It's Tewaaraton Time
by Sean Keeley on May 12, 2010 12:41 PM EDT
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Since 2001, the fine people at the Greater Washington Sports Alliance and the University Club of Washington, DC have handed out The Tewaaraton Award. For the uninitiated, its the lacrosse Heisman. For the rest of us, it's the award that should belong to Syracuse ever year. And yet it doesn't. This is disconcerting.
A Syracuse player has won the award three times (Mikey Powell '02, Mikey Powell '04, Mike Leveille '08). The other years, it was given out as a courtesy to the less-fortunate.
Syracuse's Joel White is here to try and ensure that isn't the case again this year. White is among the five finalists for the men's award. White is an unlikely candidate as a long-stick middie who only scored six goals this season. But goal output barely begins to describe White's meaning to the team.
He will enter SU’s first-round NCAA Tournament game vs. Army at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Carrier Dome leading the Orange with 71 ground balls. Opposing midfielders rarely even make a feint for the cage when White is covering them. Great anticipation most likely learned on the basketball court has allowed him to intercept a score of passes, and when he gets the ball in transition, look out.
He will also enter the game with 197 career ground balls, a pace that could make him the school’s career leader by the time he departs (Jarett Park leads with 278; records have been kept only since 1988).
Still, some have wondered if White is truly the best representative from this Syracuse team..
White is a fine candidate, but is he the best representative for Syracuse? Junior John Galloway is just one of two Division I goalkeepers (Fairfield senior Joe Marra is the other) to rank in the top 5 in both goals-against average (7.09) and save percentage (.590). And there have been some who assert that senior attackman Cody Jamieson (25 goals and 13 assists) has been the Orange's best player this season.
The Tewaaraton does that dumb thing that a lot of college awards do, which is to announce a semifinalist list weeks in advance and then whittle it down. Anyone not on that original list can't later on be added. Syracuse's leading scorer, Chris Daniello, was not on the original list and therefore his surge through the season could not have been recognized either way.
Anyway, chances are White will not win the award. Like the Heisman, the Tewaaraton favors offensive players and scorers like Duke's Ned Crotty or Stony Brooks' Kevin Crowley. But Syracuse deserved at least one player at the award ceremony and White is a worthy one at that.
Listen to White on an ESPNU podcast with Quin Kessenich as you breathlessly await the announcement of the Tewaaraton winner, which will be announced Thursday, June 3.
| SU Lacrosse Preps for NCAA Tourney |
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As likely the only person who both went to Syracuse, reads this blog, and interned at the Greater Washington Sports Alliance I take your lead-in as a great complement. They are good people.
"Have you ever played?" "Yes, I was a goalie"
I think you sell my
Greater Washington Sports Alliance readership a little short
Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.
by Sean Keeley on May 12, 2010 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
There are a lot of things about the finalists I don’t get, such as why Daniello can’t be added, how SBU and Delaware have nominees for an award that almost entirely depends on making the final four and why Quinzanni and Bitter aren’t on the list. But most of all, where is Rob Pannell?
Go Purple Tigers!
I’m biased but White is the best ‘pound-for-pound’ player in the nation. Remember this guy was an All American offensive middie in high school. He gave up the short stick to shore up the defense for the last two title runs. Had a great season and is the team captain as a junior. If he doesn’t win this award, give him #22 next year.
I really don’t agree with the Baltimore Sun that White is not the best representative from Syracuse. Frankly I think that Joel White is the best player in the nation, whether they give him the Tewaraaton Trophy or not.
The Tewaraaton committee does add people to their list mid season. They added Jeremy Thompson and could have added Chris Daniello. Although I’m not sure they made any additions after Daniello started to heat up. The annoying thing about this list is sometimes (like last year ::cough::cough:: Kenny Nims ::cough::cough:: ) The person who should probably win the award after the playoffs, wasn’t in the top 5.
As far as Joel being unlikely to win this award, normally I would agree with you. The Award normally goes to an offensive player who makes it at least to the final four and performs well there. This year, the only player who has any likelihood to fit that profile is Ned Crotty. Stony Brook and Delaware are highly unlikely to make the final four. If either Crowley or Dickson does lead his team to the final four, than that player will probably win the award. Still that will be a departure from the traditionally strong programs that normally take this award home. The two current favorites for the title- Syracuse with White and Virginia with (the IMHO over-rated) Clausen- have defensive players nominated.
My guess is that if Duke makes the final four and does even passably well, Crotty wins. If Duke fails to make the final four (or they get made to look like children playing a man’s game once they get there like last year) someone unusual is going to win this award.
If Duke, Stony Brook and Delaware are out before the final four
That means it will likely come down to White vs. Clausen. White is definitely the better player, but even more important for this award, he’s a flashier player too. He has a few goals and a few assists, and makes the more memorable plays on defense. So, unless SU gets upset early, White actually has a decent chance to win the award.
CitrusTV
Hear what White, Desko and Galloway have to say about White being named a finalist…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e23Xo9z5Okw
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