NLL Insider

We dropped an NLL All-Rookie team selection on you today so, of course, we also had to provide a vote for a Rookie of the Year (ROTY).

Overwhelmingly, but not unanimously, the Insider vote for the 2008 ROTY went to the No. 1 overall selection of the 2007 NLL Entry Draft, Jordan Hall.

Jenner: “HALL all the way. The kid was off the charts all year. He may not have won the rookie goal scoring title but, he was asked to do a lot more than the others. He was deadly on both sides of the ball, made a smooth transition to the Bigs and was a key reason to NY’s stretch drive to the playoffs. I think he will be a key for them when they play the Swarm.”

Shanny “Jordan Hall. No question. Leads all rookies in points and loose balls. Valuable all over the floor for the Titans.”

Chavez: “Using Tutka’s Money Baller piece as a guide, I’m gonna have to go with Minnesota’s Craig Point as Rookie of the Year. New York’s Jordan Hall had more points, but not significantly more than Point. What I like about Point is that he was involved late in games, either by scoring or assisting key goals. In a season where the East was so tight, every game had so much meaning and Point was there, producing in pressure situations. So, my vote goes to Point.”

Ward: “Have to go with Hall here. There are a few good options but I’m giving Hall the edge because of his consistency. (Merrick) Thomson and Point are great players but they definitely disappeared in a few games while Hall went quietly about the business of living up to the lofty expectations of a number one pick.”

Hall: “Jordan Hall – ROTY no question – had a big hand in surprising 10-6 record of Titans.”

Tutka: Jordan Hall. Tutka provided his feedback last week in his look at the other award nominees. Check out his NLL Hardware Favorites.

I’m in agreement with the majority on this one as well. Hall’s been the most consistent rookie this year and deserves consideration for league honors, not just rookie awards.

Hall’s tied with Ryan Ward at No. 16 overall in league scoring with 69 points and is Top 20 in loose balls with 109. As I noted previously, that puts him in select company. Now only three other players – Athan Iannucci (100 pts), John Grant (92 points) and Mark Steenhuis (75 points) – are in that category of being Top 20 in league points and gbs. Steenhuis is one of the favorites for NLL transition player of the year.

“Jordan has impressed the entire team this season,” added New York head coach Adam Mueller. “By the stats he is leading all rookies in points and by far ground balls. He has shared time on the PP with Brendan Mundorf but what sets him aside is his five-on-five work.”

“In a short period of time, Jordan has established himself on our team as an excellent picker and ball carrier with the ability to create for himself and his teammates. He can finish inside and outside and has great footwork and speed.”

“If you look at his shots, some will say he is our fifth option on offense but his numbers do not dictate that at all,” continued Mueller. “His efficiency is very impressive finishing above 20% in shooting percentage. He has contributed on our face-off line all season and has played excellent defense. Jordan will continue to get better and the only criticism I can find in his game would be improving his number of shots per game.”

FYI – This year’s league leader in points, sophomore Athan Iannucci, scored 30 goals, 54 points in his 2007 NLL All-Rookie season. Hall (24g, 69pts), Point (27g, 61pts) and Thomson (26g, 55pts) surpassed Iannucci’s first-year numbers, and all three rookies will be in the NLL Champion’s Cup playoffs that start up in a just a few days.

“Merrick got off to a great start, opponents made some adjustment to him in the middle and he has made his adjustments in turn ending up with a 55 point rookie season,” added Philadelphia head coach Dave Huntley.

As with the All-Rookie team and other NLL awards, official league announcements will be made shortly.

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