LaxPower Back-Up Stick

I'll play.

Like Doc, I believe the prior champ belongs at #1 until proven otherwise. And in this case, it isn't hard to just slot the Terps there anyway. Excellence is excellence, even in a terp uniform

1. UMD
2. Delaware
3. Yale
4. Georgetown
5. UVA
6. Rutgers
7. Cornell
8. ND
9. Harvard
10. Army

The last two years, many of you have disrespected Rutgers and they finished #5 and #4 in the final rankings. Way to early to tell, but something tells me the Scarlet Knights will once again make believers out of many and finish in the top 10. They are getting some niche players in the right positions thru the portal and some of the homegrown recruits are rounding into shape and will be in the 2 deep.

RESPEK!

HooDat wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:42 am I'll play.
...

2. Delaware
...
10. Army

Hey, it's a long way until the season.
But why not go big?

i.e:

1. Delaware
2. Army

Farfromgeneva wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 2:41 pmRESPEK!

Respek,

Man, that’s water in the desert.

Laxfanatic2022 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:39 am

1766 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 4:52 pm 1. Maryland
2. Yale
3. Georgetown
4. Cornell
5. Notre Dame
6. Virginia
7. Duke
8. Ohio St.
9. Rutgers
10. Princeton

Explain to me how you have Yale at 2 and Penn not even in the top 10. This is outrageous

Penn would be my number 11. I think Yale underperformed last year. I think they are poised for another break out year. I think Penn overperformed. I don't see that happening again. An Ivy sleeper is Harvard. I would expect they are a year away from making real noise but wouldn't be totally surprised f it happened sooner.

1766 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 6:33 pm

Laxfanatic2022 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:39 am

1766 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 4:52 pm 1. Maryland
2. Yale
3. Georgetown
4. Cornell
5. Notre Dame
6. Virginia
7. Duke
8. Ohio St.
9. Rutgers
10. Princeton

Explain to me how you have Yale at 2 and Penn not even in the top 10. This is outrageous

Penn would be my number 11. I think Yale underperformed last year. I think they are poised for another break out year. I think Penn overperformed. I don't see that happening again. An Ivy sleeper is Harvard. I would expect they are a year away from making real noise but wouldn't be totally surprised f it happened sooner.

What makes me think Yale will take a step back is that their defensive efficiency was 56th out of 73 D1 teams, and they lost Fake and an excellent two-way middy. They were pretty average at FO (except against Cornell!). I could see them losing a few 18-16 games this year.

Losing Fake and Tevlin hurt, but basically everywhere else on defense they were stupid young, like guys with no prior D1 experience young. I’m not sure I see their defense making a big enough jump early on to start at #2, but it should be def better than where it was at the end of last season

livelovelax wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:43 am The last two years, many of you have disrespected Rutgers and they finished #5 and #4 in the final rankings. Way to early to tell, but something tells me the Scarlet Knights will once again make believers out of many and finish in the top 10. They are getting some niche players in the right positions thru the portal and some of the homegrown recruits are rounding into shape and will be in the 2 deep.

Sorry you can't see the nuances. It isn't the Rutgers lacrosse team....... It's the over the top homer posts from some of their fans....

blue angels wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 12:21 am

livelovelax wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:43 am The last two years, many of you have disrespected Rutgers and they finished #5 and #4 in the final rankings. Way to early to tell, but something tells me the Scarlet Knights will once again make believers out of many and finish in the top 10. They are getting some niche players in the right positions thru the portal and some of the homegrown recruits are rounding into shape and will be in the 2 deep.

Sorry you can't see the nuances. It isn't the Rutgers lacrosse team....... It's the over the top homer posts from some of their fans....

What examples can you give of that? The fans were high on the team and rightfully so. They were proven correct with the team going to the FF.

1766 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 6:33 pm

Laxfanatic2022 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:39 am

1766 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 4:52 pm 1. Maryland
2. Yale
3. Georgetown
4. Cornell
5. Notre Dame
6. Virginia
7. Duke
8. Ohio St.
9. Rutgers
10. Princeton

Explain to me how you have Yale at 2 and Penn not even in the top 10. This is outrageous

Penn would be my number 11. I think Yale underperformed last year. I think they are poised for another break out year. I think Penn overperformed. I don't see that happening again. An Ivy sleeper is Harvard. I would expect they are a year away from making real noise but wouldn't be totally surprised f it happened sooner.

Don’t see Rutgers in the top ten until they figure out the gaping holes in the offense that they did not address in the portal. Is Sprock back and healthy? Who replaces their D-Mids. Is Mullin the answer in the goal? I see them as any 15-20 type of team and a 3-4 place finish in the Big Ten

1766 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:47 pm

blue angels wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 12:21 am

livelovelax wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:43 am The last two years, many of you have disrespected Rutgers and they finished #5 and #4 in the final rankings. Way to early to tell, but something tells me the Scarlet Knights will once again make believers out of many and finish in the top 10. They are getting some niche players in the right positions thru the portal and some of the homegrown recruits are rounding into shape and will be in the 2 deep.

Sorry you can't see the nuances. It isn't the Rutgers lacrosse team....... It's the over the top homer posts from some of their fans....

What examples can you give of that? The fans were high on the team and rightfully so. They were proven correct with the team going to the FF.

Are you kidding? You spout off about how great the Big 10 and Rutgers are and denigrate other teams, conferences constantly.

1. Georgetown
2. Notre Dame
3. UVA
4. Maryland
5. Cornell
6. Rutgers
7. Penn
8. Princeton
9. Yale
10. Duke
11. Ohio State

1. Maryland
2. Cornell
3. UVA
4. Princeton
5. Georgetown
6. Yale
7. Delaware
8. Rutgers
9. Penn
10. Duke

Bluecollar wrote: ↑Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:08 pm 1. Georgetown
2. Notre Dame
3. UVA
4. Maryland
5. Cornell
6. Rutgers
7. Penn
8. Princeton
9. Yale
10. Duke
11. Ohio State

Georgetown gained a lot and Maryland lost a lot. But for my money, until MD loses I can't have them this low and until G'Town does anything at all in the tournament or even gets a few top 10 regular season wins in a season I can't have them this high.

pcowlax wrote: ↑Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:47 am

Bluecollar wrote: ↑Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:08 pm 1. Georgetown
2. Notre Dame
3. UVA
4. Maryland
5. Cornell
6. Rutgers
7. Penn
8. Princeton
9. Yale
10. Duke
11. Ohio State

Georgetown gained a lot and Maryland lost a lot. But for my money, until MD loses I can't have them this low and until G'Town does anything at all in the tournament or even gets a few top 10 regular season wins in a season I can't have them this high.

I would probably rank the teams in your top 3 a little lower, and perhaps, not in the same order. Maryland, until defeated, should start at #1 over the field regardless of their graduation losses. I do agree with you on Georgetown even with the portal additions. Didn't they sustain some significant graduation losses including the top goalie and an AA pole in Gibson Smith? Not sure who else.......Most of these polls appear based primarily on last season and aren't evaluating the impact of graduation losses and only somewhat on additions. Delaware is a notable omission who I believe returns much of their team intact.

blue angels wrote: ↑Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:14 am

pcowlax wrote: ↑Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:47 am

Bluecollar wrote: ↑Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:08 pm 1. Georgetown
2. Notre Dame
3. UVA
4. Maryland
5. Cornell
6. Rutgers
7. Penn
8. Princeton
9. Yale
10. Duke
11. Ohio State

Georgetown gained a lot and Maryland lost a lot. But for my money, until MD loses I can't have them this low and until G'Town does anything at all in the tournament or even gets a few top 10 regular season wins in a season I can't have them this high.

I would probably rank the teams in your top 3 a little lower, and perhaps, not in the same order. Maryland, until defeated, should start at #1 over the field regardless of their graduation losses. I do agree with you on Georgetown even with the portal additions. Didn't they sustain some significant graduation losses including the top goalie and an AA pole in Gibson Smith? Not sure who else.......Most of these polls appear based primarily on last season and aren't evaluating the impact of graduation losses and only somewhat on additions. Delaware is a notable omission who I believe returns much of their team intact.

Hinks will buffer the loss of McElroy. Not sure if they have an answer for Smith yet. Dordevic makes up for Watson and then some IMO. Mini us supplements some
Other offensive losses.

Obviously I am bias, But if I were to guess what IL's preseason top 10 would be it would be the following:

1. Maryland
2. Cornell
3. UVA
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgetown
6. Princeton
7. Rutgers
8. Penn
9. Duke
10. Ohio St.

USA lacrosse magazine has started rolling out their count down

https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/college/ ... sion-i-men

T25 Cuse
T25 Hopkins
24 Utah
23 Loyal
22 Army
21 Villanova

Farfromgeneva wrote: ↑Mon Aug 08, 2022 12:18 pm

blue angels wrote: ↑Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:14 am

pcowlax wrote: ↑Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:47 am

Bluecollar wrote: ↑Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:08 pm 1. Georgetown
2. Notre Dame
3. UVA
4. Maryland
5. Cornell
6. Rutgers
7. Penn
8. Princeton
9. Yale
10. Duke
11. Ohio State

Georgetown gained a lot and Maryland lost a lot. But for my money, until MD loses I can't have them this low and until G'Town does anything at all in the tournament or even gets a few top 10 regular season wins in a season I can't have them this high.

I would probably rank the teams in your top 3 a little lower, and perhaps, not in the same order. Maryland, until defeated, should start at #1 over the field regardless of their graduation losses. I do agree with you on Georgetown even with the portal additions. Didn't they sustain some significant graduation losses including the top goalie and an AA pole in Gibson Smith? Not sure who else.......Most of these polls appear based primarily on last season and aren't evaluating the impact of graduation losses and only somewhat on additions. Delaware is a notable omission who I believe returns much of their team intact.

Hinks will buffer the loss of McElroy. Not sure if they have an answer for Smith yet. Forde IX makes up for Watson and then some IMO. Mini us supplements some
Other offensive losses.

I think that on offense the grad transfers plus some talented incoming middies will cover the departing players. On defense Hincks/Scharfenberg is a solid goalie duo, and Tominovich on close defense is very good and played well as a freshman when Smith was injured. The loss of Geddes and Mazzone in the D midfield is a real issue. GU needs a second LSM and another SSDM, and the latter assumes that Hess will play D again. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

All of the above being said, the overarching issue is gaining the mental and physical toughness to break through to the highest level. GU upgraded the schedule this past year but usual playoff teams in Denver, Loyola, ND, and Hopkins were down last year, so these wins in retrospect not as meaningful as in the past. Second, the bottom 3 in the BE have been subpar the past few years. So I think it is premature at best to rank GU at the very top until/unless it has this breakthrough.