Harper Gardner, Rio Americano - UCLA
Andrew Bockstahler - Point Loma HS (SD)/SD Shores - UCI
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Weston Swank, Los Alamitos HS - Wagner
Jonah Aguilera, Damien HS - Wagner
Zachary Miller, Westlake HS, UCLA
From sources I am told this is fake.
Now that the first signing day has passed, it seems things are not much better. Although weāve since heard about at least one of the players mentioned, there are several standouts (Taylor Bell, Jordan Hanna, Santino Rossi, Camden Kocur, Kai Inoue, Brian Barnuevo) that are easily qualified to play at a big four caliber school that have yet to announce. I guess there is an unlikely scenario that one of them is waiting to get the final word from an Ivy. For the rest, Itās difficult to understand whatās happening when ostensibly most programs have announced several much lower performing commits already. Is it that these boys are hoping that some schools are holding a spot for a potential transfer/international recruit and are waiting until January to try their luck, or are they getting passed up for another reason? OR will college coaches decide to cut current players from their roster to make room for these players that seem too good to pass up? In any case, it must be really stressful for all involved since these poor kids could end up not playing anywhere and making the sport weaker for the next few years when youngers are so deflated they donāt even bother trying to get recruited or just decide to quit all together. Interested to see how this shakes out.
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This brings up something Iāve been thinking about. Much has been made of the high level of play this year; due, at least partly, to older players. Of course, not all older players are outshining their younger teammates, but generally it seems to be the case. And that got me thinking. As foreign players already come over older than their American counterparts, is it likely that menās water polo starts looking like hockey?
According to The Internet 
āThe average age of a college hockey player is around 23 years old. However, the average age of a college hockey freshman is between 19 and 20 years old.ā
Gap years to play abroad could become the norm for some elite (or looking to become elite?) players. I wouldnāt be surprised if some players start taking that approach given the changes that are already affecting college roster composition.
But thatās just supposition on my part. To be clear, Iām not speaking in any way about the kids mentioned.
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I absolutely think that will be the case as coaches whom need to reduce their rosters will be looking for players that will make an immediate impact on their program, meaning older more experienced players from Europe or from transfer portals!
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Has anyone put together an updated summary list by school like used to be done on the old water polo planet site? This is a pretty long and old thread and clearly the landscape has changed.
Much lower performing commits ā¦ says who? Clearly coaches recruit who they think will excel at the next level. I donāt know any of these kids but will say historically water polo ODP kids are blessed to have been (a) picked up in the program young, (b) HAVE AN EVEN YEAR BIRTHDAY and (c) some type of coach connection.
Glad to see itās not translating into college success and other kids are given the chance to prove themselves to college outside the corrupt USA water polo odp system.
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If coaches only go Euro, the sport in America will die. Thereās no pro feeder for water polo like hockey and most kids are not going to Europe to train just to maybe play d1 in college.
Hopefully the majority of coaches self regulate otherwise theyāll recruit their way out of a job. Why fund a college program full of foreigners with no American donors?
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Why do parents have a hard time accepting that their kids are not quite good enough to be recruited by the big four or even the top 10? Thereās almost a sense of entitlement. Just because they score a bunch of goals in high school, doesnāt mean anything. Do they have the size to physically compete in college? Do they play defense? Can they learn to play within a system? Are they coachable? If your son (not the parents) really wants to play water polo in college, thereās nothing wrong with playing for a top 10-20 ranked team or Div 3 team, where they will actually play, still enjoy college and get a pretty good education.
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All valid points. Corruption is still alive and well for the most part unfortunately. The irony is the list mentioned is littered with ODP kids. I guess when kids are being plucked from schools and club teams that have played in few (if any) meaningful games one starts to wonder how optimistic these coaches are being. Sure, they may have size or speed, but they havenāt been in the trenches for years to build the IQ necessary to survive in a college game over these seasoned players.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with going with a team ranked 10-20 or D3 what so ever. Iām likely in the minority that thinks that a D3 is the way to go so these kids can focus on all the other important parts of college (like say an education or a social life;) since we all know itās only a few years and then theyāll need to get a job to survive. Likely, the lower ranking D1 teams are a bit more fun to be on since they arenāt fighting in the top four for a ring. Itās just tough to watch the disparity and blatant favoritism is some cases. If you know, you know.
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Nico Assalian - OCWPC and Tesoro High School - UCI
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Forgive me for clogging up the 2025 commit page but after reading the comments above it got me thinking of my sons Cadet ODP team from a couple years ago. Half of them graduated last year and the other half are committing now. I put some notes regarding how their first season is going and what schools they attended. It is clear, if you want to play, pick a school outside the top 10 or D3 or even a CC.
| RED CADET | ODP ACCOLADES | NEWS | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | youth national team | Belive he left the country, no news | 2025 |
| # | youth national team | undecided, has options but wating on big 4 | 2025 |
| # | LA Valley CC, scoring lots of goals | 2024 | |
| # | cadet national team | Cal, cant say he has touched the water | 2024 |
| # | Goalie | commited to San Jose | 2025 |
| # | youth national team goalie | USC has not played | 2024 |
| # | Harvard Commit | 2025 | |
| # | Redshirting at Davis | 2024 | |
| # | youth national team | Harvard Commit | 2025 |
| # | cadet national team | UC Davis Commit | 2025 |
| # | LA Valley CC, playing tons. | 2024 | |
| # | Youth National team | Pepperdine commit | 2025 |
| # | undecided or unlisted | 2025 | |
| # | cadet national team | USC carries coaches backpack | 2024 |
| BLUE CADET | |||
| # | Redshirt at CBU | 2024 | |
| # | no news | 2024 | |
| # | goalie | Chapman played in 5 games | 2024 |
| # | LMU Played in all 24 games 11 of 19 shooting | 2024 | |
| # | Airforce Played in all 32, 9 of 25 shooting | 2024 | |
| # | undecided or unlisted | 2025 | |
| # | Santa Clara stats not updated but first off bench | 2024 | |
| # | Goalie | Navy but not for water polo | 2024 |
| # | CMS Played 25 games 16 of 32 shooting | 2024 | |
| # | undecided or unlisted | 2025 | |
| # | Cal Lutheran played 25 games 14 of 47 shooting | 2024 | |
| # | Mount Sac, Huge roster but looks like he plays | 2024 | |
| # | Cal Lutheran played 27 games 15 of 37 shooting | 2024 |
Sorry I decided to leave the names off, Also I do know one is waiting on a big 4 if not, he has two back up plans at mid to low D1 where I know he would contribute right away.
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Super interesting thank you.
Moral is if you want top schools must play Red team but only for top
This is great info! It is interesting to see how things play outā¦ I guess the rub is when the offers you have donāt fit your academic goals. The unfortunate truth is that if you are a decent student that wants to stay in SoCal where you grew up, the recruiting competition is tough. So if the player then decides to prioritize academics and try their luck applying as a regular student they are likely to end up with nothing in the current college acceptance climate. The squeeze is real for these poor kids - this year more than ever.
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love this analysis, great way to look at the data. Whoever those kids are at LMU, Cal Lu, Santa Clara etc. are having a fun time playing while not carrying Pintaricās backpack.
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The transfer porter may be the worst idea introduced to college athleticsāmaybe ever. College football and basketball along with NIL are a joke. If athletes want to get paid, better perform. There should be a contract. There are a number of college football players that are getting money and are not contributing to winning.
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