JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS AWAY

[ClvrUsrnm]

When did/does spring practice start?

 

[GrowTheGame]

When did/does spring practice start?

First day of classes for Spring are next Monday, so I’d imagine next week if they didn’t already start up this week

 

[Powellfan]

When did/does spring practice start?

According to Brent they start today.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Anderson and Hottle potentially joining the offense could help a lot in the dodging category. Thomson also got better dodging against short sticks as the year went on. Him being able to consistently challenge a short stick match up could go a long way. Wonder if we use Hottle similar to Stevens last year, where he plays second line middie along with some wing and ssdm runs. Was just a scrimmage, but Carter Rice is a problem off the dodge in a two way situation. Would love to try some looks with him as a curve ball.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Curious if you can share anything you’ve heard regarding Anderson. Has he looked good, are you expecting him to start early on?

On Anderson I heard he looked good and saw a lot of time at attack and mid in the fall. I think it's probably unlikely he starts at attack to start the year (definitely not at Mid) but I think a lot like Dwan his frosh year I could see him ultimately getting the NOD as the season goes on. I just think his dodging ability is to much to leave out of a starting attack unit that doesn't really have an elite dodger.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Good stuff as always Jeremey. In a perfect world, I agree, it be preferable to have a dynamic (right handed) dodger as the third attackman. That said, I don't think the issue was so much that Mule struggled dodging last year (though that certainly didn't help). It seemed once he started getting short sticked, he short circuited. He put too much pressure on himself to beat a short stick that the rest of his game kind of fell apart. The last seven games of the season he was 4-24 shooting with eight assists. The game that sticks out to me was the Cornell game, when he had multiple chances on the doorstep but finished 0-5 shooting. He then went 1-9 shooting the following week against UNC.

IF Deere could establish himself as a premier finisher, I think that solves a lot of problem. Players like Dyson Williams and Jake Taylor are non dodging finishers who still draw long sticks. Whoever draws the short stick, whether the third attackman, or the second midfielder, has to make the defense pay. Deere, it sounds like was the top performer during the scrimmages. Obviously you don't want to put all your eggs into the scrimmage department, but that's what we have to go on right now. The Syracuse offense is predicated on ball movement and good shooting. I think there is a way forward with a player like Deere, if he can really put the ball in the net on a consistent basis. Mule wasn't doing that last year.

The left-handed-ness of the offense certainly complicates things, but I don't think Deere and Hiltz will be taking up the same space on the field.

Maybe Anderson is the answer here and his presence keeps the defense honest. But part of me thinks that Deere's finishing could be better than anything any other player could bring to the table. We will find out soon enough.

Thanks, looking forward to another year of our detailed posts and analysis, lmao.

I do agree with your points on Deere and comparisons to Dyson and Taylor. I also think that he seems destined to get the first crack as that 3rd attackmen. That said I would note that Dyson and Taylor both played around an elite dodger at attack and usually a fairly decent secondary dodger as the #2. Cuse doesn't really have that as Joey is decent but not an elite dodger by any stretch and Hiltz's weakest part of his game is probably his ability to dodge. Hiltz and Joey are both outstanding players but not great dodging threats especially against top defenses, SU really needs a dodging threat at that 3rd attack spot which is really the inverse of most teams who usually need an elite finisher at that 3rd spot. Deere is really the perfect replacement for Hiltz next year after graduation but he's so talented he can likely make it work this year.

I have no doubt this team can score a lot of goals with Deere starting at attack but the offense has a whole I worry may run up against the same issue we saw in a number of games when the Attack unit struggled mightily and the midfield had to really carry it ie Maryland, Army, Denver etc.

 

[PhatOrange]

Deere lit it up in the fall. I think he’ll be the starter opening day. We’ll see where it goes.

 

[Gettysbrg10]

A little late answering this - but great question. Because the clowns that run the NCAA are ready to grant a fifth year of eligibility any minute, this is my projected 2025 starting squad:

ATTACK: MIKE POWELL, MIKE LEVEILLE, & KEVIN RICE
MIDFIELD: GARY GAIT, MATT ABBOTT, & BRENDAN CURRY
LSM: JOEL WHITE
GOALIE: JOHN GALLOWAY
DEFENSE: BILLY DWAN, THE RIT TRANSFER (FORGOT HIS NAME), & RILEY FIGUEIRAS
SSDM: CARTER RICE, JOVAN MILLER, & PETER DEARTH

-Gary has been a player/coach before so this is actually his ideal scenario
-Mike Springer and Luke Rhoa are my first two off the bench on offense (to shoot piss missiles)
-John Galloway will step down as Jacksonville's coach right before the first game starts and completely catch his players off guard.
-On defense I went with the younger guys because the older guys have likely lost a step. Let's face it - all players on offense think they "still got it."

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

On Anderson I heard he looked good and saw a lot of time at attack and mid in the fall. I think it's probably unlikely he starts at attack to start the year (definitely not at Mid) but I think a lot like Dwan his frosh year I could see him ultimately getting the NOD as the season goes on. I just think his dodging ability is to much to leave out of a starting attack unit that doesn't really have an elite dodger.

Where's he going to dodge from? Doesnt he occupy the same space as Hiltz? I think we see either Deere as a Taylor-like player or Birt or Thomson playing the right attack. Anderson working up top the same way Leo does would provide some continuity between midfield lines.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Where's he going to dodge from? Doesnt he occupy the same space as Hiltz? I think we see either Deere as a Taylor-like player or Birt or Thomson playing the right attack. Anderson working up top the same way Leo does would provide some continuity between midfield lines.

I could be wrong but I believe the word on Anderson is that he can shoot with either hand and is comfortable playing/dodging from X, though he's probably at his best from doding downhill which why there was some rumblings about him maybe play middie at SU.

Deere I believe is the most likely starter at attack to at least start the year. The staff hasn't given Birt a shot at attack beyond his frosh year so I unfortunately doubt they will now. Thomson is a no go, they don't want him on a long pole all game.