Re: UNH Wildcats 2017/2018 - Umile's Last Stand - The Grand Finale
I think you misinterpret what I'm getting at when I mention the need for more aggressive recruiting. I can absolutely understand why you might read what I wrote and assume that I'm implying they're not 'trying' - but that is not what I mean to say. Recruiting is a results based business. The results UNH has been getting have been slow to develop and they haven't been good enough. This indicates to me that something needs to change - in terms of targeting kids earlier or younger, offering more money, being more persistent or vivid in terms of communicating and establishing relationships, reaching out to prep and club coaches or expanding recruiting pools. Something. Anything. They need to be more creative. Now.
Aggressiveness to me is about taking more chances. Adding a sense of urgency. Differentiating the program and the opportunity, etc. Its hard to look at the recruiting results and not imagine a strategy that takes recruiting as it comes, showcasing a conservative approach to making offers and to how much is offered. An uncertainty. A haphazard vision/plan. A willingness to settle for role players early. Maybe I'm wrong - but as I've said before the alternative is they're doing everything right and they just can't close. That's a much bigger problem without much of a solution. So I hope its the former...
Northeastern is the perfect example. They've taken a torrid approach on the recruiting trail since Madigan took over. He has led a staff that has thrown money at 15-16 year olds like they're printing it beneath Matthews Arena. That's how a program with zero history of winning, awful and dated facilities (though historic) and with an (IMO) horrible head coach has reeled in talent. You mentioned the Beanpot - that tournament only matters to BC/BU recruits (and in reality the Beanpot is way down the list of reasons they choose those two schools - NHL Dreams is far and away #1). Kids go to Harvard for the academics. Northeastern has always been a fall-back school. Until now. Now its a first and aggressive offer type school and it has paid off in terms of the talent they're bringing in. CC is another. They were horrendous a couple years ago. They threw money at Halloran and Bergh and told them they'd come in an score a ton of points right away. Its paying off in spades. Now they've landed Cruikshank by throwing him a full-ride. They've brought in HUGE classes and kept the kids who made an impact.
This is the type of aggression that UNH is missing - Like Watcher pointed out, they appear to still be recruiting as if they are the program they used to be. They're too patient. They're too frugal...
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Once again, here's how far 18-Scholarships can go if you spend aggressively...
Full - Full - Full
Full - Full - Full
Full - Full - Full
Half - Half - Half
Walk - Walk - Walk
Full - Full
Full - Full
Half - Half
Half - Walk
Full
Full
Walk
Right now, UNH is spreading money around to generously - a cautious approach to cover its bases if they miss on a more high-profile kids. They're not in a position to do this. Kids like Miller, Cefalu, Sato, Fregona, Boyd, Dawson, etc are getting money. That's money that can't be given to top-prospects which means your settling for Nazarians, MacAdams', Salvaggio's as your top-six forwards instead of kids who really have the talent to play those roles. You can add depth through walk-ons. If that type of player doesn't want to come for free - grab the next player (with similar talent) who will come for free. Save the money for the top kids and throw it at them, even if you miss once in a while...
UNH doesn't seem to be willing or interested in taking chances on a lot of projectable kids early. Kids will jump on and be enamored with their first offer - see Commesso and all the young kids jumping at offers from other schools. They appear to want to wait until a kid proves himself - unfortunately, at that point he's likely off the market. That leaves UNH with its choice of projects and projected role players at the NCAA level. These aren't the difference makers they need...
Offer more money - that's a form of aggression that is missing. Targeting the top kids before anyone else - that's a form of aggression that is missing. Hound club coaches and prospects with your new vision for the program so that it becomes perception in recruiting circles - that's a form of aggression that is missing. The approach is too conservative right now. Its too laissez-faire. Its not paying dividends and the results speak for themselves. Ive never argued that they're not trying or working hard. I'm arguing that their approach seems better suited for UNH Hockey circa 2000 (when kids were lined up). Their recruiting methods need to change based on what the program is now. If they're doing all of this and its still not working then the change needs to be the personnel doing the recruiting...
Originally posted by HockeyRef
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Aggressiveness to me is about taking more chances. Adding a sense of urgency. Differentiating the program and the opportunity, etc. Its hard to look at the recruiting results and not imagine a strategy that takes recruiting as it comes, showcasing a conservative approach to making offers and to how much is offered. An uncertainty. A haphazard vision/plan. A willingness to settle for role players early. Maybe I'm wrong - but as I've said before the alternative is they're doing everything right and they just can't close. That's a much bigger problem without much of a solution. So I hope its the former...
Northeastern is the perfect example. They've taken a torrid approach on the recruiting trail since Madigan took over. He has led a staff that has thrown money at 15-16 year olds like they're printing it beneath Matthews Arena. That's how a program with zero history of winning, awful and dated facilities (though historic) and with an (IMO) horrible head coach has reeled in talent. You mentioned the Beanpot - that tournament only matters to BC/BU recruits (and in reality the Beanpot is way down the list of reasons they choose those two schools - NHL Dreams is far and away #1). Kids go to Harvard for the academics. Northeastern has always been a fall-back school. Until now. Now its a first and aggressive offer type school and it has paid off in terms of the talent they're bringing in. CC is another. They were horrendous a couple years ago. They threw money at Halloran and Bergh and told them they'd come in an score a ton of points right away. Its paying off in spades. Now they've landed Cruikshank by throwing him a full-ride. They've brought in HUGE classes and kept the kids who made an impact.
This is the type of aggression that UNH is missing - Like Watcher pointed out, they appear to still be recruiting as if they are the program they used to be. They're too patient. They're too frugal...
---
Once again, here's how far 18-Scholarships can go if you spend aggressively...
Full - Full - Full
Full - Full - Full
Full - Full - Full
Half - Half - Half
Walk - Walk - Walk
Full - Full
Full - Full
Half - Half
Half - Walk
Full
Full
Walk
Right now, UNH is spreading money around to generously - a cautious approach to cover its bases if they miss on a more high-profile kids. They're not in a position to do this. Kids like Miller, Cefalu, Sato, Fregona, Boyd, Dawson, etc are getting money. That's money that can't be given to top-prospects which means your settling for Nazarians, MacAdams', Salvaggio's as your top-six forwards instead of kids who really have the talent to play those roles. You can add depth through walk-ons. If that type of player doesn't want to come for free - grab the next player (with similar talent) who will come for free. Save the money for the top kids and throw it at them, even if you miss once in a while...
UNH doesn't seem to be willing or interested in taking chances on a lot of projectable kids early. Kids will jump on and be enamored with their first offer - see Commesso and all the young kids jumping at offers from other schools. They appear to want to wait until a kid proves himself - unfortunately, at that point he's likely off the market. That leaves UNH with its choice of projects and projected role players at the NCAA level. These aren't the difference makers they need...
Offer more money - that's a form of aggression that is missing. Targeting the top kids before anyone else - that's a form of aggression that is missing. Hound club coaches and prospects with your new vision for the program so that it becomes perception in recruiting circles - that's a form of aggression that is missing. The approach is too conservative right now. Its too laissez-faire. Its not paying dividends and the results speak for themselves. Ive never argued that they're not trying or working hard. I'm arguing that their approach seems better suited for UNH Hockey circa 2000 (when kids were lined up). Their recruiting methods need to change based on what the program is now. If they're doing all of this and its still not working then the change needs to be the personnel doing the recruiting...
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