2023 Men's Top 30: How Utah Fared vs. Projections

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2024, our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking one last look at 2023.

After all, you have to look at the most recent results before making projections for what’s to come. To do that, we’re taking a journey through the top 30 teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse — what went right, what went wrong and what we should all think of that team’s season.

Was it a success? A failure? A mixture of both? You’ll find out our thoughts over the next month or so.

UTAH MEN’S LACROSSE

Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason/Final Top 20 Ranking: Unranked (also considered)/20
2023 record: 12-5 (9-0 Atlantic Sun)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The Utes scored 16.1 goals a game, better than everyone in Division I besides Virginia. Jordan Hyde (49 G, 8 A) and Tyler Bradbury (33 G, 23 A) put up 50-point seasons. Utah plowed through the ASun, going 11-0 against conference foes including an 11-9 defeat of Air Force in the league title game to seal its first NCAA tournament berth.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Utah wasn’t quite ready for top-level competition, opening with a 12-4 loss at Denver and dropping four-goal decisions at Johns Hopkins and Rutgers later in non-conference play. Not much went right in a 20-7 loss at Notre Dame in the Utes’ NCAA tournament debut, but it’s hard to hold a blowout loss to an eventual national champ against a team in just its fifth season as a varsity program.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Cole Brams won 21 of 23 faceoffs in the ASun final, helping the Utes earn a breakthrough victory and become the westernmost school to reach the NCAA tournament.

VERDICT

A year after falling a game shy of reaching the NCAA tournament, this season’s breakthrough made 2023 an unqualified success for Utah. And a taste of the postseason will only further prepare the Utes when their next chance comes. Considering they’re 17-1 against ASun competition since joining the league in 2022, it might not be long before they’re back in the NCAA bracket.