LD Brady Cleveland - Univ. of Wisconsin, NCAA (2023, 47th, DET)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The average age of Wisconsin is 21.1

The average age of the NCAA is just a skosh higher than that.

There’s no need to be hyperbolic.

It’s a countrywide problem. Average age being the age of a college senior is quite pathetic.

College sports isn’t supposed to be for the 20-25 crowd. It’s supposed to be for the 17-22 crowd.

 

[ryan callahan]

Lol if Cleveland and Stramel are disgruntled about their ice time they are free to go back in the USHL with Fargo or Youngstown. USHL and NAHL are built for kids who aren't ready for the NCAA game (clearly Stramel and Cleveland's case)

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Sudbury Wolves would welcome Cleveland.

 

[FireBird71]

Lol if Cleveland and Stramel are disgruntled about their ice time they are free to go back in the USHL with Fargo or Youngstown. USHL and NAHL are built for kids who aren't ready for the NCAA game (clearly Stramel and Cleveland's case)

Or can transfer to another College after the season

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Lol if Cleveland and Stramel are disgruntled about their ice time they are free to go back in the USHL with Fargo or Youngstown. USHL and NAHL are built for kids who aren't ready for the NCAA game (clearly Stramel and Cleveland's case)

I could see Stramel leaving for sure. Cleveland, being a Wausau Wisconsin native, might be less likely to leave his home state school. Although if Draper & Yzerman advise him to go elsewhere, he'd likely comply.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Will he play for Cleveland Monsters?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

It’s a countrywide problem. Average age being the age of a college senior is quite pathetic.

College sports isn’t supposed to be for the 20-25 crowd. It’s supposed to be for the 17-22 crowd.

Hasn't been that way for decades. A bit worse with the Covid exemption but that was a temporary fix to an extraordinary situation.

Even at the Division 3 level schools frequently recruit players that have done either PG years at prep schools (less common with the growth of junior hockey as an option for American players) or one or two years of junior hockey.

Transfer portal AND NIL are far bigger issues in terms of wrecking the landscape of college sports.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Transfer portal AND NIL are far bigger issues in terms of wrecking the landscape of college sports.

I dislike all of it. I’d get rid of all of it.

College sports doesn’t need to be for everyone. I think they are trying too much to attract as many people as possible and keep as many people as possible with absolutely wild rules that ruin the essence of all of it.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Age stuff has been going on forever, even pre pandemic and I think it’s dramatic to say it’s a huge problem. Brother plays ACC lacrosse, every single one of his classmates was 19+ before they got to campus except for him. These are the best recruits in the country; think Michigan or BU/BC in hockey.

COVID eligibility made things a little more funky than usual but that ends this year. You even had kids withdrawing from Ivies to maintain eligibility.

It’s not a huge deal when kids get their education. If anything we should be encouraging them to mature and take time before they attend college. Sports teams will reflect that.

 

[WarriorofTime]

It would be easier to get Junior Hockey to age restrict to a younger age than it would for NCAA to put an artificial age restriction in place, which really doesn't exist in NCAA sports. The only requirements are that you have not burned your amateur status in the sport and you be enrolled in the University. It is only natural that with Junior Hockey being what it is that teams would want players to come in older and more seasoned before they join their teams, except for the especially talented players.

I'm not sure to what extent it is a problem. Top picks that are developing well generally have no problem earning high roles and excelling. From 05-births, only Brady Cleveland, Salvatore Guzzo, Alexander Weiermair... and arguably Carter Slaggert seem like they are struggling to keep up on their respective teams. That's out of twenty-nine 05 births, and if you add in Celebrini as an 06 that's thirty total. The others range from doing alright to among the best players in NCAA Hockey. I would say it's more an indictment on the guys that are struggling that they just may not be ready for college hockey yet.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

It would be easier to get Junior Hockey to age restrict to a younger age than it would for NCAA to put an artificial age restriction in place, which really doesn't exist in NCAA sports. The only requirements are that you have not burned your amateur status in the sport and you be enrolled in the University. It is only natural that with Junior Hockey being what it is that teams would want players to come in older and more seasoned before they join their teams, except for the especially talented players.

I'm not sure to what extent it is a problem. Top picks that are developing well generally have no problem earning high roles and excelling. From 05-births, only Brady Cleveland, Salvatore Guzzo, Alexander Weiermair... and arguably Carter Slaggert seem like they are struggling to keep up on their respective teams. That's out of twenty-nine 05 births, and if you add in Celebrini as an 06 that's thirty total. The others range from doing alright to among the best players in NCAA Hockey. I would say it's more an indictment on the guys that are struggling that they just may not be ready for college hockey yet.

Yep. There's a push for NTDP guys to go right from the program to the NCAA because they've been drafted and/or they don't want to spend another year in the USHL. Burnevik looks smart for staying in the USHL, which may have been at St Cloud State's request.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Is there any chance Cleveland is anywhere close in comparison to Kleven, or is he a couple steps behind where Kleven was at the same age?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Is there any chance Cleveland is anywhere close in comparison to Kleven, or is he a couple steps behind where Kleven was at the same age?

No, they don’t play that similar.

Alex Vlasic is the best case.

Most likely Adam Samuelsson is the better comparable.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

We will see how Cleveland does next year at Wisconsin

 

[William H Bonney]

Whomever decided he shouldn't return to the USHL for another season instead of sitting in the press box for the Badgers most of the season really messed up.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Whomever decided he shouldn't return to the USHL for another season instead of sitting in the press box for the Badgers most of the season really messed up.

7th Defenseman for a USA U18 team shouldn't be playing NCAA and shouldn't be a 2nd round pick even if big.

 

[wetcoast]

There is always this push and oull around great teams like USA U18 team where some of the guys won't be getting a ton of ice time and have to move on, sometimes before they are ready, to a higher level.

In an alternative world some of these guys develop with more ice time and gain confidence in the USHL or on a CHL team.....we will never know.

 

[I am Bettman]

It’s a countrywide problem. Average age being the age of a college senior is quite pathetic.

College sports isn’t supposed to be for the 20-25 crowd. It’s supposed to be for the 17-22 crowd.

Only the best of the best can play ncaa hockey at 17-20 years old. The way it works now is perfect. American juniors provides a pipeline to ncaa hockey, and if a player isn’t ready at 17-20 to play in the ncaa then they should play juniors.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Only the best of the best can play ncaa hockey at 17-20 years old. The way it works now is perfect. American juniors provides a pipeline to ncaa hockey, and if a player isn’t ready at 17-20 to play in the ncaa then they should play juniors.

How is it perfect?

Should 16 year olds be suiting up in 8th grade leagues?

Most college students are 17-22. That should be the age of most student athletes.

Adding older people into the equation is destroying college sports. Ability now matters less when you can ice student athletes who shouldn’t be in college anymore.

 

[WarriorofTime]

There is always this push and oull around great teams like USA U18 team where some of the guys won't be getting a ton of ice time and have to move on, sometimes before they are ready, to a higher level.

In an alternative world some of these guys develop with more ice time and gain confidence in the USHL or on a CHL team.....we will never know.

You can play USHL after USDNTP. It's not uncommon. Or like Hunter B., go to the OHL if they don't love the potential ice time they'll get in the NCAA the next season. I think with their pedigree, they often want to jump right to NCAA, and given that they play a lot of NCAA competition in their U18 year, it's not unreasonable for most. There are generally a couple that prematurely rush it though.

The 05 USNDTP wasn't even stacked on defense, not really at least. Buium is the only (future) 1st round pick and he and Fortescue were the only ones to make the most recent U20 team. Cleveland getting pushed down the lineup by the end of his time feels more like an indictment on him.

 

[WarriorofTime]

How is it perfect?

Should 16 year olds be suiting up in 8th grade leagues?

Most college students are 17-22. That should be the age of most student athletes.

Adding older people into the equation is destroying college sports. Ability now matters less when you can ice student athletes who shouldn’t be in college anymore.

College at 17 is unusual. In the U.S. it's an August/September cutoff most places so by high school graduation, kids are generally 18 or about to turn 18 over the summer. I don't know if athletes need to be the same age as the general student body "just cuz". It's known by everyone that athletes on campus are kind of doing their own thing.

From a hockey standpoint, a longer timeline (starting post-Junior eligibility) keeps more players "in the system" longer to give late bloomers more time to come through, Collin Graf at Quinnipiac is a great example of what can happen with that. It also allows the lower tier pro leagues (AHL/ECHL) to have access to an older and more developed player pool. Don't forget allowing prep school/MN HS kids to graduate with their class, focus on education and then have a gap year to develop from a hockey standpoint as opposed to a younger, downward pressure to join the Junior Hockey circus as 16 year olds. The kids with NHL potential are stepping into an NCAA with better developed players to push/challenge them more.

I guess the 'losers' in the system are the kids that are eager to start college to complete their degrees and start their non-hockey careers but aren't necessarily ready for NCAA Hockey yet because the player pool is older/stronger. So they have to delay that a year or two... but nobody is forced to play NCAA Hockey. A family friend's kid is starting NCAA Hockey next season, he played an overage junior season this year and will be a 21 year old freshman. At one time they were hoping for NHL, but at this point I'd reckon that ship has likely sailed, but they know what they've gotten themselves into every step of the way. It's a bit of an unusual system I suppose, but I'm not really sure if there are major drawbacks to it.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Transfer portal, we will see where he goes

 

[newfy]

Transfer portal, we will see where he goes

Recruited by Tony G who was no onger around, plus an injury riddled season... definitely best to get outta there. I think staying in the NCAA might be best to give him more development time, but I wonder if he'll look at the OHL. Sudbury has his rights

 

[bigdog16]

How is it perfect?

Should 16 year olds be suiting up in 8th grade leagues?

Most college students are 17-22. That should be the age of most student athletes.

Adding older people into the equation is destroying college sports. Ability now matters less when you can ice student athletes who shouldn’t be in college anymore.

No age limit benefits college hockey more than any other sport. Restricting the age limit would significantly kill the talent level. All the top end, NHL bound guys, would flock to major junior. As a result it would kill the USHL and all the NCAA feeder leagues.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Never really understood why he was taken that early.