Duke jumps back to the No. 1 spot in this week’s rankings, swapping places with Yale after the Bulldogs fell to Cornell in the Ivy League title game.
But this is the last regular season ranking, something no one will recall three weeks from today when a national champion is crowned in Foxborough, Mass.
Will Duke win its fourth national title in nine seasons? Can Maryland go back-to-back? Does Johns Hopkins end an 11-year championship drought? Is it time for Albany, Notre Dame or Yale to celebrate on Memorial Day for the first time? Or will it be someone else?
In 21 days, there might very well be a new No. 1 — and it will be the one remembered for years to come.
Nike/US Lacrosse
Division I Men’s Top 20
May 7, 2018 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke | 13-3 | 2 | 5/12 vs. No. 18 Villanova |
| 2 | Yale | 13-3 | 1 | 5/12 vs. No. 16 UMass |
| 3 | Albany | 14-2 | 5 | 5/12 vs. Richmond |
| 4 | Maryland | 12-3 | 3 | 5/13 vs. No. 19 Robert Morris/Canisius |
| 5 | Johns Hopkins | 11-4 | 7 | 5/13 vs. No. 11 Georgetown |
| 6 | Loyola | 12-3 | 6 | 5/12 vs. No. 10 Virginia |
| 7 | Cornell | 12-4 | 9 | 5/13 at No. 12 Syracuse |
| 8 | Notre Dame | 9-5 | 8 | 5/13 vs. No. 9 Denver |
| 9 | Denver | 12-3 | 4 | 5/13 at No. 8 Notre Dame |
| 10 | Virginia | 12-5 | 10 | 5/12 at No. 6 Loyola |
| 11 | Georgetown | 12-4 | 16 | 5/13 at No. 5 Johns Hopkins |
| 12 | Syracuse | 8-6 | 14 | 5/13 vs. No. 7 Cornell |
| 13 | Ohio State | 8-7 | 11 | Season complete |
| 14 | Rutgers | 9-6 | 12 | Season complete |
| 15 | Navy | 9-5 | 13 | Season complete |
| 16 | UMass | 12-4 | 18 | 5/12 at No. 2 Yale |
| 17 | Bucknell | 11-4 | 15 | Season complete |
| 18 | Villanova | 10-5 | 17 | 5/12 at No. 1 Denver |
| 19 | Robert Morris | 12-4 | NR | 5/9 at Canisius |
| 20 | Penn State | 8-6 | 19 | Season complete |
Also considered (alphabetical order): Lehigh, Michigan, North Carolina, Princeton, Richmond, Vermont
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
HOT
Georgetown (+5)
The Hoyas are responsible for one of the best stories in the sport. Georgetown was a combined 6-22 over the last two seasons; with that sort of recent track record, few outside the program would have believed the Hoyas could end an 11-year postseason drought this spring.
But the Hoyas did just, shaking off a 1-4 wobble in the middle of the season to rattle off a five-game winning streak in April and May. The stretch was capped by a masterful 8-3 victory over Denver in Saturday’s Big East title game, vaulting Kevin Warne’s program into a first-round NCAA tournament date with Johns Hopkins.
NOT
Denver (-5)
The Pioneers cost themselves a home game in the NCAA tournament with their Big East tournament loss to Georgetown. The three goals were the fewest Denver has scored since coach Bill Tierney arrived before the 2010 season.
Denver isn’t getting back ineligible long pole Sean Mayle, and even with a massive possession advantage provided by faceoff ace Trevor Baptiste, it isn’t the offensive juggernaut it’s been in the past. With a 2-3 record against the NCAA tournament field, consider this a bit of a correction after the Pioneers saw their eight-game winning streak end Saturday.
IN
Robert Morris
Let’s ignore the Colonials’ treatment from the NCAA and look at what they have accomplished this season.
They won at Penn State and Marquette, two postseason teams from a year ago. Their only nonconference setbacks came at Rutgers and Georgetown. They won the Northeast Conference, avenging regular-season losses to Bryant and Saint Joseph’s. And they’re the only first-time participant in this year’s NCAA tournament field.
No matter what happens Wednesday (when Robert Morris visits Canisius) and beyond, the Colonials have a lot to celebrate.
OUT
North Carolina (previously No. 20)
The Tar Heels get bumped for Robert Morris this week. Joe Breschi’s team missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006 after an uneven year that saw the Tar Heels win their first six (including a riveting comeback at Johns Hopkins) and then drop seven in a row before upending Notre Dame in their regular-season finale.
North Carolina is already a good candidate for a bounceback season in 2019 after absorbing some tough lessons during a disappointing 7-7 run this spring.