LSA Week 1 (1/26/05 - 2/1/05): Thoughts, Predictions, Scores

[monkeylax]

Sounds crazy, I know! But somehow A&M has been able to do without what I consider the most basic the aspect of team defense. I guess Tony hs been lucky enough to have quality goalkeepers in the past and a pretty solid corps of defenders. It honestly wouldn't work in any other league other than the LSA, with only a few quality programs that could challenge A&M.
I do believe that if they want to be one of the best teams in the country they will have to make some adjustments on defense. I look forward to seeing A&M compete this year and whether they finally slide.

[TUlaxA]

I am going to go out on a limb and say that you should expect A&M to probably drop at least 20...You should expect Tabb, Turnbow, Knell, Sarchet, and Goode to score when they want to...and you should probably expect to see freshmen and sophomores playing in the 3rd and 4th quarter. But I am by no means an expert on this topic.

Truthfully, regardless of the outcome, to say that A&M will drop 20 is definantly going a little too far out on a limb. If A&M gets comfortably in the lead, they wouldn't just run up the score, regardless of the opponent. As you said, they would put in their freshmen and sophomores, and work on their skills. From what I know, A&M isnt the type of program that would just run up the score to prove something to an opponent, because they don't need to prove anything to any of us. I expect A&M to come out, play hard, and do what they do. I do not expect them to run up the goals, just because they could. See ya'll in college station on Saturday.

My Predictions:
Jan 29th
Baylor @ OSU: Baylor
UNT @ UT: UT
SMU @ Tech: SMU
Tulane @ A&M: ?
Southwestern @ Rice: Rice
UTD @ UTA: UTA
TCU @ SFA: TCU
Nichols @ St. Ed's: Nichols

Jan 30th
UNT vs. Rice (@UT): UNT
TX State @ A&M: A&M
UTSA @ SFA: SFA
Trinity @ St. Ed's: Trinity

Also, good luck to SMU this weekend.

[monkeylax]

Alright I am gonna give me best shot at this...

Baylor over OSU
UNT loses to UT
SMU loses to Tech
Tulane loses to A&M
Southwestern over Rice
UTD loses to UTA
TCU over SFA
Nichols over St. Ed's

Jan 30th
UNT over Rice (@UT)
TX State loses to A&M
UTSA loses to SFA
Trinity loses to St. Ed's

Overall
0-0

[LaxC21]

I don't think Tulane has had a chance meet the A&M squad yet. Will Tony just drop 20 on Tulane to run up the score? NO! But will he keep his players in until they get his offense running correctly? YES! If it takes 4 quarters to get the starters to run the offense correctly then that is what will happen even if it takes running up the score. From the start of the season to the end, Tony is grooming the squad to compete in St. Louis and it takes great execution

But the real question this year is what A&M offense and defense will everyone see? Will it be the run and gun offense of the past with a high powered attack and defense that doesn't slide? Ummm...not sure. I suspect that Tony will adapt his offense and game to the players he has. With the loss of Dunn and Hughes there might be a different game plan for this year.

[the lax]

This no slide scheme is mindboggling. If a UT attack burns his man, do 5 other defenders watch as he jogs in for a breakaway one on one with the goalie. Is there no resentment or anger from the A&M defenders not to leave their man and try and stop a sure goal?

About the 20+ goal situation, I agree. It is a tune up game early in the season. Coach will leave his players in long enough until he is satisfied. A&M has CSU real soon so dont be surprised about the playing time the starters get or the score.

And I suggest A&M slides when first team AA middie Timmy Farquhar beats his man.

[monkeylax]

If you think the anger is only coming from the 5 other d-men, what about the keeper? I am sure he is less than thrilled that no one stepped in front of the shooter when he lines up from 3 yards out! ouch!
Yep, now you understand the craziness that is "The No-Slide Defense" Yep, sounds like a bad lacrosse training video.

[porculator]

I am going to go out on a limb and say that you should expect A&M to probably drop at least 20...You should expect Tabb, Turnbow, Knell, Sarchet, and Goode to score when they want to...and you should probably expect to see freshmen and sophomores playing in the 3rd and 4th quarter. But I am by no means an expert on this topic.

Thats a little bold considering you've never seen Tulane play.

[mikeg123]

Yeah i play goalie and i have a hard time believing that a team/coach has such a good record over the years without sliding. This is also something that would be difficult to put in in the middle of the season. Good luck their NEW goalie

[Has No Left]

(It'll be interesting to see if A&M will relieve a little pressure off their rookie goalie by using a slide package. I know Tony doesn't believe in slides, but if his goalie is struggling early and they fall behind, I don't know how he couldn't utilize some slide defense. )

Honestly?

How can a coach not believe in sliding?

Easy - the top 5 teams in the USL-MDIA preseason poll mostly never slide. If you don't have guys who pride themselves on one-on-one D and take personal responsibilty for their offensive opponent, you probably won't win at the upper-levels of this league.

[LaxC21]

I think Has No Left has it right. People always blow this no slide thing out of proportion. It is not that A&M won’t slide it's that they don't want to unless it is absolutely necessary. The defense is expected not to let their man get by them and to not go swinging their sticks all over the place when they don't have too. Yeah, sometimes people get beat their defender, but for the most part the rest of the defense knows or is supposed to know what to do from there. If the defense plays a team game they will be alright. Tony's defense has worked for years when he had the RIGHT PERSONEL to play in it and I think that is true for any defensive scheme. However, when it comes down to it, Tony and A&M will be able to make the right adjustments based on the situation...if not it will be another successful season without beating a top 5 opponent.

[the lax]

It is not a matter of not having pride to stop your man, sliding is one of the most basic principles of defense in any sport. If you get beat, another defender comes to help. The whole defense isnt going to watch a man walk to the hoop for a dunk or walk to the endzone and do some crazy celebration involving a cell phone.
Do you think Princeton defenders don't have pride in one on one defense? They slide and recover 3 men or more every series.
I can't imagine the Alta High School coach doesn't teach sliding.

[Chris Larson]

The defense we're discussing is more of a stay-at-home defense where you do slide if necessary as oppossed to some of the more aggressive defenses that automatically slide to a ball-carrier in order to force him into decisions.

[benji]

I think the entire point of the defense, simply stated, is "Don't Get Beat."
Why worry about a slide-package if you don't need it? Wouldn't be my first choice for a defensive schematic, but it lays a great responsibility upon the defenseman who obviously have the discipline to carry it out successfully.

[green tea]

Bingo, Chris.

The A&M defense won't slide to force a decision. Tony does, however, preach help defense and good positioning at all times.

--the tea

[LaxC21]

I love that there always two main topics in the LSA forum that re-occur each year and both surround A&M. The first one hasn't come up yet, but could appear shortly and that is why does A&M run up the score? The second is why does A&M not slide? Just an observation that I think is pretty funny.

What's the deal with SMU? I know they did pretty well in a fall tournament, but they always seem to fizzle out in the spring. They came in a few years ago with some promise, just curious to see where they stand. Maybe a SMU guy or alumni could chime in.