College Crosse Prospectus: Kessenich explains why college lacrosse needs a shot clock; Pannell breaks MLL points record

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING, College Crosse Nation! Thanks for making us a part of your day! Here’s everything you need to know for August 5, 2018.

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If you follow Quint Kessenich on Twitter (and you should), he’s gone into why college lacrosse needs a shot clock over the past couple of days.

There’s a bunch of other names to add as well. Joe Spallina coaches the Lizards and also the Stony Brook Seawolves women’s program, which uses a 90 second shot clock. Launch head coach Tom Mariano also leads Division II Pace. Head coaches Gary Gait (Syracuse Orange women) and Shawn Nadelen (Towson Tigers men) also played in MLL. Add to that Marcus Holman of the Machine and Adam Ghitelman of the Blaze are current players in the league that are assistant coaches with the Utah Utes, who start as a Division I program this season.

Despite Duke Blue Devils head coach John Danowski cautioning a possible decision to add the shot clock, it still sounds like it’s coming to the collegiate game. The only question is when it will come, how long it will be, and when to start it.

I talked to CBS Sports’ Evan Washburn Friday at Eagles training camp and the last things we discussed very quickly was a shot clock. He said a 90 second shot clock should happen. He did not specify when the clock would start.

In my opinion, I am very pro-shot clock at 90 seconds with it starting after the attacking team gets it into the restraining box. With a shot clock beginning at the start of possession, it’s a hard 90 but actually a soft 75 or 65 depending on how long a clear takes if the clearing timer is still being used. Lacrosse could become maybe a little too defensive. In the second scenario, you still have the 30 seconds to clear and a full out 90 seconds to get a shot on goal. But that could get some teams to stall late in the game if they have a one or two goal lead.

Last fall, the NCAA had two options for teams to use in their scrimmages, both at 60 seconds. I think there needs to be a trial period of at least the 90 second option before making a permanent decision. But again, the coaches have a better say than I do because most of them have played with the shot clock last year and I didn’t.

The rules committee meets in Indianapolis starting August 7 until August 9.

Elsewhere in the lacrosse world, former Cornell Big Red and current New York Lizard Rob Pannell broke the single-season points record of 74 he previously set with a seven goal and two assist performance against Chesapeake last night, finishing with 78 points on the year. He also gave the Lizards a spot in next weekend’s MLL semifinals against the Dallas Rattlers.

It was the final MLL game for other Cornell buddies Max Seibald and Mitch Belisle of the Boston Cannons.

Once he’s done with his senior year playing lacrosse at Loyola, attackman Pat Spencer wants to spend one more year in college playing basketball, writes Edward Lee of The Baltimore Sun.

Spencer, who said he likes “lacrosse and basketball the same,” said the two sports share offensive philosophies, such as using picks to get free, slashing to the net, and driving to penetrate a defense or kick the ball out to an open teammate.

“The spacing is kind of similar to lacrosse, and a lot of the moves are the same,” he said. “A split dodge [in lacrosse] is kind of like a crossover [in basketball]. So the team aspect and trying to make the right play, it’s all there. It’s a pretty similar sport.”

Spencer helped Boys’ Latin capture its first Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference championship in basketball in 25 years as a senior in 2016 and was named to The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro second team.

But lacrosse is his bread-and-butter. In three relatively short years in lacrosse, Spencer is already Loyola’s and the Patriot League’s all-time leader in assists (166), the conference’s career points leader (266) and the league’s three-time Offensive Player of the Year. He is also a two-time first-team All-American and a two-time finalist for the Tewaaraton Award, which is the sport’s version of the Heisman Trophy.

The Harvard Crimson officially introduced Al Lattell as their newest assistant coach.

“I am happy to announce the hiring of Al Lattell as an assistant coach to our staff,” said [Chris] Wojcik. “Al has earned this opportunity through his dedication and commitment to our program. Over the past year, he has embraced our team, athletic department and Harvard University, and Al has developed strong relationships with our student athletes, staff and administration. He will be involved in all facets of our program and I am excited to welcome him to his new position.”

Lattell finished his first season at Harvard in 2018 as the operations coordinator, while he joined the Crimson in 2017 after serving in the same capacity for Boston University from 2015-17. A graduate of BU and two-time captain of its club lacrosse team, Lattell stayed with the Terriers as an assistant coach for seven seasons, including the first two years at the Division I level.

The Crimson also introduced former USC associate head coach Devon Wills as their next head coach for the women’s team.

“It is a privilege to be named The Carole Kleinfelder Head Coach for Harvard Women’s Lacrosse, and I am very grateful for this opportunity,” Wills said. “Harvard provides its student-athletes with an unparalleled college experience, combining rigorous academics with nationally competitive athletic opportunities. I am excited to return to Ivy League competition and am committed to building a strong program that will contribute to the championship history of Harvard women’s lacrosse. I am confident that we can create an energetic, positive, and successful experience for our student-athletes.”

Ohio State Buckeyes rising senior Jack Jasinski is spending time in Puerto Rico on a service trip with other Buckeyes.

He’s also ready for his senior year of lacrosse.

In the UWLX Championship game, the Philadelphia Force defeated the Boston Storm, 13-7, for their first ever title. Philadelphia beating a Boston team. Does that sound familiar?

As always, Lake Placid is looking like a blast (sadly a last minute snag denied me of returning this year).

The Mercer Bears introduced five of their newest freshmen, all of them US Lacrosse All-Americans.

“Our coaching staff believes this is the deepest recruiting class in our program’s history,” said Coach [Kyle] Hannan. “The five US Lacrosse All-Americans are just a part of a very talented class of 16 players. The 2022 class is not only strong on the playing field but also one that excels in the classroom and community. The Bears’ lacrosse program welcomes these talented young men and we look forward to seeing their positive impact on Mercer University.”

Mark your calendars Stony Brook fans!

This watermelon stood no chance against Penn State’s Mac O’Keefe.

World News

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro survived a near assassination attempt.

Someone found a 1913 Confederate time capsule.

Video of the Day

Brian Dawkins had an unforgettable Hall of Fame speech last night. HALLELUJAH!

That’s it for today!! I’ll see you out there!! Make sure you follow us on social media!

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Managing Editors: Safe Fekadu, Chris Jastrzembski, Ryan McDonnell