Recruiting

[LILax]

There have been a lot of comments about the recent recruiting from DeLuca and Company. Most of the people on this forum think that UD has fallen behind in NIL and recruiting overall. I have to tell you that aside from missing out on Canadian talent, the last four classes have been among the best recruiting classes that the Hens have ever had ON PAPER. Each year they have snagged between 3-4 four star players (mostly on defense) and have had a ton of three star guys. They have also brought in some of the best players in the highly competitive MIAA including Liam Powell (Loyola Blakefield), Lange Gaspar (Calvert Hall), Duncan Barnes (Boys Latin), Greyson Dunn (Archbishop Spaulding) , Brady Wesloski (Boys Latin), Nathan Ferguson (Landon), Tyler Owings (Boys Latin), Jake Wolf (Archbishop Spaulding) and Matt Joerres (Loyola Blakefield).

DeLuca has also unearthed underrated/talented players from across the states including Goalie Colton Silverstein (Texas), Finn Rodgers (Colorado), Troon Houlton (Indiana) and Keegan Lathrop (Maine).

The Hens are missing creative goal scoring and that is mostly shown up with the lack of Canadian recruits. The Hens 20% shooting is still the last in all of Division 1. Freshman recruit Matt Triolo (#26 in Inside Lacrosse class of '25) was supposed to help fill that gap of creative goal scorers, but he has been injured for most of this season following a slow start to his season.

UD has a lot to offer prospective recruits (Great school, great town, centrally located, rich lacrosse history, great facilities, great coaches and a competitive conference with games being televised on ESPN). Unfortunately, there are a lot of D1 Universities that offer just as much or more than Delaware. I would say that the entire Ivy League, ACC and Big Ten fit into that category. That is a lot of top 20 schools right there. Maybe it is personal bias, but there really is no excuse for teams like Drexel, Towson, High Point, Lehigh, BU, Utah, Lafayette, Bucknell, Hofstra, UMass, Fairfield, Bryant, Colgate, Jacksonville, Marquette, Providence, Villanova, St. Joseph's and Vermont to out recruit Delaware. The Hens have a better overall combination of history, campus life, academics, facilities and competitive league play than most if not all of these squads.

I am not even suggesting that these teams have out recruited the Hens. But I will say that in a lot of cases they are getting more out of the talent that they have recruited than the Hens in recent years. The Hens have had an unusually high injury rate over the last two years in particular, which has led to DeLuca playing many inexperienced players during that period.

I will leave you with this video from legendary lacrosse influencer (former Ohio State attackman) Mitchell Pelke who takes us through the recruiting process for recent '27 Hen commit from the BRONX, of all places, Jordany Rosario. There were a lot of programs vying for this special talent, but Mark Bieda and Coach DeLuca got Rosario to choose Newark Delaware. Watch the whole video - UD is going to love watching this kid play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e_c5-cVQ-A

[WingT]

Lilax: great news! Thanks for the link!!!

[Cluck U]

That was an awesome video!!!

Happy to have this guy choose Delaware. Great story...will be looking for him next year.

Thanks, LLax!

[Heeper]

What an amazing story! I spend 3 months a year teaching English to kids in the DR and can appreciate his tight family and their support. I am pulling for this kid hard and hope to be wearing his jersey next January in the DR.

[77HEN]

Finally got a chance to view the video of Rosario (retirement can be so busy ) That’s a great story and, of course, I hope he has a story book career with Blue Hens Lacrosse.

Thanks for sharing that LI and thanks for some positive comments for the program. The defense is playing awesome these days and we have stabilized in the face off category. Looking forward to a great competitive end to the season and success in future years. It all starts again this Saturday in Del Stadium against A10 opponent St. Bonaventure. Go Hens!

[Cluck U]

Final home game of the season on Saturday....1pm start.

Folks, if you ever wanted to check out men's lacrosse, Saturday would be the day to do it. Beat the Bonnies and we should be in the playoffs.

Shorts and t-shirt weather...79-80 degrees with a 10/11mph breeze from the SE.

Alumni Day...$5 off tickets. It is also 302 Day...not sure what that means...perhaps a discount for DE residents?

Free parking....right next to the stadium.

So, for $15 (or $10, if you're a Delaware grad), you can enjoy a great day at the Tub...right up front (there are no assigned seats, so pick any seat on the West side of the stadium).

Bargain.

Heck, for $10 more, you can enter the Clubhouse.

Lacrosse is a good sport to watch.

[UDHoops]

Excited to be there Saturday.

A win on Saturday means that a win next week still likely needs to happen. Top 4 make it, Richmond and High Point in.

T3. St Joe’s 2-2 (@ Richmond, vs. Delaware)
T3. Delaware 2-2 (vs. St. Bonaventure, @ St. Joe’s)
5. UMass 2-3 (@ Hobart)

If St. Joes loses to Richmond, Delaware beats the Bonnies, UMass beats Hobart, and St. Joe’s beats Delaware, it would set up a 3-way tie for 2 spots.

Down the line of tiebreakers for the A10 per their website:
1. H2H in the group (all 1-1)
2. Winning percentage against common opponents (all lost to High Point/Richmond, beat Hobart/St. Bonaventure)
3. Goal differential in the H2H composite of group (UMass beat St. Joe’s by 2, we beat UMass by 1). If we lost to St. Joe’s by 1, we would make it. If we lost by 2 or more, we would be the odd man out.

Of course if St. Joe’s wins or UMass loses this weekend, yes win and in this weekend. The math stays simple if the Hens win out, and that starts in the final home game this weekend!

[Cluck U]

Excited to be there Saturday.

A win on Saturday means that a win next week still likely needs to happen. Top 4 make it, Richmond and High Point in.

T3. St Joe’s 2-2 (@ Richmond, vs. Delaware)
T3. Delaware 2-2 (vs. St. Bonaventure, @ St. Joe’s)
5. UMass 2-3 (@ Hobart)

If St. Joes loses to Richmond, Delaware beats the Bonnies, UMass beats Hobart, and St. Joe’s beats Delaware, it would set up a 3-way tie for 2 spots.

Down the line of tiebreakers for the A10 per their website:
1. H2H in the group (all 1-1)
2. Winning percentage against common opponents (all lost to High Point/Richmond, beat Hobart/St. Bonaventure)
3. Goal differential in the H2H composite of group (UMass beat St. Joe’s by 2, we beat UMass by 1). If we lost to St. Joe’s by 1, we would make it. If we lost by 2 or more, we would be the odd man out.

Of course if St. Joe’s wins or UMass loses this weekend, yes win and in this weekend. The math stays simple if the Hens win out, and that starts in the final home game this weekend!

Thanks for the playoff tiebreaker breakdown, UDH. Good stuff.

OK, win 2 and in.

[dchen]

Stay with me on this:

If you allocate all of the D1 MLAX programs as follows:

1) Schools with major college (P4) athletic programs: Utah, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Syracuse, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, UVA, UNC, Duke

2) High academic schools: all of the Ivies, most of the Patriot League plus Hopkins, Georgetown, maybe Richmond, probably Nova

3) Service academies - these athletes have a different motivation

4) Mid major public programs: Cleveland State, Vermont, three SUNY schools, two UMass schools, NJIT, Delaware, Towson, UMBC, VMI

5) All others - a big group of smaller privates/Catholic schools.

I may have mis-allocated or overlooked a school or two but my point (and I do have one) is that the schools in lines 4) and 5) likely have a tough time recruiting against schools in lines 1), 2) and 3). Either the recruit wants the excitement of a school with a major college athletic program (line 1), or the high academic reputation of schools in line 2) or the prestige and opportunity to serve their country (line 3).

[Scott]

Stay with me on this:

If you allocate all of the D1 MLAX programs as follows:

1) Schools with major college (P4) athletic programs: Utah, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Syracuse, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, UVA, UNC, Duke

2) High academic schools: all of the Ivies, most of the Patriot League plus Hopkins, Georgetown, maybe Richmond, probably Nova

3) Service academies - these athletes have a different motivation

4) Mid major public programs: Cleveland State, Vermont, three SUNY schools, two UMass schools, NJIT, Delaware, Towson, UMBC, VMI

5) All others - a big group of smaller privates/Catholic schools.

I may have mis-allocated or overlooked a school or two but my point (and I do have one) is that the schools in lines 4) and 5) likely have a tough time recruiting against schools in lines 1), 2) and 3). Either the recruit wants the excitement of a school with a major college athletic program (line 1), or the high academic reputation of schools in line 2) or the prestige and opportunity to serve their country (line 3).

I just wanted to add that the Patriot League and Ivy League schools do not pay their athletes and also do not accept graduate transfers.

[77HEN]

Stay with me on this:

If you allocate all of the D1 MLAX programs as follows:

1) Schools with major college (P4) athletic programs: Utah, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Syracuse, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, UVA, UNC, Duke

2) High academic schools: all of the Ivies, most of the Patriot League plus Hopkins, Georgetown, maybe Richmond, probably Nova

3) Service academies - these athletes have a different motivation

4) Mid major public programs: Cleveland State, Vermont, three SUNY schools, two UMass schools, NJIT, Delaware, Towson, UMBC, VMI

5) All others - a big group of smaller privates/Catholic schools.

I may have mis-allocated or overlooked a school or two but my point (and I do have one) is that the schools in lines 4) and 5) likely have a tough time recruiting against schools in lines 1), 2) and 3). Either the recruit wants the excitement of a school with a major college athletic program (line 1), or the high academic reputation of schools in line 2) or the prestige and opportunity to serve their country (line 3).

I just wanted to add that the Patriot League and Ivy League schools do not pay their athletes and also do not accept graduate transfers.

And there’s likely some good money for lax players in the first category. Lax is national now, just look at where UD athletes come from. Good news is more recruiting, bad news is more prestigious and/or more lucrative competition.