Paul Carcaterra started counting down his preseason top 12 teams yesterday, dropping nuggets of knowledge as to teams ranked 12th through seventh in his preseason poll. This is how things shook out for him in the back-end of his best dozen:
12. Syracuse
11. Lehigh
10. Colgate
9. Virginia
8. North Carolina
7. Duke
So, what does Carcaterra's top six look like? The above-video gives you the juice and below are some selected quotes from his analyses:
6. Denver
"They have the first midfield that may be the best in the country." "Noble and Flint are offensive studs." "Eric Law behind the cage, and then Wes Berg running that right side are two marquee attackman." "The big question for Denver is who plays in the cage." "Bill Tierney is technical and one of the best defensive coaches in the history of the game."
5. Cornell
"[Rob Pannell] is going to make every single player around him better. He's the best distributor in college lacrosse." "Matt Donovan comes back for his sophomore year . . . he'll be able to play a complementary role." "Don't be surprised if Cornell makes a run."
4. Maryland
"The deepest midfield in the nation." "They have the defensive midfielder in Jesse Bernhardt who is the best in the country at his position." "The question I have for the Terps is who plays attack outside of Owen Blye." "These guys are seasoned winners."
3. Notre Dame
"The Fighting Irish are turning into a marquee lacrosse program." "Kevin Corrigan and defensive coordinator Gerry Byrne are two coaches that are masterful at game planning and coaching defensive positions." "Matt Kavanagh, mark my words, will be the best freshman in the country." "They have the defense; they have John Kemp in goal." "Maybe this is their year."
2. Loyola
"Why aren't you [number] one? Because it's a new year, a new type of chemistry." "Tremendous scorer in Mike Sawyer, defensive stud in Joe Fletcher." "My only question is: How do you replace a leader like Lusby?"
1. Johns Hopkins
"Their senior class is loaded." "Their midfield is dynamic and a brutal force in terms of dodging." "That midfield is loaded." "If [Wells Stanwick] can emerge, the sophomore, and be a great distributor and handle that offense and put the ball in the right places this season, I think the Blue Jays will be playing on Memorial Day."
That's where Carcaterra is shaking out. How do you feel about his choices, especially Hopkins as his preseason favorite? Let me know in the comments.