Tufts wasn’t one of 10 teams that participated in last weekend’s Mustang Classic, but coach Casey D’Annolfo still took notice.

In fact D’Annolfo, leading a Jumbos team that won the 2010, 2014 and 2015 NCAA titles, had some pointed thoughts on the marquee event in Division III men’s lacrosse. They mainly centered around the recruiting landscape and some misconceptions from players and families alike, a perspective he’s gained as a college coach and previously leading Taft, a prestigious prep school program in New England’s Founders League.

For any HS lacrosse players that think they’re “too good” for @NCAADIII Lacrosse, if you’re within 90 min of @StevensonLax, you should make it a priority to attend & gain some perspective on the DIII college game. https://t.co/2tR0bJx1ys

— Casey D'Annolfo (@CoachDAnnolfo) March 14, 2019

“Guys wouldn't say necessarily, ‘I'm too good for D-III,’ but you run through the college list and guys would have this conception about themselves where, ‘I'm a Division I lacrosse player and that’s it,’” D’Annolfo said. “Well, that's great, but you might not understand the different levels of Division III lacrosse, particularly the top-end schools and how good those guys are.”

The common misconception, D’Annolfo argued, is that D-III programs aren’t as talented as D-I ones. He said that’s not entirely accurate given the tiers of each division and the reality that Tufts, Amherst, Salisbury, RIT, Cabrini and York — teams in the early national-title conversation — could likely more than hold their own against Division I foes.

There’s also pressure, D’Annolfo said, about what it means to commit to a D-I vs. a D-III school.

“With the proliferation of club teams and social media and commitments, guys want to say they've committed to a D-I school,” D’Annolfo said. “Even if that program isn’t of the academic caliber they were capable of or they made some concessions elsewhere, they sometimes just want to give off that perception.”

Asked for an example about the fluidity between divisions, D’Annolfo pointed to current Penn State freshman attackman TJ Malone. Until this past summer, he was committed to Amherst and would likely be tearing up the NESCAC right now. Rather, he’s at the Big Ten program and has 21 points, third-most on the nation’s top offense in D-I.

Sticking with the Amherst example, D’Annolfo said their top two attackmen – Colin Minicus and Evan Wolf, the reigning NESCAC Player of the Year – could play at D-I programs without question.

“There were probably 100 guys playing this weekend at the Mustang Classic who could have played Division I,” D’Annolfo said. “Now that doesn't mean they’re all playing in the ACC, but they could be on the roster and getting playing time. Then you take the top eight or 10 guys, they could be playing at a top-end Division I school, no doubt.”

Each decision is a personal one, D’Annolfo said, though there are some stark differences between going the D-I or D-III route.

It impacts athletic scholarships, where there are 12.6 available to Division I coaching staffs to disperse as they wish, whereas none are available at the Division III level, though athletes do often receive generous financial aid benefits. The former is also a year-round commitment with coaches present, while the latter comes with limitations and restrictions, shifting more focus to academics out of season.

The contrasts continue, but D’Annolfo hopes the Mustang Classic offered a shop window into what Division III has to offer. While Tufts did not compete in the event, the Jumbos were in Owings Mills, Md., on Tuesday to take on Stevenson in what has become one of the more entertaining non-conference rivalries in Division III. Tufts, undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the latest Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20, won 19-7. 

“There are a lot of D-I-or-bust mindsets out there,” D’Annolfo said, “so I just think it's important to try and make people aware of the level and how good it can be.”