What’s up Great Lakes people - Indiana coach here. I’ll share my thoughts on players from teams we played this year who I think could be all-region/all-freshman.
Notre Dame
Chris “Monk” Walsh is a dynamic player for ND and the person their offense moves through more than any other. His field vision, awareness, and throwing fundamentals are some of the most developed in the region. Greatly spirited player, as well.
Chase “Ani” Rawlins & Jacob “Gumbo” Anthuven deserve shout-outs as well (Ani was unfortunately hurt for the entire series, I believe). Both of them are impact players on each side of the disc. Gumbo usually guarded our best players well.
Dave Hoffman is also a potential COTY for the GL - after ND missed regionals in the Fall series they turned it around and took 3rd in the region with only 15 people! Super impressive. Hoff and ND are always peaking right around regionals and that’s a testament to his leadership and coaching. Much respect.
GVSU
Only saw them in Quarters. #21 and #25 were the biggest impact players on their roster, responsible for most of the disc movement and deep shots. Something about GVSU and “dynamic duos”, I guess.
Purdue
We saw Purdue a total of 5 times this year. An extremely deep and well-coached team (shout-out Conner and Joe) that has multiple playmakers on each side of the disc.
Eli Mock is definitely the “All-Around Build” mentioned earlier. He really does it all for Purdue and is kind of a “pick your poison” match-up, meaning, he’s just as viable to beat you with his throws as he is with his legs. Less talked about in these threads - his leadership for the team is noteworthy, constantly picking his teammates up and keeping spirits high. An all-around good player and person.
Matt Viscido also deserves mentioning. He’s been starting for Purdue’s o-line since his freshman year for good reason. His ultimate IQ, quickness, and athleticism make him extremely difficult to contain. He’ll generate tons of Ds as well if you’re not running through the disc all the way.
Jackson Moore felt like their D-line leader but he was also the first to cross over to O-line when needed. His speed and agility make him a fantastic small space defender and a nightmare to guard in the handler space. The number of times he has singlehandedly gunked up our handler set is too damn high.
Eric Palia deserves a nod for the all-freshman team. With massive pulls, he’s a boon to their D-line. His ultimate IQ is also really well developed for a freshman and that helps him on both sides of the disc.
Conner Lukas is also deserving of a nod for COTY. I’m honestly not sure how long he’s coached PU but, regardless, I attribute their depth to his coaching. It’s also pretty clear that he has helped build a system that plays to their player’s strengths. The team seems to really rally around him and has completely bought into his system. So long as Conner is at the helm in West Lafayette, PU will be near the top of the region.
Illinois
Didn’t get to see Joey or Eli at MLC but if either of them were half as good as they were against us in the Fall game-to-go then they are absolutely deserving of an all-region spot.
Michigan
Ashwin Pothukuchi: Long time leader for Magnum and for good reason. He does just about everything well on both sides of the disc and was very difficult to contain both in the fall and the spring.
Theo Shapinsky: Another veteran Magnum guy who can just about do it all. He can be a dynamic, athletic defender capable of guarding your best player and then turn around and play the most consistent, confident offense of anyone in the region.
James Hill: Don’t have much to add outside of what’s already been said. Definitely one of the best defenders in the nation. Certainly the best in the region.
Cian Johnson: Speed kills. Even more so when that speed is backed with a high ultimate IQ.
Aaron Bartlett: Very much deserving of the all-freshman team. A very poised player, he plays a huge role in Magnum’s offense and that’s saying a lot considering how many playmakers they have.
James Highsmith is probably the odds-on favorite for COTY considering how well Michigan played through the series. The culture of winning built by James & Michigan is truly impressive and they continue to win no matter who they graduate. While they’ve had a couple of different coaches over the last few years, it’s honestly even more impressive that they continue to develop the best players in the region despite coaching turnover. It’s clear how much Magnum trusts, respects, and follows James (as well as the rest of the coaching staff).
Best of luck at nationals, Magnum!
Indiana
Now for the biased part:
Jeremy “Austin Sol” Keusch #21: He really does it all for us. He missed the last month and a half of the season due to injury but still managed to be one of the best players in the region, in my opinion, coming off an injury. His IQ, length, and athleticism make him a tough cover for just about anyone in the region.
Lucas Coniaris #8: Lucas also did it all for us. On O-line, he would often slot back into the handler space because no one could stop him from breaking the mark around, making him the perfect thrower to initiate our offense. On D-line, he would often go and guard the other team’s most impactful player, doing a great job of making their job of getting open much more difficult. His leadership is also second to none. He leads by example, he brings the energy, and he can will his team to victory.
Conner Henderson #14: Likely a household name in the region by now, Conner has been pivotal in reshaping the Mama?s culture and helping to make us a consistent contender in the region. This semester, he led our D-line and was the main driver of our D-line offense on a turn. His leadership and ability to break any mark proved invaluable on a very young D-line. When our backs were against a wall, the whole team would look to Conner.
Adrian Golay #3: So he’s been in the region a real long time and never gets much recognition because he’s not a flashy player. He doesn’t generate a ton of Ds simply because people don’t throw his way - the person he’s guarding is locked up. On offense, he lets his IQ lead the way, operating extremely efficiently in the cutter and handler space (probably has the highest +/- on our team).
Cam Thatcher #4: Cam was probably one of the most improved players on our roster this year. He’s our best puller (I could probably argue the best puller in the region but #17 (I think) on Magnum also makes a strong case for that title) but his presence on O-line is too valuable to leave out. One of the most creative and confident throwers in the region, he pairs elite field vision and IQ, enabling those around him to play their best.
Will Quigley #00: Deserves a nod for all-freshman team. From day 1 he was ready to step onto our O-line. Yes, he’s 6’8 but he doesn’t rely on that. He often uses that fact to easily set up under cuts. He’s also selfless, often making deep cuts he knows won’t get thrown because he’s drawing two defenders deep - allowing for his teammates to get easy unders. He’s also figured out how to use his huge frame to move marks and make for easy break throws. Did I mention he also plays (and bids) in jean shorts? Absolute mad man.
Rowland Sorrick & Jack Galle also deserve mentions for all-freshman team. Rowland had no real ultimate experience coming into the year but his hustle and athleticism allowed for him to make a spot on the team where he then quickly developed a strong game sense. Honestly, the way people describe UChicago’s Grant Harris is eerily similar to Rowland. Jack, on the other hand, had ultimate experience coming onto the team. I would compare him to a young Matt Viscido from PU. Smart, quick, and sneaky athletic. Both of them became threats on both sides of the disc by the series.