Quote:
Originally Posted by TheseBoots
With American so dominant what's realistic to expect from them? Will they fall back into the pack, or do you have to try to catch them?
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Sorry for the late reply, TheseBoots. I was writing a post when you commented, and I just saw you'd stopped in.
On paper, American doesn't look like they will be quite as good in 2012/13.
Kirill Korolev, last season's Patriot League Player of the Year, passed up his last season of eligibility to turn pro. (In my game world, a player can declare for the draft after three years). Korolev was a third team All-American, and I'm not sorry to see him go.
American lost two other All-Conference players,
Michale Eichelberger and
Joseph Coston, to graduation. They bring back PG
Patrick Robinson, the fourth Eagle to make the first team. Still, losing three players as good as Korolev, Eichelberger, and Coston should bring the Eagles back down to earth a bit. Their roster is still strong, and they'll be picked to finish ahead of us based on the color ratings of our players.
They also lost their head coach,
Trey Clayton. He was hired by Boston University to replace the retiring
Curt Aycock. American's new man,
Jimmy Reynolds, led Coppin State to a 23-10 record and an invitation to the Big Dance. You might remember that Coach Sims was approached for the Coppin State job and turned it down.
American's recruiting class was the lowest-ranked group in the Patriot League, with three one-star recruits. Rankings should, of course, be viewed with a critical eye; we'll see in four years what kinds of players they'll be. But, again, it looks like we narrowed the gap considerably this off-season.
I don't think American will walk the league this year. I expect Holy Cross to be very competitive. And what about our chances?
DeWitt Leyva and
Robert Castleman leave very big shoes for young players to fill. We might be a year away from a run at the title, unless the freshmen play like men in their first year on campus.
Thanks for commenting, TheseBoots.