Chicago Mission U16 defenseman Jordan Schmaltz has committed to Wisconsin. Schmaltz will be a high school freshman this fall, so it's likely that the earliest he'd join the Badgers would be 2012.
Schmaltz played on the Mission with defenseman Robbie Russo, who is the other '93 birthdate to have committed to a western school so far.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
18 comments:
Does Wisconsin have room for him in the 2012 class or will he have to be delayed to the 2013 or 2014 classes due to over-recruitment or lack of development? Wisc. the only school where an early committment becomes a delayed entry!!
at least he is a Wisconsin kid! But with how Monpetit, Erstad and Smith have faired recently this may not mean a lot in determining entry date.
He is easily good enough to make it when he's a freshman. He lives in Madison, and plays for Chicago Mission. He did play with Robbie Russo, but that was a few years ago. Last year, Schmaltz anchored the Defense for Mission 93's while Russo did it for Mission mm's. That may have been what you meant, but I was just clarifying it.
Schmaltz is a great pick-up. On a scale from 1-10, I would rate his skating a 9. He rarely makes mistakes on Defense (as well as you could for that age). He sees the ice terrifically and continuously makes passes you couldn't see coming from the stands. He is the perfect Defenseman to anchor an attack and power play. Great pick-up and can be used in many facets.
Wow, "Easily good enough to make it when he is a freshman"!!! He will have to play against kids 25 lets talk when he has played with or against kids a year older! If he is that advanced why not MM rather than U-16? Seems premature to be saying when he will be ready for college hockey.
Russo has played up for two years.
he turned over the puck alot at Nationals and those were all kids his own age. With the problems UW has had with Smith and his rushing the puck looks like they might have another youngster on their hands who needs to learn to play with/against older talented players. UW will have 4plus years to see how he develops. don't see him as a true freshman unless he starts to play up or goes to JRs.
Why talk negatively on a circumstance you don't have knowledge about? He was offered to play on the MM team, and his family declined. You don't know the Chicago Mission Midget situation. Keep in mind he's a late 93(so how many late 93s and early 94s are playing MMs?) and parents are most down-to-earth and least egotistical couple for a very good athlete you will ever find.
Playing up at MM doesn't necessarily mean one player is better than another at all. There are many top 93s playing mm's (there are many MM's as well). Once again, he's a late 93 so 2012 not 2011 so that's less reason to play MM. It's a case-by-case basis. Seems premature to make assumptions about another family's business.
You have watched the kid play and honestly have nothing positive to say? You should work for the American press, they only hire critics that look for the worst in others.
great parents really don't factor in at the college level. Great the kid got an early commitment but for people to say when he will enter college especially at a program like UW, known for delay athletes, is unrealistic. Enjoy the commitment but know Wisconsin's recent history and be ready for delaying.
Kessel was a late '87 but played up at MM with the Caps as a freshman.Didn't commit early, but has done pretty well!! Probably a good decision for this recruit to play mm to slowly get accustomed to playing with older, bigger, stronger and more mature players. He does have years to develop. Just hope he isn't part of the crazy '93 group coming out of Chicago. Hope his parents are as great as everyone says or it will be a long haul.
2012 is a target date, nothing set in stone for a kid this young. His future will be dictated by his progress and the direction the Badger coaching staff pushes him towards. There are many steps he could take....possibly NTDP if invited...1 year of mm, 1 year MM and two years in the USHL.
This is probably one of the last programs I would look at making such an early commitment. Maybe the NCAA needs to look at a new recruitment rule that requires a player to at least have started puberty before they are offered a full scholarship. Totally ridiculous - don't care how good of player he is, what level he is playing at or how great his parents are.
Back when Kessel played MM as a freshman in High School, they did not have mm levels in USA hockey, and it is hard to compare other players with Kessel. Although Smith, Erstad and Montpetit are not coming in this year....the Badgers are still bringing in 4 players who are true 18 year old freshman. Gardnier comes straight from Minnesota HS, Stepan & Murray from Shattuck, and Thurber from the USHL. If I recall correctly Thurber was also a pretty young recruit as well. I remember seeing him play for the Capitol mm as an 8th grader and Capitol MM as a 9th grader. I believe he just finished his 3rd year in the USHL.....kind of weird to consider him a true freshman after 3 years of junior hockey. What I am getting at is that the kid will have options(NTDP,USHL,Prep School or MM) as to where he plays and the coaching staff will then decide when he is ready to come in.
"Back when Kessel played MM as a freshman in High School, they did not have mm levels in USA hockey,"
Actually that's not right. USA hockey did have mm levels, but it just happened that the Capitols didn't have enough players to field a mm team back then. The Capitols was a very odd organization back then. I've seen there Peewee team take 2nd at nationals and then the following year not have enough players to field a team. I have heard a few times back then(10 years ago) that the Caps program relied heavily on how other youth teams and hs are doing in the area. For instance if Memorial or West looked statebound or the Polarcaps or Southwest looked to win a WAHA championship, most of the top players would stick with their teams. Since Gary Suter has joined the organization more top kids are flocking there and I it looks like they might not have number problems again.
wrong about mm when Kessel played. US hockey did have mm when Kessel played. The TI mm team went to nationls in Boston that year. Phil Kessel played MM for the Caps. which was beat out by the TI MM at regionals. He played up because of ability not because of no mm team. Just the facts.
heard this is just a move to get the younger brother who is a '95. Dad has him meeting with North Dakota and Notre Dame next week so Wisconsin will have to commit soon to the '95 or be threatened with losing him! Great parents who are
"least egotistical couple" don't parade their kids around and tote them as being not "Normal 14, almost 15 year old".
The only time Scmatz played with Russo is for Nike/Bauer. You must be thinking of Fiala. Another Wisconsin Defence who played for Mission. I think he quit for football...
Why would a family from Verona travel to Chicago for hockey? The Suters aren't strong enough developers of players? Give me a break. Hope this kid lives up to all his coaches hype and UW bite on some Chicago PR machine. Talking about this kid and all his POTENTIAL is only saying he hasn't really done anything yet!!! Hell he's 14 and being marketed by an organization that hasn't done anything but recruit players. Only need to look at the Suters experience, work ethic and kids they have coached to know they don't oversell themselves but quietly produce.
Eaves "pushes" Howie out.
http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/...&storyid=14743
http://www.uwbadgers.com/
Post a Comment