Matt Kinnear

  (2:00 PM)

Hey lacrosse fans. We're back for another Inside Lacrosse. It's been a while since the staff has taken questions, so we're opening up to whatever you want to know about lacrosse, what we do, the weeks past or the week ahead.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:01 PM)

Myself, Terry Foy, Zach Babo, John Jiloty, Geoff Shannon (preps/recruiting) and Danielle Bernstein (women's) are all available to answer questions. We'll get started in a moment, so start firing away.

Reggie (Colorado)

What do you think will be done next year to eliminate all the stalling in College Lacrosse. Maybe a 90 second shot clock would help. All of the stalling and Stall Warnings is detracting from the overall game

Terry Foy

  (2:08 PM)

Not only don't I think there's a consensus on what should happen, I don't think there's an educated guess on how it will shake out. Rule changes are made in two-year cycles by the NCAA Rules Committee, which is comprised of a half-dozen coaches that act on suggestions from the entire coaching community, all of whom are currently knee-deep in their seasons. In June, they'll meet to provide recommendations, which will be reviewed and then either approved or rejected in (I think) August or September in Indianapolis, and those will be in play for the spring of 2013. So, while it's unclear what changes will be made, I do think some changes will be made to affect the pace of the game and work toward removing stalling.

Zach Babo

  (2:09 PM)

The stall call is a good call, and the only instance i would be a fan of seeing a shot clock in is after a stall warning is called. A shot clock for every possession completely changes the game and will likely solve nothing. I think the stall could become more effective if you tighten the dimensions of the box considerably. Think if the box was pinched in 10 yards or so on all sides, or if it stopped at GLE. With no room to run around up top, or especially behind the goal, there is no place for players to run and hide and kill clock. Even pack it in defenses will be in a position to pressure because they are right on top of offensive players. I think that will lead to offenses pressing, taking more shots and creating opportunities, and it will lead to more turnovers created by defenses. The game is far from broken, and teams still run. But the big, wide open box, and the small, narrow stick heads means players can run for days in empty space with little threat of losing the ball. That is easier to fix than trying to put in a shot clock.

John Jiloty

  (2:10 PM)

I think we'll see some change next year in the game. I've heard every possible solution at this point -- and every time that person thinks it's the ONLY and BEST way to fix the game.

John Jiloty

  (2:10 PM)

I don't see the stick dimensions changing again. They need to do something with the game itself, and a shot clock seems like the most cut-and-dry way to me. Takes the interpretation part out of the refs' hands.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:11 PM)

There are far too many theories and solutions thrown around right now for anything to go into effect for next year. Too many people in that room will have too many different plans on how to fix it. I think they'll do more fall experiments, then come back in two years with a solution. Just look at our quick responses. How many ideas did we just throw out there?

Matt Kinnear

  (2:11 PM)

Let's take an impromptu, informal poll. Write in your solution and I'll post.

David (New York)

I think Pannell's loss for Cornell (assuming he's back healthy by the Ivy League tournament and NCAA's) is ultimately a blessing in disguise for this squad. They are learning and will have to continue to learn to play as a team and have multiple guys stepping up as opposed to relying on the best player in college lacrosse. When he comes back the team's second and third options are now their third and fourth options, and everyone is better around him. What do you think?

Zach Babo

  (2:14 PM)

I agree, but only to a point. Sorry, but you can't call losing potentially the best player in the country, or at least the one that seems to affect gameplans the most, a "blessing" in anyway. Instead, it speaks to the resiliency of the Big Red that they can adapt and move forward. You are right in that it will help develop guys that otherwise wouldn't have gotten as many touches or as much responsibility if Pannell was still on the field. And him coming back will definitely factor into how teams play Cornell. But he is coming off a foot injury, which may limit his mobility, and which will definitely hurt his conditioning. You can hit the weight room all you want in rehab, if you can run in game-like settings, you're legs and lungs are not in late-season form. And not having that conditioning as you enter the grueling stretches of conference and NCAA tournament play may affect him. His role will be limited too if he can't attack the way he used to, but a player with that many tools should be able to adapt his game. The bigger question might be if he throws off any rhythms or chemistry the offense develops in his absence. Cornell will be happy to have Pannell back as a player and a teammate, but how it affects their future performance is really hard to guess right now.

Terry Foy

  (2:16 PM)

With Cornell and Rob specifically, there are a number of factors to consider. First, how will Pannell perform when he comes back? Foot injuries are tough to train with, so he'll have to work quickly to get back into game-shape, and that's very tough. Second, how will his replacements revert to their former roles? It looks like Connor English and Matt Donovan have stepped up in his absence at attack, but there's a big difference between starting and coming off the bench (which will probably change for English, who's going to have to learn a great Jason Terry impression if that's the case) and playing X versus playing on the wing (which will likely be what's asked of Donovan). Same for the middies -- Roy Lang and JJ Gilbane have carried the water for the Big Red offensively in a lot of ways, and they'll probably be asked to go to the cage less frequently once Pannell returns.

Terry Foy

  (2:16 PM)

That said, game experience is inherently valuable and I think Pannell's smart enough to be watching how this team's playing right now and adjust his own game to suit what he's seeing. In light of that, I'd say there's a 75% chance Cornell ends up being better off once Pannell returns.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:18 PM)

Nick Galasso returned from a foot injury, and it's taken him a few games adjustment for UNC. Granted, UNC has unique circumstances with the legion of attackmen they have, but there's a chance he could come back and struggle. But given what I just said, I think Terry's spot on. Pannell is a special player and super smart. He'll put himself in a position to help the team and make the Big Red better.

John Jiloty

  (2:18 PM)

IF Pannell can make it back -- and I hope he does for the sake of the game -- it could not have been a better learning experience for the Big Red

John Jiloty

  (2:18 PM)

All of their guys will be so much better from this month learning to play without Pannell, so Cornell will be infinitely better. Pannell seems like a warrior, so I would be pretty surprised if he doesn't make it back. Cornell's good enough to make a deep run, so they have some time. I just hope he can get back in time, and be back close to 100%. Would hate for his sake for him to go out there and not be at least close to the level he wants to play at.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:19 PM)

Interesting pace-of-play suggestion here from Jack...

Jack (baltimore)

1) Take away the faceoff 2) move the goals back to the girls crease so there is no room behind to stall

Matt Kinnear

  (2:20 PM)

I've heard the face-off suggestion before. But does that change the game TOO much?

Nick (New York)

I feel like adding a shot clock every possession will lead to many rushed plays and bad shots resulting in lower scoring games. While the division 1 ranks might have enough athletes and skill to compete at the same speed demanded from pros I feel like many other teams in division 3 and division 2 would struggle. My suggestion to the rules committee would be implement a shot clock possibly 15-30 seconds to the team stalling the ball upon the referee implementing the actual stall warning call. This would force teams to go to the cage rather then hold the ball for five minutes ie. Ohio State vs Denver in the beginning of the year, but also would not change the game as a whole throughout the NCAA ranks. Thoughts?

Matt Kinnear

  (2:23 PM)

I agree, Nick. I think a lot of people agree that a "pure" shot clock is a little much. They tried out the "hybrid" clock in a few scrimmages this fall, and it really seemed to work out well. Interesting nugget: I was able to attend UMBC's practice the day before the Retrievers played with the modified shot clock rules. It did take some game-planning on Don Zimmerman's part -- specifically how to shoot at a net in desperation and for it not to end up with a fast-break the other way. Do we really want "desperation" shots though?

Chris Fiegler (Latham,NY)

Who will be the Best College Lacrosse Player to play in the MLL?

Matt Kinnear

  (2:26 PM)

This is an interesting question. Steele Stanwick has the skillset to be a great MLL player, but I don't think he has enough talent around him in Ohio to really be "the best" -- at least not this year. It's a really, really light draft year, so don't expect many of this year's players to stand out in the league. Rob Pannell will be great on Long Island; it doesn't sound like the injury will affect his pro career, and I know the Lizards have reworked that attack to include him and utilize him well. Mark Matthews will be great over time if he gets into a system that utilizes his Canadian style. At midfield, Colin Briggs (Denver), Justin Turri (Charlotte) will be great. Sleepers: DII's Joe Vitale could go unnoticed but have a great career. He's a beast. And Sam Bradman from Salisbury.

Mike (Denver)

What do you think about Denver's two overtime losses in 48 hours?

Matt Kinnear

  (2:31 PM)

It certainly is tough for the Pioneers, but I think Tierney and that team can bounce back and has the mental toughness to get through it. They played two VERY good teams, so the fact that they are right there among the best says more positives about them than negatives. Losing Faus hurts though; lets hope he's OK.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:33 PM)

On a somewhat related note, the Notre Dame game says a lot about the Irish. That defense is insane. They've won four one-goal games in a row. John Kemp is a beast, and they have a mental toughness unlike any other.

Zach Babo

  (2:34 PM)

I think they are heartbreaking, and I hope they don't cripple Denver's prospects going forward this year, because I really wanted the Pioneers to not suffer the down year after being everyone's darlings last year. On the positive side, it shows this team is resilient, as they fought their way back in both games. And close, OT losses on the road against Top 10 teams provides valuable experience. When I talked to Bill Tierney earlier in the year, he sounded like this trip was meant to be a big learning experience, both in preparing for short turnaround games against top teams, like you have to in the Final Four, but also in kind of seeing what his team is made of. What he may have learned is that he has a group of fighters and gamers that are never fully out of a game, but a group that also might need to figure out ways to not put themselves in holes early, and a group that needs some help finishing games. OT contests are a crap shoot though once you get to the extra session, but the trip would have felt a lot better even at 1-1 than 0-2.

Casey Vock

  (2:35 PM)

Will build character, for sure.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:35 PM)

Nick. Zach has a response to your shot clock suggestion...

Zach Babo

  (2:36 PM)

I think everyone is going to get tired of me saying this since I get stared at like I am an alien for suggesting it, but one more time......SHRINK THE BOX. I was at Loyola v Georgetown last night, and Syracuse v UVa a few weeks ago, and countless other games this year and in years prior. I don't often see a dull 60 minutes, I see dull stretches where teams just want to go run and hide and sit on the ball. Those are what we need to eliminate. That doesn't mean we have to change every instance in between. In the two games i mentioned above, all four squads got out and ran a lot, and it was exciting and really showcased the athletes. But as UVa and Loyola wanted to protect their respective leads, or recoup from long defensive stretches, they ran behind the cage, or the outskirts of the box, and they found time and space to kill clock, and those are the dull moments everyone is complaining about. So lets just get rid of those. Bring back the 10 second call, where every time the ball leaves the box, it has to get back in in 10 seconds. Couple that with smaller box dimensions, and boom, de facto shot clock right there in terms of having to hurry to get the ball in the box. Then once you are in, if it's deemed your stalling, suddenly instead of having room to operate and protect your possession, you are forced to either make a push towards the cage or run like hell to protect your possession, but....wait...oh no.....there is no room to run to. This is a problem that is solved with a can of paint and some creative thinking. The shot clock talk needs to stop because we have now painted ourselves in a corner where it seems the only options are to either leave everything as is (which people are more upset about than they should be because this pace of play stuff is starting to become self-perpetuating), or to implement a huge, expensive, and monumental change to the game.

Ike (Long Island)

Who are your 16 teams making the tournament as of right now?

Zach Babo

  (2:41 PM)

1- Whomever wins the AE (does it matter?)2-Sienna, or whomever wins the MAC3-Loyola, as ECAC champs4-UMass, as CAA champs5-Princeton, as Ivy League Champs6-Bucknell, as Patriot League Champs7-Notre Dame, as Big East Champs8-Virginia, as the best team in the country9-Hopkins, as the second-best team in the country10-Maryland11-Duke12-Cornell13-Syracuse14-Penn State (potentially stealing the CAA from UMass)15-Denver (possibly stealing the ECAC from Loyola)16-Lehigh/Colgate (whomever does better in the Patriot tourney)Villanova, Hofstra, Fairfield, UNC, Yale, and Lehigh/Colgate all drew short straws.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:42 PM)

This is really, really tough to do, but...

Matt Kinnear

  (2:44 PM)

AQs: America East: UMBC. Big East: Notre Dame. CAA: UMass. ECAC: Denver (yes, I think they'll top Loyola in the tourney). Ivy: Cornell. MAAC: Detroit Mercy. Patriot: Bucknell

Matt Kinnear

  (2:44 PM)

At-large bids: Maryland, Duke, Virginia, Loyola, Syracuse, Johns Hopkins; Princeton; Colgate; Lehigh

Matt Kinnear

  (2:45 PM)

I have UNC on the outside looking in, thinking they'll get smoked in ACC play and won't get that SOS boost. Lehigh is in dangerous territory because every "big" win they've had has been weakened; they might lose the SOS game.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:45 PM)

Nova has a tough few games and has not been clicking. I don't think their next few weeks are going to go well for them, and they might fall out of the conversation.

Leigh (Sc)

Why do you guys mostly focus on the Syracuse, North carolina, duke etc? I know as a reader I would like to see MORE on the Umass and Loyola.

Terry Foy

  (2:47 PM)

IL's coverage is often dictated by much the same things that determine who gets the most TV coverage, the best recruits and wins the most national championships -- which programs have the biggest followings and, by extension, most resources.However, I think that the premise of your question is a little off-base. You mention Loyola -- I think we've had live coverage from five of their seven games, and UMass isn't too far behind.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:48 PM)

Leigh...I think you'll be very interested in next month's issue. Don't want to tip our hand too much, but you'll like it.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:48 PM)

Leigh...I think you'll be very interested in next month's issue. Don't want to tip our hand too much, but you'll like it.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:48 PM)

Leigh...I think you'll be very interested in next month's issue. Don't want to tip our hand too much, but you'll like it.

Megan (Baltimore, Md.)

When is the tournament going to expand? 16 teams for 61+ growing schools doesn't seem right.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:49 PM)

Megan, once they get to more than 50% of the field as an AQ, they'll have to add a play-in game. So next year NEC will likely get an AQ and that will be half the field. Next conference that comes on board with an AQ, we'll see a play-in added.

Matt Kinnear

  (2:51 PM)

Personally I like the selectivity. There will always be a team that gets screwed (example, say if Lehigh doesn't make it this year because a random team wins the Ivy League), but that's part of the fun.

Michael (Philly)

What's going on at Georgetown right now?

Casey Vock

  (2:59 PM)

From where I stand, the major problem with Georgetown at the moment is that there is simply not a considerable level of confidence in this team, possibly for a number of reasons. The team has talent on both ends of the field and continues each year to bring in some high-profile recruits, including some top Canadian recruits. The major problem is that the team fails to execute (especially on offense) like the elite teams in the game. Against Loyola, Georgetown might have committed as many unforced, ugly, blatant turnovers as I've ever seen in a Division I game. The coaching staff did express disappointment in this stat category after the game, but I see that as falling on them somewhat for the fact they might not have had this team mentally prepared to face an outstanding opponent in the Greyhounds. That lack of execution, to me, tells me a lot about the program and that the coaching staff isn't bringing the best out of this fine roster. If it's basic fundamentals, that's on the coaching staff. If it's jitters, that's on the coaching staff, too. Obviously, you can say some of these noticeable problems are on the players. But I think it comes down to the culture of the program, which seems to embody a very contempt feeling to me -- as if simply bringing in good recruits and playing top schools is what playing Division I lacrosse is all about. There's not a plainly visible "winning" culture at Georgetown right now, and maybe some of that is from the Hoyas getting the short end of the NCAA tourney picks in recent seasons. But at some point, there has to be fundamental changes that Hoya fans can actually see on the field. To put it bluntly, it sometimes feels like Georgetown is not getting after it the way it could, or as if the players are distant from what is happening on the field. Only so much of this can be placed on the current players.

Bob (New Jersey)

What makes the John Hopkins short stick d middies almost impossible to beat?

Terry Foy

  (3:01 PM)

Marshall Burkhart is one of the toughest dudes in DI, which I coincidentally have a story coming about tomorrow. Really, really impressed by the way they've used guys like Ranagan and Coppersmith to diminish the loss of Phil Castronova.

Matt Kinnear

  (3:02 PM)

Having one of the greatest defensemen ever as your head coach probably helps that mentality...

Matt Kinnear

  (3:02 PM)

On that note, we're going to wrap it up here. Thanks everyone for participating. Check back next week and we'll bring along some special guests.