Chaz and Cruz Lucius commit to Gophers

[MWS coach]

Congrats to the brothers on commitment to Maroon and Gold!#Prideonice

[jg2112]

Okay, I'll bite:

Why is this in the high school section?

[GoldenBear69]

JG - you are right to question. With '03 and '04 birth years .... should be in youth hockey forum

[blueline_6]

The Gentry Marketing/Hype Department must have worked hard on this one.

[TheMNhockey1]

Saw this on the comments of the Strib article about it. Possible?

In order to enhance and expand the athletics opportunities

available to students in grades 7–12 in both schools, Mounds Park Academy will be partnering with another private school, Gentry Academy.



This relationship will allow the two schools to offer Minnesota State High School League Boys and Girls Hockey Teams beginning in the 2018–19 school year. The two schools will also partner for other sports, on a sport-by-sport basis, beginning in the 2017–18 school year. In addition, the two schools will explore other ways to collaborate to enhance students’ experiences



This will NOT go over well with most high schools.

[Stang5280]

I realize these early verbal commitments are essentially meaningless, but have Lucia and the formerly proud Gopher program been reduced to publicity stunts like this? The younger brother, Cruz, looks comically tiny and young even for age 13. Projecting the physical and skill growth of a player 5+ years out is an exercise in futility.

I would love for hockey to implement a rule akin to college lacrosse, which this year began prohibiting college coaches from contacting recruits prior to September 1 of their junior year. Otherwise we are looking at a continuous race to the bottom.

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

I realize these early verbal commitments are essentially meaningless, but have Lucia and the formerly proud Gopher program been reduced to publicity stunts like this? The younger brother, Cruz, looks comically tiny and young even for age 13. Projecting the physical and skill growth of a player 5+ years out is an exercise in futility.

I would love for hockey to implement a rule akin to college lacrosse, which this year began prohibiting college coaches from contacting recruits prior to September 1 of their junior year. Otherwise we are looking at a continuous race to the bottom.

As long as parents are involved, then yes, it will continue.

[elliott70]

I realize these early verbal commitments are essentially meaningless, but have Lucia and the formerly proud Gopher program been reduced to publicity stunts like this? The younger brother, Cruz, looks comically tiny and young even for age 13. Projecting the physical and skill growth of a player 5+ years out is an exercise in futility.

I would love for hockey to implement a rule akin to college lacrosse, which this year began prohibiting college coaches from contacting recruits prior to September 1 of their junior year. Otherwise we are looking at a continuous race to the bottom.

Permissible Correspondence



Grade / Year

Telephone Calls

Recruiting Materials (mail)


Grade 9 / Freshman
•None.
•None.


Grade 10 / Sophomore
•You can call the coach.
•The coach call you starting January 01 of your sophomore year.
•Receive brochures for camps and questionnaires.


Grade 11 / Junior
•You can call the coach.
•The coach can call you starting January 1st before Grade 11.
•Receive recruiting materials starting June 15 before Grade 11.


Grade 12 / Senior
•You can call the coach.
•The coach can call you once a week starting August 1 before Grade 12
•Allowed

[mulefarm]

Any chance that a kid has to reach puberty before correspondence?

[minnscout]

You can call the coach anytime.

[northwoods oldtimer]

I realize these early verbal commitments are essentially meaningless, but have Lucia and the formerly proud Gopher program been reduced to publicity stunts like this? The younger brother, Cruz, looks comically tiny and young even for age 13. Projecting the physical and skill growth of a player 5+ years out is an exercise in futility.

I would love for hockey to implement a rule akin to college lacrosse, which this year began prohibiting college coaches from contacting recruits prior to September 1 of their junior year. Otherwise we are looking at a continuous race to the bottom.

NCAA has so many regulatory rules this one would make sense to impose. 100% agree!

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

I realize these early verbal commitments are essentially meaningless, but have Lucia and the formerly proud Gopher program been reduced to publicity stunts like this? The younger brother, Cruz, looks comically tiny and young even for age 13. Projecting the physical and skill growth of a player 5+ years out is an exercise in futility.

I would love for hockey to implement a rule akin to college lacrosse, which this year began prohibiting college coaches from contacting recruits prior to September 1 of their junior year. Otherwise we are looking at a continuous race to the bottom.

NCAA has so many regulatory rules this one would make sense to impose. 100% agree!

Unfortunately, people consider rules like records; they're made to be broken.

[Stang5280]

I realize these early verbal commitments are essentially meaningless, but have Lucia and the formerly proud Gopher program been reduced to publicity stunts like this? The younger brother, Cruz, looks comically tiny and young even for age 13. Projecting the physical and skill growth of a player 5+ years out is an exercise in futility.

I would love for hockey to implement a rule akin to college lacrosse, which this year began prohibiting college coaches from contacting recruits prior to September 1 of their junior year. Otherwise we are looking at a continuous race to the bottom.

To add clarification to my own post, I misstated the sweeping reach of the new lacrosse recruiting legislation. In lacrosse Sept. 1 of a prospect’s junior year in high school is now the first date that any form of recruiting contact is permitted. This includes coaches fielding calls from players, parents, or other representatives, which as minnscout pointed out is the loophole in the current hockey recruiting timeline that elliott70 so carefully laid out.

Coaches are not prohibited from evaluating lacrosse players prior to the magic Sept. 1 date, and a kid can technically announce a verbal commitment prior to that time, but the commitment is obviously just a one way statement at that point.

[lostmyonlypuckindasnow]

What I don't get is why this is really newsworthy beyond good ol' YHH and the Gentry twitter account (the picture is funny though).

None of this is binding and it all has to originate from the kid/kid's family.

This kid is really good for his age, no doubt, but is it really different than any 13 year old tweeting "I love the gophers, and I will play there!" Then a college coach basically says (to the parent/kid/publicist who called the coach (because the coach can't call the kid)), "Good For You, sonny boy! I hear you're looking pretty sweet on the ice right now, we love to hear that talent like you wants to come to our program!"

Good (metro) Minnesota players want to play for the U of M, #shocker. If these were Hermantown peewees and they said they like the Gophers, I can see how a community paper might pick that up.... but StarTrib??

[The Exiled One]

What I don't get is why this is really newsworthy beyond good ol' YHH and the Gentry twitter account (the picture is funny though).

None of this is binding and it all has to originate from the kid/kid's family.

This kid is really good for his age, no doubt, but is it really different than any 13 year old tweeting "I love the gophers, and I will play there!" Then a college coach basically says (to the parent/kid/publicist who called the coach (because the coach can't call the kid)), "Good For You, sonny boy! I hear you're looking pretty sweet on the ice right now, we love to hear that talent like you wants to come to our program!"

Unless the kids' family are completely delusional, that's not what a traditional verbal "commitment" usually entails.

Yes, the kids have to "initiate" the discussion, but that is traditionally in response to an indirect overture from the college program. This is often done through the HS (or in this case, youth) coaches. "Hey Coach, have Chaz and Cruz call me at my personal cell phone number."

The kids (and/or their parents) then call the coach and they set up some type of meeting. At the meeting, the coach will make some sort of offer...

• "We can't commit to a scholarship, but we'd love for you to be on our team."
• "One way or another, we'd like to you be on our team."
• "We'd like to offer you some scholarship as incentive to be on our team."
• "We think you are a terrific player and we wan't to cover all your tuition expenses to play for our team."

What you describe implies that no such offer was made. If so, that's not a typical commitment and it is completely unnewsworthy. It would also indicate that the family is delusional, which I don't believe is the case. The D1 coaches cannot, per NCAA rule, confirm or deny this conversation ever took place until an LOI has been signed. You have to go by the family's story or find the intermediary that facilitated the initial contact.

[Nuts&Bolts]

Only difference between the Gophers and Badgers who are both handing out scholarships like Halloween candy to kids that still want Halloween candy is that the Badgers aren't going to have a coaching change in the next two years. Only so many scholarships to go around. Verbals mean nothing other than a publicity opportunity.

[thefatcat]

I don't deny the kids talent vs their peers and if they stay on the same projection they're currently at I believe they'd probably end up at the U of M anyway. But let's call it what it is...a publicity stunt by their parents to draw attention to their other baby...Gentry Academy.

"Gentry...where we churn out D1 players".

[blueline_6]

I don't deny the kids talent vs their peers and if they stay on the same projection they're currently at I believe they'd probably end up at the U of M anyway. But let's call it what it is...a publicity stunt by their parents to draw attention to their other baby...Gentry Academy.

"Gentry...where we churn out D1 players".

^ Exactly.

Charles and Tami Lucius - Gentry Academy Founders

Does anyone know if they ever built that private ice rink for their kids? I remember reading about the public hearing farce, but never heard if they actually went through with it and built it.

[The Exiled One]

Does anyone know if they ever built that private ice rink for their kids? I remember reading about the public hearing farce, but never heard if they actually went through with it and built it.

They bought one of the rinks at Vadnais Sports Center. Their school is a new building adjacent to the rink.

[MrBoDangles]

I don't deny the kids talent vs their peers and if they stay on the same projection they're currently at I believe they'd probably end up at the U of M anyway. But let's call it what it is...a publicity stunt by their parents to draw attention to their other baby...Gentry Academy.

"Gentry...where we churn out D1 players".

Not even close... A kid scored 35 points in a very tough league, when every other year the high scorer was around 21! Every school in the country would take a commit from those boys this very second. If they say they wouldn't, they're not being honest. The staff at the U of M had their tongues swaying in the wind like the other D-1 programs and were probably just fortunate the family planned Gophers all along. Safe bet and great gets for the Gophs.

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

I don't deny the kids talent vs their peers and if they stay on the same projection they're currently at I believe they'd probably end up at the U of M anyway. But let's call it what it is...a publicity stunt by their parents to draw attention to their other baby...Gentry Academy.

"Gentry...where we churn out D1 players".

This.

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

Only difference between the Gophers and Badgers who are both handing out scholarships like Halloween candy to kids that still want Halloween candy is that the Badgers aren't going to have a coaching change in the next two years. Only so many scholarships to go around. Verbals mean nothing other than a publicity opportunity.

"handing out scholarships like Halloween candy to kids that still want Halloween candy"

Classic, love it !

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

Does anyone know if they ever built that private ice rink for their kids? I remember reading about the public hearing farce, but never heard if they actually went through with it and built it.

They bought one of the rinks at Vadnais Sports Center. Their school is a new building adjacent to the rink.

pfft. Only small fry build a rink.

If you're serious, you buy one instead.

[thefatcat]

I don't deny the kids talent vs their peers and if they stay on the same projection they're currently at I believe they'd probably end up at the U of M anyway. But let's call it what it is...a publicity stunt by their parents to draw attention to their other baby...Gentry Academy.

"Gentry...where we churn out D1 players".

Not even close... A kid scored 35 points in a very tough league, when every other year the high scorer was around 21! Every school in the country would take a commit from those boys this very second. If they say they wouldn't, they're not being honest. The staff at the U of M had their tongues swaying in the wind like the other D-1 programs and were probably just fortunate the family planned Gophers all along. Safe bet and great gets for the Gophs.

But....other D-1 schools couldn't recruit them at this juncture of their pre-pubescent lives?

[MrBoDangles]

I don't deny the kids talent vs their peers and if they stay on the same projection they're currently at I believe they'd probably end up at the U of M anyway. But let's call it what it is...a publicity stunt by their parents to draw attention to their other baby...Gentry Academy.

"Gentry...where we churn out D1 players".

Not even close... A kid scored 35 points in a very tough league, when every other year the high scorer was around 21! Every school in the country would take a commit from those boys this very second. If they say they wouldn't, they're not being honest. The staff at the U of M had their tongues swaying in the wind like the other D-1 programs and were probably just fortunate the family planned Gophers all along. Safe bet and great gets for the Gophs.

But....other D-1 schools couldn't recruit them at this juncture of their pre-pubescent lives?

Not sure if this is a question, but..... just about every scout is talking to a parent during this league's games. Very easy to communicate with who you want when you're all standing around in a lobby.