You spent the better part of four months meticulously dissecting the 2012 college lacrosse season. You shouldn't stop now because cold turkey is a bad way to go through life, man. College Crosse is providing decompression snapshots of all 61 teams and their 2012 campaigns, mostly because everything needs a proper burial.
I. VITAL SIGNS
Team: Bellarmine Knights
2012 Record: 4-8 (0-6, ECAC)
2012 Strength of Schedule (Efficiency Margin): -0.29 (39)
2011 Strength of Schedule (Efficiency Margin): -1.51 (50)
Winning Percentage Change from 2011: +6.67%
2012 Efficiency Margin: -3.05 (41)
Efficiency Margin Change from 2011: +0.46
II. "ATTA BOY!" FACT
- Well, Bellarmine played in a possession deficit over the course of the season (about two possessions per 60 minutes of play), didn't get especially efficient work out of its offense (it was only ranked 43rd in adjusted offensive efficiency), and the defense didn't totally collapse (team defense finished up 30th in adjusted defensive efficiency). Yet, the Knights still managed to pull four wins out of its schedule and probably could've snagged two more if things had kind of gone their way. Dan Burns did a nice job in 2012, considering what he's working with, and as the program has only existed since 2005, any kind of Gatorade bath moment is a nice thing that deserves an "Atta boy!" and a hot dog with spicy mustard.
III. "YOU'RE GROUNDED UNTIL YOU QUALIFY FOR THE AARP!" FACT
- Bellarmine didn't shoot the ball particularly well in 2012, finishing only 42nd nationally in raw shooting percentage at 27.37. That isn't an especially good mark, but it isn't the basis for the finger waggle: Only nine teams had a harder time sharing the ball than the Knights last season. If you're having trouble canning the bean and you can't get it one-on-one with individual play, you simply need to find ways to make the scoreboard blink through the offense in its entirety. Bellarmine just couldn't seem to find ways to help each other to beat the defense and give themselves preferable shots. For shame.
IV. MR. FIX-IT HAS A ONE-FIX ENGAGEMENT, AND IT'S . . .
- Razors. Lots of razors for that pesky facial hair of creepiness. Also, some kind of level because there appears to be an issue in Kentucky that forces people to lean slightly to the left. It's freaking me out. (But most importantly: Keep developing players and the program. Bellarmine is sitting at the top of the bottom third of the country, and that isn't too bad considering the program has only competed at the Division I level for seven seasons.)