Hey TMAN ... Top Drawer Analyze Sasho' s Class

[POLY1967]

of 2011


http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/players-to-watch/players-to-watch-archives/nid-19686/Nations-No-1-prospect-heads-to-ACC

 

[usfc]

#1, #14, and #63 prospects and a NY Red Bulls Academy GK, nice haul.

 

[TMAN]

Nobody should be surprised on what Sasho does in the recruiting wars. He's off to a quick start already on the 2012 kids and the 2013 class for the locals and on the east coast looks quite strong.

I'll be curious to see the 2011 schedule. The loss in the quarterfinals to Michigan isn't sitting too well with me. I'm sure the team can't wait for September to get the singular taste rinsed out of their mouths as well.

t.
This post was edited on 3/12 1:55 PM by TMAN

 

[Fekula]

OK, some questions

Cirovski has had these kind of recruiting classes since he arrived in the early 90's. I can go back to Shane Dougherty, Leo Cullen, Todd Herskovitz (a transfer), Danny Califf, Taylor Twellman...and on and on and on...but the first Final Four took five years (1998) and the first NT was in 2005 -- his 13th season.

Are people going to be patient? You never heard me complain. Not when so much of this vaunted talent went early to the pros. Not when I heard all this noise from Cirovski about the high standards of the program, blah blah blah, and it still took all that time to win a title. I just enjoyed the show. I enjoyed it last year, even with the Michigan result. As for the new recruits, how many of these guys do you think will stay around? The 2005 title happened because guys like Jason Garey -- far from being a blue chip recruit -- stayed for four years. No Jason Garey, no Hermann Award, no national title. End of story.

Ah, hope always springs eternal around here. But I really wonder if people understand just how hard it is to win a national title. I have now covered Maryland championship teams in Women's Lax, Women's Hoops, Men's Soccer, and Field Hockey. It isn't easy, nothing is guaranteed, and great recruiting classes aren't even half the story. Not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but I remain skeptical.

 

[TMAN]

Re: OK, some questions

I have high expectations Mike on this team coming up as well as last years team. Last years' team not getting to the final 4 was a major disappointment. Can't mix it any other way. The back four was unsettled all year and it caught up to them. This year's team once again I see as having a chance to getting back to the cup and they'll be one of the favs in the ACC. Soccer is a funny game and it can be cruel as I've seen this team lose 3 games over 2 years where they've outplayed competition to their jock straps and still lost. I've said all along to win a title u have to have luck and talent. Md hasn't had the luck two of the three loses that I've seen up close and in person. Luck also applies to staying healthy which this team battled some with injuries last year which surely didn't help. Still not making the cup last year was a little disappointing (but I'm expecting them to make it this year on a rebound). I believe if u cornered Sasho privatley , he's expecting to get to the cup with this club coming up as well.

For my dollars Sasho's program is the best that Maryland has to offer. U add up the work him and his assistants do on the recruiting trail, the promotions out there, the crowd atmospher, the rankings, always in the top attendance for colleges games, level of play, and always in the hunt for the title , well it's the best Maryland (IMO) has to offer and is considered by many as one of the top 3 programs in the country. The football program and bball programs don't come close to what this staff has done on a consistent basis. But your right the pressure is always on and a lot of moving variables are always in play that impacts the chances. But u know what ? I don't think Sasho wouldn't want it any other way. He's the best Maryland has out there and that is why I throw the roses at this program and save the thorns for a couple of other programs out there that are constantly underachieving.


t.
This post was edited on 3/12 4:26 PM by TMAN

 

[Fekula]

Re: OK, some questions

OK, you mention three years the Terps have lost winnable games in the last two years. I assume you mean Michigan 2010, and are you going back to Bradley in 2007? And who was the third? Michigan State in early 2010 when the Terps outshot the Spartans something like 22-7 and still lost 4-3? I assume you do not mean Virginia 2009 when they lost in Charlottesville 3-0.

No problem with the point that Maryland has been the most consistent program out there. Go to umterps.com and look at the year by year record and you see their worst finish was the NCAA 2nd round back in 2001. The thing is, the expectations are always higher than that, and Cirovski does his part by saying so, plus there are these incredible recruiting classes he always turns in.

But I'll tell you what though -- you want to see a coach and program with rediculous expectations for quite the opposite reasons, look at what John Tillman has to deal with at Men's Lax; not because they have won but because of the one big game they haven't won since 1975: the national title. Dick Edell retired as the #3 all-time winningest coach in Div. 1 Men's Lax and nobody cared because he never won the big one; Dave Cottle lost his job despite three trips to the Final Four for the same reason: he never won the big one.

It took Cirovski five years to make it to a Final Four and 13 years to win a national title. Do you think Tillman will be allowed five years to make a Final Four? Fuggetaboutit! Not a snowball's chance in hell. Is it his fault? Nope. That's just the way it is. Nobody ever said there is fairness or consistency in college sports.