By the time yesterday's two young verbal commits play for the Gophers, if all goes to plan, none of the current players on the roster will be playing at the University of Minnesota.
And that's if all goes to plan. A half decade can be a lifetime when teenagers choose their college choice before choosing a high school. If history tells us anything, it's far easier for players taking the path that Chaz and Cruz Lucius did - committing at 13 and 14 - to go on another rather than stick with their original.
Without delving into the good, bad and ugly of recruiting itself (a subject for another day), or recruiting getting younger, I wanted to look at whether past early commitments by 13 and 14 year-olds panned out for players and teams. What is a verbal commitment worth? Do star players remain stars? How much do plans change?
The answer is complicated.
Showing posts with label Cruz Lucius. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cruz Lucius. Show all posts
Friday, September 1, 2017
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Chaz and Cruz Lucius verbally commit to Minnesota
Minnesota picked up a pair of verbal commitments Thursday (August 31, 2017) from Blaine, MN brothers Chaz and Cruz Lucius, The Gopher Hockey Blog can confirm.
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A month after Jake Ratzlaff became the first 2002-born player to verbally commit to the Gophers, Don Lucia and company are moving past that barrier. Chaz is born in 2003. Cruz is even younger, born in 2004, while playing up on the 2003 Minnesota Blades. At 13, Cruz is the third-ever to commit to a men's D1 hockey program at that age.
By committing now, the two, both forwards who have been dominant at younger levels, become two of the youngest in Minnesota history. The Gophers had two players commit before turning 15 prior to the Lucius brothers.
Currently there is only one person throughout college hockey even born in 2003 with a men's hockey verbal commitment. Red Savage did so earlier this month after he joined his two older brothers in choosing Miami.
Congratulations to Chaz and Cruz Lucius on committing to play DI hockey at the University of Minnesota! #GoGophers @GopherHockey pic.twitter.com/SMDuYKodAL— Gentry Academy (@gentry_academy) August 31, 2017
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— Scott Bell (@MNCoachBell) August 31, 2017(Side note: I'm taking delight in the fact Scott Bell seems to be the first member of the Gopher hockey coaching staff to enjoy utilizing Twitter.)
A month after Jake Ratzlaff became the first 2002-born player to verbally commit to the Gophers, Don Lucia and company are moving past that barrier. Chaz is born in 2003. Cruz is even younger, born in 2004, while playing up on the 2003 Minnesota Blades. At 13, Cruz is the third-ever to commit to a men's D1 hockey program at that age.
By committing now, the two, both forwards who have been dominant at younger levels, become two of the youngest in Minnesota history. The Gophers had two players commit before turning 15 prior to the Lucius brothers.
Currently there is only one person throughout college hockey even born in 2003 with a men's hockey verbal commitment. Red Savage did so earlier this month after he joined his two older brothers in choosing Miami.
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