Top 15 Division 1 Mens Perseason Picks in 2003

Re: Top 15 Division 1 Mens Preseason Picks in 2003

No argument here if UMD is able to bring everyone back as scheduled.

 

Two obvious omissions from your list are St John's and Boston College. I would also argue that Cal belongs on the list based on the results of the Pac 10 in the tournament. Cal only had one senior (their keeper) on the roster this year.

To make room for these three teams I would drop UNC, Penn State, and St. Louis.

 

What, no NC State?

Seriously....this is really a bit premature. We need to check out the recruiting classes...see who's leaving early, etc.

I'm not sure who they have returning and/or leaving, but VCU was a very good team this season...and they probably deserve some props.

 

Penn State will be inconsistent in 2003 like in 2002. They're capable of beating and losing to anyone. They return their top scorers, Chad Severs, Pasi Karpinnen, and Joe Zewe, while Brian Devlin and David Walters will be sophomores so their attack should be very good. Mike Lindemann has wheels up top and I expect a breakout year from him. The problem is they lose Ryan Sickman and Brent Jacquette, their star keeper and sweeper respectively. They also lose Jorma Makipaa and Ben Dawson who anchored the back line. If they can play solid defense, they should be a Top 15 team. Eric Earnhardt will be in goal from what I understand and he is solid. Gabe Bernstein, Anthony Calvano and Kenji Treschuk will be relied upon to settle things defensively. Treschuk and Calvano are good as wingbacks, they just need central defenders. Also, Barry Gorman is not afraid to rely on freshmen, so if they land a good recruiting class they could be in business.

Maryland could be incredibly good if everyone returns. ACC powers like Virginia and North Carolina will lose some great talent so the Terps could run away with the conference crown.

I'll also be curious to see if Michigan continues their meteoric rise from club status. If Knox Cameron comes back and they build off of last year's great run, they could be a Big Ten power before too long. They lose only one senior, Robert Turpin, from last year's team that advanced to the Big Ten championship game.

 

Penn St could be pretty good...

I spoke with one the assistant coaches last week about Penn St and he said they expect to be better next year. They are bringing in Michigan's Mr. Soccer and a U-18 national player they beat out UVA to get. The staff believes Sickman and Earnhardt are a coin flip so they lose nothing there. As HAX said they should be talented but consistency is always an issue and losing the senior leadership never helps.

 

top 15

Maryland will definitely be very strong next year. I will keep my eye on Furman however. They had to deal with more than anyone this year, and still gave Stanford everything they could handle and almost beat them at Stanford. They don't lose alot of seniors and have got a ton of talent coming back. Their back line, that set so many records this past year, with 11 straight shutouts until Stanford, has got everyone coming back. If they can get the same magic they had this past season, adn add a couple big recruits which they always seem to do, i don't know who will beat them. They are a deserved number two team and could really make a run at everything next year.

 

Contenders and Pretenders

Maryland and Wake Forest should both be obvious contenders, but some of the teams mentioned might have been unfairly put under too much pressure. Virginia and North Carolina have suffered losses that might be too tough to replace, and Penn State was over rated all season long this year.

It should be everyone chasing the Terps and the Demon Deacons next season!

 

West Coast

What about?
Portland
University of San Diego
Santa Clara
USF

 

college top 10

Guys,

You have shown your colors in your teams selected. Furman play a very weak schedule so they will continue to struggle in the post season. They were thoroughly outplayed by VCU this year and must have had a higher power on the night. BC and st Johns need to be this list. UConn will be up there also. Maryland will be talented no doubt but if their coach continues to blow gaskets on the sideline all the time they will never settle into a rhythm(NCAA semi - 1st half)

VCU will be a top 20 team as it has many quality returning players. Their left back is one of the best defenders in the country.

watch out for St Louis.

 

Re: college top 10

the only reason that furman plays a weak schedule is that they are in a weak conference. look at their out of conference schedule, and you will see that in the regular season they played five tournament teams, six if you count coastal in the preseason. plus, they would have played clemson if not for the tragic automobile accident that killed gray griffin. also, we all know that davidson probably should have made it to the tournament as an at-large bid, but kinda got screwed. furman is doing all they can, they will continue to be a dominant force nationally, dont count them out.

as for the vcu game, yes vcu played really well that night, and could have won the match in regulation or overtime and not even go to the shootout. but, if memory serves, furman had many chances to win the game in regulation or overtime themselves. both teams had a lot of luck in that game, but furman pulled it out. to say that vcu "thoroughly" outplayed furman it a bit of a stretch.

 

Re: Re: college top 10

Furman has a strong team and should be a factor next year regardless of their schedule. But they were outplayed against VCU, and the best scoring chances they had were due to bad decisions by VCU's goalkeeper. To say Furman had 'many chances' is a bit of a stretch.

In response to soccerball's post earlier, VCU's left back is junior-to-be Gonzalo Segares and he is an outstanding player. It's a shame more people don't know about him. He is among seven returning starters that should keep the Rams in the top 25, while they will battle William & Mary again for the CAA title. Don't forget about the Tribe, who beat Duke and Virginia in the NCAAs.

BTW, besides being Virginia, why are the Cavs ranked so high here? They lose the only players I was impressed with (Alecko, Cole, Gibbs, GK Comfort), plus Arena and LeBlanc. I assume George is bringing in another stellar recruiting class, but after another early exit in the NCAAs I think they need to earn a high ranking on the field.

No argument with Maryland. They should be fun to watch.

 

Re: West Coast

East coast bias....here we go again!

Two west coast schools just competed in the final. Yet the top ranked west coast school on the list starting this thread is 7th?????

I'll grant you Stanford probably lost too much to rate a top pick, but UCLA will be back. Portland, Santa Clara, Cal, and a few others should be under consideration.

 

Re: Re: West Coast

UCLA travels east to play UMD early in the 2003 season and that should be a good one. I'm hoping for better officiating this time though.

 

Due Time-

UCLA lost a ton of talent, that's probably why Cleatus has them ranked at #7. The NSCAA polls are usually the previous season's year-end poll, so I wouldn't be surprised if UCLA was the pre-season #1. Then again, teams like Maryland return everybody from a final four team, so I don't think you can argue with the Terps as a pre-season #1. As for the bias, it's a matter of exposure, we all know that. None of us see the amount of games we need to make informed judgments.

Terpfan-

When is Maryland's schedule due out? More importantly, when is the rematch with UCLA? I'll make the road trip for that one! Any other big games on their schedule that you know about?

 

UCLA loses a few good players, but returning talent is what matters.

In 2002, they were the deepest team in the country. As a result, they rotated players in and out of the starting line-up. 15 players started at least seven games. 11 of those players return. The 2003 Bruins are loaded with experienced talent.

 

Re: Re: Re: college top 10

How old is he and where is he from? And, can you tell us about his skill-set and strengths and weaknesses? (Assuming you can be objective enough to recognize that he has them.)

No disagreement from this Cavs fan. They lost so much this year that they don't deserve to be a pre-season Top 10 team. Hell, you could argue they don't deserve to be a Top 20 team but they'll always get some respect just based on rep.

If Big Game George can win enough to get into the post-season next year, I'll consider it a good season.

 

Re: Re: Re: West Coast

I hope Clarence Goodson wear's a cup this time!

BTW, gotta agree with the Terps as the pre-season favorite. Of course, Indiana was the pre-season favorite in 02 and they didn't get to the quarterfinals.

Oh, and Terp Fan, you never responded to my rationale on the "Top Returning Players" on why Wingert is the pre-season favorite to win the Hermann. When you have a sec, head over there and give me your thoughts.

 

Re: Re: West Coast

Sitting here at my desk in Georgetown in Washington, DC, I can totally acknowledge that there is an East Coast bias.

I know when I list top teams and players, I always start with the West and Mid-West players and teams because if I don't I know I'll overlook way too much. Out of sight, out of mind, and all that.

As for UCLA, I think they deserve to be a Top 5 pre-season team even though they lost a lot.

They bring back a rising star at D-mid in Aaron Lopez, 2 of their 3 very good starting backs, with U20 starter Jordan Harvey ready to slide in, and they bring back their starting 'keeper, Zach Wells.

Plus, they bring back their leading scoer in Matt Taylor (12 goals, 8 assists) and fellow forward Cliff McKinley (6 goals, 7 assists as a part-time starter) and playmaking midfielder Mike Enfield.

They are also supposed to have a very good recruiting class coming in.

The X-Factor for the Bruis is whether Adolfo Gregorio returns. Even though he hasn't signed anywhere yet but I still don't think he will return but if he does, he will make the Bruin's much more dangerous.

So, I certainly think they deseve to be ranked highly and won't be at all surprised if when they play the Terps next year if it is a match-up of 1 vs. 2.

 

Re: Gonzalo Segares

Segares is from Costa Rica and he's 20, a rare foreigner who started college as an 18-year-old freshman. How did you know, Sandon, that objectivity isn't one of my strengths? For what it's worth, besides being a very good defender he gets forward better than most outside backs, and can take players on 1 v. 1 on the left flank. He has a good soccer brain and seems to do everything well, plus he's still young and learning. Since the Rams lose a center back and central mid I figured VCU's coaches would consider moving him, but they feel he does so much from the outside that moving him wouldn't be worth it. Coach O'Sullivan, not one to talk too highly of his players, told a local paper that he couldn't imagine a better outside back in the country than Segares.

But this is just a bunch of words. Go see him play if you get a chance. I haven't seen the schedule yet, but I'm pretty sure VCU plays UVA (probably at Klockner) and Maryland, and I think they have a return game at UNC. I heard American is off the schedule this year though. But believe me, he's worth the 2-hour drive down 95 to see him (objectivity be damned!).

 

Re: Gonzalo Segares

Segares is from Costa Rica and he's 20, a rare foreigner who started college as an 18-year-old freshman. How did you know, Sandon, that objectivity isn't one of my strengths? For what it's worth, besides being a very good defender he gets forward better than most outside backs, and can take players on 1 v. 1 on the left flank. He has a good soccer brain and seems to do everything well, plus he's still young and learning. Since the Rams lose a center back and central mid I figured VCU's coaches would consider moving him, but they feel he does so much from the outside that moving him wouldn't be worth it. Coach O'Sullivan, not one to talk too highly of his players, told a local paper that he couldn't imagine a better outside back in the country than Segares.

But this is just a bunch of words. Go see him play if you get a chance. I haven't seen the schedule yet, but I'm pretty sure VCU plays UVA (probably at Klockner) and Maryland, and I think they have a return game at UNC. I heard American is off the schedule this year though. But believe me, he's worth the 2-hour drive down 95 to see him (objectivity be damned!).

 

ucla lost a ton of talent?

why do u post stuff without looking at who is leaving and returns? i haven't seen a post so poorly researched. read sandon's post. a ton of talent is not a defender, a midfielder and a forward.

 

reccoc-

Research this, UCLA loses 6 seniors according to their web site: Scot Thompson, Tim Pierce, Chapin Kreuter, Ryan Futagaki, Jimmy Frazelle, and Chadd Davis. Sure Kreuter was insignificant but Thompson, Pierce, Futagaki, and Frazelle each started at leasted 15 games for the Bruins. And there had been rumors that Adolfo Gregorio was leaving early for the pro route which would further the blow. Even without Gregorio leaving, UCLA loses 20 goals and 25 assists and one of their best backs, that's a lot. They'd lose 5 of their top 8 scorers. I was simply offering a guess as to why Cleatus positioned UCLA #7 in his rankings, so call off the fact-checking police, they back up my point.

 

Let's clarify the difference between an ordinary graduating class and "a ton of talent."

In 2003, UCLA loses at least one MLS-caliber player, Scot Thompson. He's the only full-time starter they lose, and he was the #16 pick in the MLS draft. There's a chance they could lose another MLS prospect in Gregorio, and they also lose three A-League types. Team MVP Aaron Lopez will return.

In 2000, UCLA lost four future national teamers in Nick Rimando, Carlos Bocanegra, Sasha Victorine, and Peter Vagenas. They also lost Steve Shak, who was the #1 pick in the MLS draft.

In 1997, UCLA lost four future national teamers in Eddie Lewis, Ante Razov, Greg Vanney, and Frankie Hejduk. They also lost Adam Frye of the LA Galaxy.

Hax, you really should have quit while you were ahead.

 

2003 preseason picks

hax, sorry the stats are what they are. 3 0f ucla's top 4 scorers return. gregorio will be there. they return 33 of 53 goals and 98 of 162 pts. scored. all but one defender. if that is losing a "ton of talent", any team in the nation would love that kind of loss. look at where virginia was ranked in this thread. ahead of ucla, and they probably lose 80% of their offense. thats a ton of talent to lose.