Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

I don't know if I would read too much into how one organization treats one prospect to say how they will treat another, but it's a fair point.

Beyond just Geoffrion...the Preds have a track record of not rushing prospect. One noteable exception being Ryan Suter...but that was business/money more then necessarily rushing things.

[aktick]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

Granted: the AHL and NHL are both a lot more physical than what Smith was up against in Slovakia.

Very true. Although I would say he's more ready physically than I figured Derek Stepan was (a bit different style of player, sure)...and he turned out ok.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

On what basis do you say this? I think that it is a little unfair to proclaim a player's roster spot wasted 5 months before the season starts with no evidence to support such a claim. Is having Navin come in direct from WI HS ranks a risk that his contribution will be limited this season, sure. But give the kid a chance to perform before you lael him a waste.

I had previously compared him to Linaker, who has played against tougher competetion already. I think it's unrealiastic to think Navin will end up on the top 2 lines and score 30 pts right out of WI high school. IMHO, it would have been wiser to have him play 1 yr in the USHL, bulk up, get experience and then come in the next year, more ready to have an impact, and bring Linaker in now, who is more ready now than Navin.

I don't think UW is desperate for scorers next year....Zengerlee, Smith, Barnes, are all in line for monster years, Merch, Lee and Clark are all guys who can sieve a goalie.

Petersen scholarship

[Almington]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

I had previously compared him to Linaker, who has played against tougher competetion already. I think it's unrealiastic to think Navin will end up on the top 2 lines and score 30 pts right out of WI high school. IMHO, it would have been wiser to have him play 1 yr in the USHL, bulk up, get experience and then come in the next year, more ready to have an impact, and bring Linaker in now, who is more ready now than Navin.

I don't think UW is desperate for scorers next year....Zengerlee, Smith, Barnes, are all in line for monster years, Merch, Lee and Clark are all guys who can sieve a goalie.

Petersen scholarship

How did you compair Navin and Linaker? Did you just make a cursory overview of their stats and make a completely arbitrary decision? Have you ever actually seen either player play in this lst season? You talk to any of their coaches? Know anything about their habits or skills? Are they a defensive liability? Will they be a good fit for the team's system? Do they have one thing they do exceptionally well? What are their strengths and weaknesses? How they approach the game? How well will they fit into UW's team culture? FAR more goes into evaluating a player than simply looking at a score sheet and comparing the leagues that they played in. If that was all that it took how would anyone ever miss on a draft pick?

At worst even if Navin doesn't contribute on the ice much, he roster sport is far from wasted. Navin will be able to come into UW and bulk up and take advantage of the strength and conditioning program, learn the system and what the coaches expect of him and what he needs to do to be successful, and just adjust overall to life in college. Not any real difference to football players who come in and redshirt as true freshmen.

On top of that the coaches have to consider not just this season but how decisions will impact subsequent seasons. You brink in Linaker next season, who gets bumped from the 2012 to 2013 class? How does scholarship money have to be adjusted and reallocated between players (Linaker as an out-of-state student will need a larger % scholarship).

[DPlaya]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

I had previously compared him to Linaker, who has played against tougher competetion already. I think it's unrealiastic to think Navin will end up on the top 2 lines and score 30 pts right out of WI high school. IMHO, it would have been wiser to have him play 1 yr in the USHL, bulk up, get experience and then come in the next year, more ready to have an impact, and bring Linaker in now, who is more ready now than Navin.

I don't think UW is desperate for scorers next year....Zengerlee, Smith, Barnes, are all in line for monster years, Merch, Lee and Clark are all guys who can sieve a goalie.

Petersen scholarship

Zengerle and Lee would rather set someone up for a goal than score one themselves, but they will score some. Mersch put up great numbers last year but wasn't counted on to score a whole lot with the USNTDP. Barnes and Clark remain to be seen but I don't doubt they have the potential to put goals on the scoreboard at some point in their career. Jefferson Dahl has scoring potential as well.

I think one of the other things about Navin that may help is that he is a big, strong kid already. He's 6'2", 190 lbs and appears to have the strength to match from what I've seen of him.

As an aside, the Badgers could potentially have a lot of size at forward next season. They've got five returning forwards that are at least six feet tall, and Navin, LaBate, Woods and Lapic are all 6'2" or above I believe!

[Badgerdude4]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

I don't know if I would read too much into how one organization treats one prospect to say how they will treat another, but it's a fair point.

Nashville has waited with other players besides Blake. During that last game, the VS broadcasters said that Cody Franson had to wait 3 years before suiting up for an exhibition game. They also haven't used Ryan Ellis at all, who is supposedly going to be an all star someday.
Obviously I'm a homer, but I think Nashville would be better off leaving him here, especially after having developed as well as he has in two years. That might just be me though.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

Tim Davison's USHL rights were traded from Youngstown (who took him in the first round of the futures draft last year) to Chicago.

I asked Tim if he would be making the jump to the USHL next season and he said, "It's too early to tell. The trade makes it a whole new scenario."

When I interviewed Tim last fall he had said that he wanted to go to Youngstown for last season (his jr. year of high school) but his family decided it wasn't in his best interest. I figured it was certain he would be there this year. We'll see how it plays out.

[DPlaya]

Tim Davison's USHL rights were traded from Youngstown (who took him in the first round of the futures draft last year) to Chicago.

I asked Tim if he would be making the jump to the USHL next Uuseason and he said, "It's too early to tell. The trade makes it a whole new scenario."

When I interviewed Tim last fall he had said that he wanted to go to Youngstown for last season (his jr. year of high school) but his family decided it wasn't in his best interest. I figured it was certain he would be there this year. We'll see how it plays out.

I had heard he was leaning toward staying at Notre Dame prior to the trade but I didn't want to print that as I thought it might affect his USHL rights. Now that he's been traded I guess that's OK to say. I'd also think he's even less likely to play for Chicago than he was to play for Youngstown this year.

Team Wisconsin Major could be loaded at defense this year if Davison (Wisconsin) and Cliff Watson (Ohio State) return. Even without them Brett Bukowski and Ron Lindgren could return and John Feemster, Matt Fosdick and Alec Vanko potentially moving up from TW Minor.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

I had heard he was leaning toward staying at Notre Dame prior to the trade but I didn't want to print that as I thought it might affect his USHL rights. Now that he's been traded I guess that's OK to say. I'd also think he's even less likely to play for Chicago than he was to play for Youngstown this year.

Team Wisconsin Major could be loaded at defense this year if Davison (Wisconsin) and Cliff Watson (Ohio State) return. Even without them Brett Bukowski and Ron Lindgren could return and John Feemster, Matt Fosdick and Alec Vanko potentially moving up from TW Minor.

You're right, that d-core is loaded. Quite possibly the best group of d-men TW has ever had. The funny thing is, if McCabe didn't accelerate and go to the NTDP he could have been a member of that group next year as well.

Wes Hodkiewicz from the Green Bay Press Gazette told me last night that he also had heard that Davison was likely to return but I don't know. Davison's tweets to me sound like he had made up his mind to leave but now has to re-evaluate. He was asked by someone today what this trade means and he responded, "Only thing it changes is I have to make the decision of leaving or staying all over again."

Tim has a real chance at stepping in for 2012 since we're losing Springer to graduation and Schultz for sure to the NHL and maybe Ramage as well with no defensemen currently committed. Like I mentioned before the coaching staff has changed their philosophy on the USHL but there is no question he would be more prepared to come to Madison in 2012 if he spent next season in the USHL. We'll see how it plays out.

[Big Papa]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

I totally agree Tim is a really good player and can make a big difference in the future.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

Potential UW recruit Eddie Wittchow from Burnsville was selected by the Waterloo Black Hawks with the 4th overall pick in today's USHL Draft.

Danny Scherer, from Nashotah, WI who played in the NAHL with Amarillo was taken 12th overall. Formerly played for the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals.

Alex Dahl from Eau Claire, WI (Memorial) and brother of UW forward Jefferson was taken by Youngstown in the second round.

Other Wisconsin players: Michael Kapla (EC Memorial) 82nd to Sioux City, Matthew Purmal (Merrill, Marquette Electricians) 143rd to Lincoln, Austin Vieth (Marinette, Notre Dame Academy) 226th to Chicago, Todd Koritzinsky (Middleton) 243rd to Youngstown, Kyle Schmidt (Menomonee Falls, Milwaukee Jr Admirals) 245th to Waterloo, and Travis Wood (Hudson, Hill Murray HS) 262nd to Sioux City.

[MadCityRich]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

Today (as expected) Joseph LaBate, Brad Navin, Patrick Daly and Jake McCabe all signed their LOI and will join the Badgers for the fall of 2011.
http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-ho...051711aad.html

[aktick]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

Today (as expected) Joseph LaBate, Brad Navin, Patrick Daly and Jake McCabe all signed their LOI and will join the Badgers for the fall of 2011.
http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-ho...051711aad.html

Thanks, UWisco.

[UWisco]

Thanks, UWisco.

Appreciate the kind words.

[aktick]

Re: Wisconsin Recruiting: Filling the foundation with 5 stars

Appreciate the kind words.

Actually, I was taking a light-hearted jab at you, sorry if that wasn't clear.

All in good fun...