Closing Observations from the PLL High School Combine

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With event season now in the rearview, we're wrapping up PLL High School Combine content by highlighting the two uncommitted attendees, Ivy League-bound defensemen, a strong MIAA contingent, plus some quick notes on some of the top-ranked middies.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["17945"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Carson and his twin brother, Blake, originally decided on Lindenwood in September but re-opened their recruitment following the school's sudden announcement that the program would be discontinued after the 2024 season. Having watched Carson for the first time in person last weekend, he's certainly a D1-caliber recruit worthy of another opportunity.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eHe carried the rock with confidence and was most dangerous as a feeder, zipping precise skip passes to his teammates on several occasions. I loved the creativity that Piscitiello played with, and it's clear that he knows himself. Sure, he may not win many foot races, but he has such a knack for knowing exactly when and how to use deception to get his hands free along with a great understanding of spacing and off-ball play.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["18472"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"A 5'10 pitbull from South Jersey, Krebs is somehow still uncommitted but is far from an unknown commodity, having earned a coveted spot in the Maverik Showtime All-Star Game in late June and a 3-star rating after a strong summer. There's no doubt that Krebs plays with the mentality and nasty disposition that you have to play with as an undersized defender, always bringing it with his nonstop motor and gritty style of defense. He's a pest with his checks, too, and is known to lay out his opponent.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eDuring Saturday's combine, he finished in the top four among defenders in the broad jump, 10-yard shuttle, and 40-yard dash. Throughout the weekend, I gained an appreciation for his character and work ethic - he seemed incredibly hungry to compete at all times. I can't imagine that he'll stop playing with that chip on his shoulder even after he finds a home.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":2,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65c5709384309"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Nine 4-star defenders in the junior class are committed to Ivy League institutions, and four of them made their way down to Bradenton and showed particularly well. At this point, I'm beating a dead horse by echoing my sentiment that this wasn't the best event to evaluate defensemen, however, the silver lining was getting to see the poles outside of their comfort zone and with shortsticks in their hands during the Sixes tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I continue to be incredibly impressed by the stick work from Harvard-bound juniors <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/jack-weissenburger/">Jack Weissenburger</a> (St. John's Prep, MA) and [player_tooltip player_id='14575' first='Quinn' last='Kelly'] (Christian Brothers, NJ), two prospects who check a lot of boxes and have a lot of experience at both LSM and close. Kelly had the quickest wall ball routine (2:17) to rank 12th overall as both finished top three among all defenders, while Weissenburger tied for the best knockdown rate. Looking ahead a few years, Gerry Byrne should have fun working with the trio of Weissenburger, Kelly, and Lawrenceville's Brock Getson, who had a terrific summer and fall. <br><br>At 6'3 and 215 pounds, No. 44 junior and Penn commit <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/patrick-kelley/">Patrick Kelley</a> (Georgetown Prep, MD) is one of the more imposing defenders in the class and has swung back and forth between both positions, though I think he's better suited to play close D at the next level. More of a gamer, Kelley didn't have as much success during athleticism testing, but he did turn heads when he hit 106 mph on the radar gun and consistently reached triple digits. Cornell-bound <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/john-rodehorst/">John Rodehorst</a> (La Salle Academy, RI) has a lot of upside at longstick middie as he continues to polish his 1-on-1 cover skills to add to his ability off the ground in transition. Super athletic and able to run all day, he thrived in Sixes and showed off a great handle and strong instincts. <br><br>— Brendan Millon (McDonogh, Md.), <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/02/pll-high-school-combine-how-the-5-star-attackmen-fared/">who was highlighted last week in a free post on the 5-star attackmen</a>, was the headliner among a dozen representatives from the state of Maryland. His McDonogh teammates and fellow 5-stars, goalie <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/aidan-seibel/">Aidan Seibel</a> (Maryland) and midfielder <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/bogue-hahn/">Bogue Hahn</a> (Syracuse), were both excellent. Seibel showed why he was the consensus top goalie recruit and was up to the challenge against the PLL shooters, who came away with rave reviews on Seibel's showing at the event. Hahn, meanwhile, didn't show as well during athleticism testing but continued to dazzle with his feel for the game and IQ, attributes that were on display during Sixes. In that regard, what he brings to the table is very different from the rest of the midfield class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two multi-sport athletes bound for Virginia and UNC, respectively, No. 5 <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/robby-hopper/">Robby Hopper</a> (Spalding, MD) and No. 40 <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/jermaine-anderson/">Jermaine Anderson</a> (Calvert Hall, MD) were exceptional during Saturday's combine portion. Hopper tied for the top knockdown rate, finished 6th overall with a 4.74 forty-yard dash and hammered a 100mph stepdown, while Anderson was in the top four overall in broad jump (9.4), 40-yard dash (4.67), and vertical jump (20.5).&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>— Back when I was putting together the Class of 2025 rankings in August, the midfield position was far and away the most talented and most difficult group to sort out. This is more of an evergreen take, but this event still reaffirmed how little separation there is between the midfielders and how interesting it will be to follow their development in the next few years.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The broad jump tends to be a solid indicator of athleticism, though it's not the end-all, be-all. For what it's worth, No. 22 junior <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/brendan-mullahy/">Brendan Mullahy</a> (Taft, CT) checked in at 9'9 before being sidelined by a lower-body injury that sidelined him and No. 10 recruit <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/anthony-raio/">Anthony Raio</a> (Half Hollow Hills West, NY) hit 9'1 and had the 2nd-best score at the camp. Fellow Top 50 recruits <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/grady-taylor/">Grady Taylor</a> (Holderness, NH) and <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/player/johnny-price/">Johnny Price</a> (Roxbury Latin, MA) also looked great across the board after putting their athleticism on display on the club circuit.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><br><br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->