 class

 

[PhatOrange]

what stick is that he's sporting?

 

[Orangello]

what stick is that he's sporting?

The Hammer of Thor

 

[Orangello]

what stick is that he's sporting?

I think it's a Warrior EVO Warp.

 

[outoftownie]

what stick is that he's sporting?

UA command lo

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

what stick is that he's sporting?

 

[PhatOrange]

UA command lo

indeed, that's what it is. thanks!

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Austin Staats at OCC For 2018; Will McNamara to Saint Joseph's, More

Austin Staats is at Onondaga Community College for the 2018 season.

Staats, 19, is a budding star who would likely be the top NLL draft pick if he were to declare. Him returning to OCC is no surprise; the thought among many league sources has been that Staats would continue his college career at OCC, then presumably at Syracuse, making him a target for the 2020 NLL Draft class.

Coach Chuck Wilbur confirmed such to Inside Lacrosse on Thursday.

Staats had 81 points in his first season with OCC, leading the Lazers with 59 goals and putting them back on top of the JuCo world with an NJCAA National Championship. He was named a first-team All-American.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Austin Staats at OCC For 2018; Will McNamara to Saint Joseph's, More

Austin Staats is at Onondaga Community College for the 2018 season.

Staats, 19, is a budding star who would likely be the top NLL draft pick if he were to declare. Him returning to OCC is no surprise; the thought among many league sources has been that Staats would continue his college career at OCC, then presumably at Syracuse, making him a target for the 2020 NLL Draft class.

Coach Chuck Wilbur confirmed such to Inside Lacrosse on Thursday.

Staats had 81 points in his first season with OCC, leading the Lazers with 59 goals and putting them back on top of the JuCo world with an NJCAA National Championship. He was named a first-team All-American.

Him returning this season was expected after he didn't declare but still great news. Very important that he end up at Syracuse next year, by the sounds of that article maybe a silent or at least a known Verbal to the staff.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Him returning this season was expected after he didn't declare but still great news. Very important that he end up at Syracuse next year, by the sounds of that article maybe a silent or at least a known Verbal to the staff.

I think Coach Wilbur confirmed that Staats was only returning to OCC. Nothing more.

I still think he goes pro after next season. He's already the #1 pick.

 

[JeremyCuse]

I think Coach Wilbur confirmed that Staats was only returning to OCC. Nothing more.

I still think he goes pro after next season. He's already the #1 pick.

If he didn't do it this year I think he will play at least a year at SU. Rumor is that he is a big SU fan and wants to play for Syracuse like Randy.

 

[Whitey23]

I think Coach Wilbur confirmed that Staats was only returning to OCC. Nothing more.

I agree. The blurb was poorly written. It leads the reader to infer the it was Wilbur saying "then presumably at Syracuse". When I think he only means to say that the public consensus was that he was go onto Syracuse.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

Remember that Austin's ties to SU go beyond just Randy. Cody Jamieson is their cousin whom they are very close with & Austin wears #43 to honor both him & Marshall Abrams. I have always believed that Austin's goal was to wear Orange. Both Randy & Cody would've also been top 3 picks had they declared after OCC but both climbed academic hurdles to realize their dream.

Austin would be one of our biggest recruits in recent memory. IMO, he's better overall than both Randy & Jammer & would be, at worst, a top 10 attackman nationally the moment he steps on campus.

Remember, this is a kid that scored 3 straight goals to open the game against the USA U-19s (a day after putting up 3&4 vs Canada) before the US won 21 straight FOs & the Iroquois barely touched the ball again. In that game, USA G Willie Klan faced a total of 4 shots on goal...Staats scored on 3 of those. The best teenage defenders in America had absolutely zero answer for him. He's put up numbers in the OLA Jr A ranks that rival John Grant Jr.'s

My only concern would be his friendship/familiarity with Naticoke & Marr's style luring him to UA but I think he's Orange & that Desko will give him the same freedom as Randy from the start.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

If he didn't do it this year I think he will play at least a year at SU. Rumor is that he is a big SU fan and wants to play for Syracuse like Randy.

Exactly. How many shots of him rocking 'Cuse gear have we seen. Both in the UA Underclass tourney & during OCC scrimmages.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

I'll add one more post for the conspiracy theorists out there lol Austin has been a known commodity in the prep ranks for years & the expectation that he wears Orange no secret. Though we'll likely never know for certain, I wouldn't be shocked if this was at least a partial factor into Wisnauskas's decision. He was likely in line to start this coming year alongside Solomon & Rehfuss but would've almost certainly seen his spot taken by Staats for the 2 following years.

Ironically, it was Randy Staats taking Derek Maltz's spot on attack that likely played a role in Dylan's transfer to UMD.

Of course, there could also be a certain Denver transfer that played a role here. I'm sure Brendan Bomberry has at least casually mentioned the thought to his good buddy this Summer. BB's public IG post from 7/30...Miller on the right...hey, we can dream, right?

 

[Gonzo]

Two questions/observations on Staats. One, how much money do MLL players typically make? I thought it was something around $20K, thus requiring all but the marquee names who get decent endorsement money to have full-time jobs in addition to the MLL. Even if he also played in the indoor league, it would not add up to nice money. So where is the motivation to skip a four-year college degree to go pro? Even if he would be the number one pick, lack of visibility/name recognition from failing to play D1 ball would not exactly enhance is endorsement potential either. Thus it would seem more logical if all this is true (I could be missing something), that he would opt for SU or another top D1 program next year. And second, as for the chance he would go to UAlbany, if this would be his choice, why not have gone there already. I certainly do not know his academic situation, but my understanding is that while SU will not admit kids from the reservation schools directly, UAlbany generally does, and this has given them a leg up on the Iroquois recruits.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Two questions/observations on Staats. One, how much money do MLL players typically make? I thought it was something around $20K, thus requiring all but the marquee names who get decent endorsement money to have full-time jobs in addition to the MLL. Even if he also played in the indoor league, it would not add up to nice money. So where is the motivation to skip a four-year college degree to go pro? Even if he would be the number one pick, lack of visibility/name recognition from failing to play D1 ball would not exactly enhance is endorsement potential either. Thus it would seem more logical if all this is true (I could be missing something), that he would opt for SU or another top D1 program next year. And second, as for the chance he would go to UAlbany, if this would be his choice, why not have gone there already. I certainly do not know his academic situation, but my understanding is that while SU will not admit kids from the reservation schools directly, UAlbany generally does, and this has given them a leg up on the Iroquois recruits.

I am not aware of Staats being interested in playing for Albany. With Nanticoke being there I don't think it would work as they both want to be the QB type.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I certainly do not know his academic situation, but my understanding is that while SU will not admit kids from the reservation schools directly, UAlbany generally does, and this has given them a leg up on the Iroquois recruits.

Not true.

Anyone with a high enough GPA and SAT/ACT scores will be admitted to SU directly. Neither Tyson nor Brendan Bomberry attended a JUCO.

 

[Gonzo]

Could UAlbany still have a more liberal admission policy to the reservation kids than SU does? I have heard this but am not aware of particulars (and this could be all wrong). When was the last time SU took a freshman recruit directly from a reservation high school? Note that Brendan had two years of academics at Denver before he came to SU and Tyson attended Avon Old Farms private school in Connecticut before coming here. Just curious. Thanks for the feedback

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Albany has different admission standards period.

Just like Syracuse has different standards than Harvard.

Pierce Abrams came to SU directly from Niagara-Wheatfield in 2010. But he only stayed here a year. He's the last Six Nations kid I can recall that didn't have to attend a prep or JUCO first.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

Albany has different admission standards period.

Just like Syracuse has different standards than Harvard.

Pierce Abrams came to SU directly from Niagara-Wheatfield in 2010. But he only stayed here a year. He's the last Six Nations kid I can recall that didn't have to attend a prep or JUCO first.

Brennen Ferguson, from the same HS & reservation, also came straight to SU in 2014 & played only a year, though he's remains enrolled at SU. Both Ferguson & Abrams were recipients of the H-Promise Scholarship.

Also, in response to Gonzo, Austin would be the top pick in the NLL (Indoor Pro League) draft. I doubt he's on many MLL (Outdoor) draft radars.

 

[jr4750]

I'll add one more post for the conspiracy theorists out there lol Austin has been a known commodity in the prep ranks for years & the expectation that he wears Orange no secret. Though we'll likely never know for certain, I wouldn't be shocked if this was at least a partial factor into Wisnauskas's decision. He was likely in line to start this coming year alongside Solomon & Rehfuss but would've almost certainly seen his spot taken by Staats for the 2 following years.

Ironically, it was Randy Staats taking Derek Maltz's spot on attack that likely played a role in Dylan's transfer to UMD.

Of course, there could also be a certain Denver transfer that played a role here. I'm sure Brendan Bomberry has at least casually mentioned the thought to his good buddy this Summer. BB's public IG post from 7/30...Miller on the right...hey, we can dream, right?

View attachment 107159

Great sleuthing! Thanks! Do we think that because Miller did not enter the MLL draft this past Spring, he is looking to play one more year in D1? Miller being a middie, would be a big one year pickup for cuse. Slot him right into Sergio's spot.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

Great sleuthing! Thanks! Do we think that because Miller did not enter the MLL draft this past Spring, he is looking to play one more year in D1? Miller being a middie, would be a big one year pickup for cuse. Slot him right into Sergio's spot.

I don't think Miller was eligible for this past MLL Draft. I believe the rule is that players must exhaust their college eligibility clock. The date to watch for Miller is 9/18, that's the NLL draft, though I'm sure there's a deadline to submit your name so it would likely be public if he did.

EDIT: Did some quick research...apparently you can waive your remaining eligibility to enter the NLL draft. I can think of many who have, Vaughn Harris from OCC, Seth Oakes from OCC/Albany. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any who have done it in the MLL.

Major League Lacrosse

MLL is the only professional sports league that requires players to exhaust their NCAA eligibility prior to entering the draft.


National Lacrosse League Announces Combine and Draft Dates Ahead of 2018 Season | National Lacrosse League

Regarding draft eligibility...

Any player who has participated in a US NCAA or NJCAA collegiate varsity lacrosse program that has exhausted or forfeited his NCAA collegiate varsity lacrosse eligibility.

Players who intend to forfeit their remaining NCAA eligibility or enter the draft as a underage player, contact blemon@nll.com to obtain a renunciation form.

 

[bjred]

I thought Miller had used up his last year of eligibility anyway by playing in some fall scrimmages or was that just some propaganda going around from sour Denver fans?