Dialed In: Your Lacrosse Fix For Friday, Jan. 27

Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. Opposing coaches simply can’t say enough about Christopher Newport’s Coby Auslander.

The midfielder, one of the most consistent playmakers in Division III, is the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Player of the Year. Despite coming out of the midfield, Auslander set a CNU record last spring with 46 assists, and he’s only looking to up his game.

Dan Arestia with more on the versatile superstar here.

2. Auslander is also a first-team All-American, according to Inside Lacrosse.

The publication announced its Division III Men’s All-Americans on Thursday, highlighting four teams, plus honorable mentions, worth of D-III stars.

You can see the full list here.

3. Reinhardt (Ga.) and Benedictine (Kan.) lead the NAIA preseason men’s and women’s coaches polls.

Both Reinhardt on the men’s side and Benedictine on the women’s side start at No. 1 after winning NAIA titles last spring, and each team is set up for success yet again. Reinhardt has won five straight championships, while Benedictine captured just its first last year.

See the men’s Top 10 here, and the women’s Top 10 here.

4. The Ivy League has announced postseason tournament site information.

The women’s championship event will be held at the tournament’s top seed, while the men’s event will be held on the campus of Columbia University. The semifinals for both tournaments will be May 5, with the final coming on Sunday, May 7.

More here.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Pat Spencer’s NBA dreams have now taken him into the pages of The Wall Street Journal.

• “Duke’s Duke,” one rival coach said. So how can the Blue Devils return to prominence with an NCAA tournament berth? Brian Logue previews our No. 7 men’s team.

• Rutgers continued its emergence with a history-making 2022 campaign. The Scarlet Knights aren’t sneaking up on anyone this spring. Beth Ann Mayer previews our No. 7 women’s team.

• Lacrosse Bucket’s Tanner Demling breaks down a handful of games to watch in each of the first four weeks of the college lacrosse season, which begins February 4.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Michigan is celebrating 10 years of its women’s lacrosse program. Let’s throw it back to the Wolverines’ first-ever victory.

#TBT to the first win in program history - March 30, 2014.

The Wolverines defeated UC Davis 13-12 with a double-overtime goal from Anna Schueler.#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/d0tjiYFf47

— Michigan Women’s Lacrosse (@UMichWLAX) January 26, 2023

WHAT’S ON TAP

Our preseason countdown continues with previews of the No. 6-ranked Notre Dame men and Syracuse women in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Preseason Top 20s.

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