Lacrosse incoming class ranked in top 20

Submitted by laxalum on

For the second straight year Inside Lacrosse has ranked the incoming class in the top 20.  Considering this is only the second recruiting class in Michigan lacrosse history, not bad.  Need maybe one more class and these youngsters in the first two classes to grow up, and the corner may be turned from struggling start-up program to competitive program on the rise.

http://www.insidelacrosse.com/news/2013/08/13/2013-mens-top-20-classes

gwkrlghl

August 13th, 2013 at 5:33 PM ^

I think the concerns over the first two years will quickly melt away as everyone matures. Wasn't our true freshmen goalie for this past year statistically one of the best in the country? I thought I recalled reading that he faced an insane amount of shots per game but the stats showed that he had an excellent year

WolvinLA2

August 13th, 2013 at 7:08 PM ^

That's right, and Michigan didn't have much of a shot last year.  We were at a talent and experience disadvantage in every game we played.  Our freshman class was the only one with D1 level kids and most of our starters were freshmen and sophomores. 

That said, the turnaround should happen fast from here.  We are returing almost everyone and adding a very talented freshman class.  2014 will be a big step up and 2015 should be the real breakout year.

bronxblue

August 13th, 2013 at 9:25 PM ^

Blows me away that a school that didn't have a D1 program (at least in name) 2 years ago is pulling in legit classes.  They could definitely catch up to PSU and ND in the region sooner than people think.

chatster

August 13th, 2013 at 11:23 PM ^

Added for 2014:  Boston University, Furman, Monmouth and Richmond

ACC (6): Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Virginia
America East (6): Albany, Binghamton, Hartford, Stony Brook, UMBC and Vermont
Atlantic Sun (6): Furman, High Point, Jacksonville, Mercer, Richmond and VMI
Big East (7): Denver, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Rutgers, St. John's and Villanova
CAA (6): Delaware, Drexel, Hofstra, Penn State, Towson and UMass-Amherst
ECAC (5): Air Force, Bellarmine, Fairfield, MICHIGAN and Ohio State
Independent: Johns Hopkins
Ivy League (7): Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale
MAAC (7): Canisius, Detroit, Manhattan, Marist, Monmouth, Quinnipiac and Siena
NEC (7): Bryant, Hobart, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, Saint Joseph's and Wagner
Patriot (9): Army, Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola of Maryland and Navy

Wolverine Devotee

August 14th, 2013 at 12:46 AM ^

This is the final season of ECAC Lacrosse. Michigan and ohio going to the B1G ultimately broke the camel's back.

  • Loyola (MD) to the Patriot League in 2014
  • Denver to the Big East in 2014
  • Michigan to the B1G in 2015
  • ohio to the B1G in 2015
  • Hobart to the NEC in 2015
  • Fairfield to the CAA in 2015
  • Bellarmine to the Atlantic Sun in 2015
  • Air Force to go Independent in 2015

laxalum

August 14th, 2013 at 11:45 AM ^

Hopkins didn't make the tourney this past season for the first time in 20-some odd years. Similar to UM hockey's run that ended this year. Of the teams in the new Big Ten lacrosse conference it can be argued that Maryland is the top outfit of the bunch recently, although Johnny Hop will definitely be a national title contender more years than they're not. Penn State and Ohio are also tournament teams that seem to be trending upwards. This is going to be a really tough conference, right behind the ACC.

M-Wolverine

August 14th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^

When they can pull this off with hardly any wins and facilities still in progress for a program that didn't exist just a few years ago.