Hi all, I’m Indiana’s coach and I’d like to share my thoughts, in no particular order, on this year’s Great Lakes players now that regionals is finished.
Purdue:
I would consider Joe Byerly (#12) to be the most talented thrower in the region. He pairs elite level vision with both powerful and accurate throws. His height and length make it difficult for most marks to consistently stop him. Joe is the kind of player that you have to specifically plan against when creating a gameplan. I think he more than deserves all-region honors.
Stating the obvious, Jack Havey (#26) is a fantastic initiating cutter for Purdue and is tremendously fast. Speed kills. Probably not all-region level, but definitely worth mentioning.
Notre Dame:
In my opinion, Notre Dame is and always has been, the most cohesive team in the region. Their mental toughness is second to none and I believe it’s a big reason why they’re often peaking around the series. Their coach, Hoff is a huge part of that and I have tremendous respect for him. I honestly think he should receive coach of the year honors most years for the program he’s built.
Stephen Babcock is the best player on their team and I think deserves all-region honors. He’s an intelligent and dynamic player that always seems to be in the right place at the right time to make a clutch play.
Kentucky:
Jake Carrico is an incredible player and is the main engine behind their offense. Their team is noticeably different without him. With big hucks and the ability to break most marks, he’s a huge threat with the disc in his hands, but he’ll also make some big skies downfield as well. I pretty much told my team not to throw deep against him.
Illinois State:
Cal Tornabene (#21) is who I believe to be their best and most dynamic player. He seemed to be able to do just about everything well. I had to put my best defenders on him all game.
Josh Sanabria (#99), or whoever was their puller, had some truly impressive pulls. From triple helix pulls to towering IO pulls, he kept just about every one inbounds with solid hangtimes.
Northwestern:
Kyle Rutledge (#12) is as good as advertised and plays with a lot of heart. The main cog in their offense, our entire gameplan was focused around limiting his ability to make big plays…which proved very difficult to do. He also seemed tireless, as he played most points against us, many of which were not short. He most definitely deserves all-region honors.
Josh Venegas (#99) is an incredible defender with what I believe to be the talent to shut down most cutters in the region. I never felt comfortable about us coming down with a disc when he was in the vicinity.
Illinois:
Ben Sabourin (#2) is just such a well-rounded player. He’s an incredibly cerebral player who has massive pulls and can break just about any mark in the region. I think he should be considered for all-region.
Joey Kennedy (#19) is a generational talent in terms of his offensive presence. Being able to break most marks as a freshman is so impressive and his field vision/sense is well beyond his years. Should for sure be all-region freshman.
U Chicago:
Jason Vallee (#94) is one of the most talented players in the region. More than deserving of all-region honors. When we played Chicago in semis, Vallee played most points and never slowed down. With springs for legs, he was incredibly effective in the air against us, but he was also so tough to stop in the throw and go. It was a “pick your poison” scenario when trying to stop him.
Michigan:
I was genuinely surprised when I read that their coach, Parker, had taken over half-way through the year. The teamed seemed so cohesive and bought in, which is remarkable considering his short tenure. I’m sure him having just recently played for Magnum made this transition much easier, as it was obvious how much the team trusted and respected him. Along with Hoff, he’s deserving of coach of the year.
Both Eli Weaver (#13) and Cian Johnson (#84) are all-region freshman, based on what I saw in our game against Michigan. Cian was a tough guard because of his size and speed, while Eli Weaver is smart and explosive.
Nicholas Gerber (#59) can probably break most marks in the region, while also being a tough guard in the handler space. He generates a ton of flick power for someone who doesn’t appear to step out much. Should get the nod for all-region.
Jeff Gao (#18) is one of the best handler defenders in the region. His small space defense, quick change of direction and anticipation make for some awesome handler d. Watching him play handler D was inspiring.
Jared Schwallie (#8) lives up to what his teammates and coach have said about him. Deserves all-region.
Grand Valley State:
We only played them in the fall, but I can certainly say that Josh and Mark live up to their “dynamic duo” status. Each one of them is more than deserving of being in the conversation for all-region, based on what I remember.
Indiana:
Kip Curtis (#8) should absolutely get the nod for all-region. He’s one of the best all-around players in the region, in my naturally biased opinion. Kip is another one of those tireless players in the region, who never seems to slow as the tournament grinds on. From being a mainstay on our o-line or guarding the other team’s best players, Kip was a huge part contributor to IU. He was also one of our captains this year and is a fantastic teacher and leader. Allegedly, Sunday of regionals was his 1001th day of throwing in a row.
Alex Henderson (#0) not only deserves freshman of the year but he also deserves all-region honors. I believe he’s one of the most talented offensive players in the region. From zone saw lefty scoobers to perfect 8-yard in cut throws, he’s got the entire arsenal. He’s also incredibly tough to guard downfield, often our initiating cutter. I think his most impressive attribute is his vision and field sense. It’s most definitely the best of anyone his age in our region.
Conner Henderson (#14) is the driving force behind our d-line. He just does it all for the team. As our main puller, he keeps 95%+ of his pulls inbound. He generated more Ds than anyone else on our team this year, consistently laying out on unders, skying opponents deep and hand-blocking dudes in shirts. A strong thrower, Conner is responsible for a large portion of the disc movement on our d-line and is often directly responsible for many of our breaks. More than deserving of all-region honors.
Adrian Golay (#3) is one of the best lockdown defenders in the region, without a doubt. Most often responsible for guarding the other teams most dynamic players, Adrian uses his wealth of experience and his athleticism to make defenders really have to work to get open. While certainly not the most powerful thrower in the region, he may be one of the most consistent and accurate. I genuinely think he puts more spin on the disc than anyone else in the region.
Max Bradshaw (#97) and Jeremy Keusch (#20) are also deserving of being in the conversation for all-region freshman. Max has a field sense and proficiency with both throwing hands well beyond his years. I honestly thought he was a lefty for a good portion of the fall semester (he’s a righty). Jeremy stepped up into a starting handler role for us from day 1. He can break most marks and is a solid handler defender.