Would love to hear your responses before I weigh in on why this might be the single most ridiculous list ever created in the history of sports.
So what they are saying is that Iona (4) has more National Player of the Year candidates than the entire Big Ten (2) or Akron (1), or the two combined... Simply amazing.
Iona also has more than ALL THE IN COLLEGES IN CALIFORNIA! (Plus Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado.) Those states combined for ONE player. Iona? A program that didn't make the NCAA Tournament last year. They get FOUR. Not Akron, not Maryland, not UCLA, not Indiana, not North Carolina, not SMU, not California, not Virginia. IONA. Iona? This list is even more ridiculous than usual and it's usually pretty far-fetched. At least this year they didn't put any pros on the list. You guys know I usually down play the whole vast East Coast bias theory from our friends in Pacific time, but holy molee do they have a legit beef this time.
OK, I have to go pick up my kids at camp and take them to soccer. While I'm gone I want you people to look up when the last time Iona made the NCAA Tournament was.
Exactly Sandon. Just absolutely absurd. The whole list is ridiculous but the Iona thing just blows my mind. The top 25 (as voted on by NSCAA) is represented by fifteen players. That means that, according to the NSCAA (which created both lists), 27 of the top 42 players in the country play for teams that are not good enough to be ranked. What makes it even more outlandish is that we KNOW that the traditional top 10-15 teams get most of the top youth players, this isn't like college basketball or college football where the talent is more spread out.
I believe that the watch list is nothing more than the set of returnees who were named first-team all-region last fall. And it is much harder to be named all-region in a strong region (like the West) than a weak one (like Iona's North Atlantic). https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/2011-all-region-teams-d-i.1864706/
You may be right, but there is no way you can defend this list. Even if your argument is logical, this list has no logic to it whatsoever.
Since I was bored at work I looked back at the players who were tops in the country in PPM last year. With a couple differences, the list was basically the top X amount of players - whoever graduated or left early. It's sad that the people who put together this list decided to rely on statistics in a sport where statistics don't even come close to telling the whole story.
Sounds consistent with the "amateur journalists" on this thread. http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...hould-reconsider-watch-list-approach_aid24828
After looking at the returning first team all region players and comparing that with the watch list, I believe you are correct. (Nice catch, btw.) So if that's the formula they decided to use, why not just come out and say it? Granted, I think it's a flawed formula for many obvious reasons, but at least it provides an explanation for things like one obscure program having four players on the list and the largest state in the country (by population) providing only one.
Can someone (Sandon) make a true National Players to Watch List... someone who has a good feel for all of the players/programs across D1 college soccer?
There is no bias theory - it is the reality of a poorly constructed methodology for selecting the most deserving teams in terms of performance for NCAA playoff seeding and at large births. This is an even more extreme example of what happens if the selection system doesn't account for the vast differences in quality of each conference.
Marc Cintron (Providence) scored for Puerto Rico against Spain on Wednesday. Not bad for a college kid. Video of goal http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/puerto-rico-pull-a-goal-back-marc-cintron-v-spain/
Iona and their quartet of player of the year candidates are off to a 1-3 start with one goal scored. Well-played, NSCAA and the Hermann Committee, well-played indeed!
For the record, yes, I AM going to beat this to death like the deadest of horses! Mighty Iona lost a pair of games this weekend 2-0 scores to Northwestern and Northern Illinois to fall to 1-6-0. After beating Adelphi 1-0 in the season opener, the Gaels have dropped 6 straight and been outscored 1-12. Yeah, nothing says FOUR player of the year candidates like 2 goals and one win in 7 games!
Fair is fair. I've mocked Iona for their four Hermann Award candidates and the terrible start that has followed that nomination but today they made a bit of a statement for which they deserve credit. Iona beat Monmouth, ranked 25 by the NCAA, today by a score of 3-1. The Gaels improved to 2-6-0. Monmouth is 5-2-1.
With the regular season over for all teams, with the exception of the Ivy, Pac-12 and WCC, I thought now would be a good time to see how the players on the Hermann Watch List did and if they had a performance this season that was worthy of their inclusion on the list. Here are the 2012 stats of all the players on the list and one man's opinion on whether or not they lived up to the watch list inclusion. Sammy Adjei Jr. F Iona Newark, N.J. 16 games, 4 goals, 1 assist for a 7-9-0 team playing in the MAAC Watch list worthy: No. Carlos Alvarez Sr. M Connecticut Los Angeles 17 games, 7 goals, 8 assists for 15-2-1 team playing in the Big East Watch list worthy: Yes Borja Barbero So. GK Iona Valladolid, Spain16 games, 2.05 GAA, .667 save percentage, 66 saves for a 7-9-0 team playing in the MAAC Watch list worthy: No Will Bates Sr. F Virginia Chester, Va. 16 games, 11 goals, 1 assist for 9-6-2 team playing in the ACC Watch list worthy: Yes Nathaniel Bekoe Jr. M Fordham Accra, Ghana 16 games, 0 goals, 3 assists for 6-7-4 team playing in the Atlantic 10 Watch list worthy: No Ashton Bennett* Sr. F Coastal Carolina Claredon, Jamaica19 games, 13 goals, 6 assists for 16-1-2 team playing in the Big South Watch list worthy: Yes Andre Blake So. GK Connecticut May Pen, Jamaica18 games, 0.50 GAA, .850 save percentage, 51 saves for a 15-2-1 team playing in the Big East Watch list worthy: Yes Brendan Burgdorf Sr. F Bucknell Westfield, N.J. 19 games, 3 goals, 5 assists for 7-7-5 team playing in the Patriot League Watch list worthy: No Scott Caldwell Sr. M Akron Braintree, Mass.18 games, 9 goals, 6 assists for 15-1-2 team playing in the MAC Watch list worthy: Yes Franklin Castellanos Jr. M Iona Dover, N.J. 16 games, 2 goals, 6 assists, for 7-9-0 team playing in the MAAC Watch list worthy: No Marvcello Castro Sr. D Sacred Heart Parana, Brazil 15 games, 9 goals, 2 assists, 1.12 team GAA for 9-8-0 team playing in the Northeast Conference Watch list worthy: Yes Marc Cintron Sr. M Providence Piscataway, N.J. 12 games, 1 goal, 1 assist for 4-10-2 team playing in the Big East Watch list worthy: No Ryan Clark Sr. M Monmouth Freehold, N.J. 18 games, 3 goals, 6 assists for 11-4-3 team playing in the Northeast Conference Watch list worthy: No Liam Collins Jr. M Memphis Skibbereen, Ireland 17 games, 2 goals, 7 assists for 8-6-3 team playing in CUSA Watch list worthy: No Leonardo Fernandes Sr. M Stony Brook North Babylon, N.Y. 17 games, 9 goals, 7 assists for 11-5-1 team playing in America East Watch list worthy: Yes Shaun Foster Jr. D Hofstra Southport, England 18 games, 2 goals, 1 assist, 1.13 team GAA for 11-5-2 team playing in the CAA Watch list worthy: No Victor Francoz Sr. GK Old Dominion Fleurieu Sur Saone, France 16 games, 0.92 GAA, .797 save percentage, 59 saves for 11-3-2 team playing in the CAA Watch list worthy: No Tyler Gibson Jr. M Charlotte Knoxville, Tenn.18 games, 3 goals, 5 assists, for 13-2-3 team playing in the Atlantic 10 Watch list worthy: No Simon Gomez Jr. F Duquesne Manizales, Colombia13 games, 1 goal, 6 assists for 7-11-1 team playing in the Atlantic 10 Watch list worthy: No Nick Hagglund Jr. D Xavier Cincinnati 18 games, 2 goals, 4 assists, 0.90 team GAA for 13-1-4 team playing in the Atlantic 10 Watch list worthy: No Chris Hegngi Sr. F Ohio State Silver Spring, Md.18 games, 3 goals, 3 assists for 6-9-3 team playing in the Big Ten Watch list worthy: No Coleton Henning Sr. M Furman Shawnee, Kan. 17 games, 8 goals, 1 assist for 12-4-3 team playing in the Southern Watch list worthy: No Taylor Kemp Sr. D Maryland Highlands Ranch, Colo. 8 games, 0 goals, 5 assists, 0.91 team GAA for 14-1-2 team playing in the ACC Watch list worthy: No Jonathan Mendoza Sr. M Stetson Altamonte Springs, Fla. 14 games, 1 goal, 3 assists for 3-10-2 team playing in the Atlantic Sun Watch list worthy: No Steve Neumann Jr. F Georgetown New Hope, Pa. 19 games, 6 goals, 10 assists for 16-2-1 team playing in the Big East Watch list worthy: Yes Oscar Otto Sr. F Iona Willingshore, N.J. 16 games, 7 goals, 4 assists, for 7-9-0 team playing in the MAAC Watch list worthy: No James Price Sr. D Saint Francis (Pa.) Christchurch, New Zealand 17 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 0.78 team GAA for 6-7-5 team playing in the Northeast Conference Watch list worthy: No Jonny Raj Sr. D Fairfield Auckland, New Zealand 14 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1.09 team GAA for 6-8-1 team playing in the MAAC Watch list worthy: No Pedro Ribeiro Jr. M Coastal Carolina Belo Horizonte, Brazil 15 games, 2 goals, 8 assists for 16-1-2 team playing in the Big South Watch list worthy: Yes Devon Sandoval Sr. F New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M.18 games, 14 goals, 6 assists for 15-3-0 team playing in the MPSF Watch list worthy: Yes Eric Schoenle Sr. D West Virginia Yardley, Pa.16 games, 6 goals, 0 assists, 0.85 team GAA for 9-5-2 team playing in the MAC Watch list worthy: Yes Mark Sherrod* Jr. F Memphis Knoxville, Tenn.17 games, 12 goals, 4 assists for 8-6-3 team playing in CUSA Watch list worthy: Yes Patrick Slogic Jr. D Cornell Colorado Springs, Colo. 15 games, 2 goals, 1 assist, 0.79 team GAA for 14-1-0 team playing in the Ivy League Watch list worthy: No Yannick Smith* Sr. F Old Dominion Hillsborough, N.J. 14 games, 3 goals, 5 assists for 11-3-2 team playing in the CAA Watch list worthy: No John Stertzer Sr. M Maryland Oakton, Va. 16 games, 6 goals, 6 assists for 14-1-2 team playing in the ACC Watch list worthy: Yes Kyle Venter Sr. D New Mexico Aurora, Colo. 18 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, 0.65 team GAA for 15-3-0 team playing in the MPSF Watch list worthy: Yes Lee Williams Sr. D Appalachian State Liverpool, England 18 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0.96 team GAA for an 8-7-3 team playing in the Southern Watch list worthy: No Reece Wilson Sr. F Central Connecticut London, England 18 games, 9 goals, 6 assists for 8-8-2 team playing in the Northeast Watch list worthy: No Paul Wyatt Sr. M James Madison Modbury, England 17 games, 7 goals, 2 assists for 8-6-3 team playing in the Colonial Watch list worthy: No Gyasi Zardes* Jr. F CSU Bakersfield Hawthorne, Calif. 16 games, 14 goals, 9 assists for 9-4-5 team playing in the MPSF Watch list worthy: Yes Eriq Zaveleta So. F Indiana Westfield, Ind. 18 games, 16 goals, 2 assists for 11-4-3 team playing in the Big Ten Watch list worthy: Yes Walker Zimmerman So. D Furman Lawrencevlle, Ga 17 games, 6 goals, 3 assists, 1.05 team GAA for 12-4-3 team playing in the Southern Watch list worthy: Yes
Sandon. Respect your opinion more then most. Best players I seen this year in the mid Atlantic region were stertzer. Maryland Neumann. Georgetown , Bates UVA. And would add Caringi UMbC 14 goals 6 asst. what do you think.
So, here are the 15 semi-finalists. All of 5 of them were on the preseason Watch List. Carlos Alvarez - Connecticut Don Andling - Northeastern Ashton Bennett - Coastal Carolina Scott Caldwell - Akron Mamadou Diouff - Connecticut Andrew Farrell - Louisville Ryan Finley - Notre Dame Jose Gomez - Creighton Daniel Haber - Cornell Robbie Kristo - Saint Louis Patrick Mullins - Maryland Steve Neumann - Georgetown Devon Sandoval - New Mexico Dillon Powers - Notre Dame Chris Thomas - Elon