Duke Men’s Lacrosse 2024

[burnspbesq]

The release of the first major preseason poll seems like an appropriate time to say goodbye to the summer thread and start looking forward.

USLacrosse Magazine has ND, Duke, and UVa 1-2-3. Not surprising, although I think you can make a case for Duke to be number one.

https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/colle...eseason-top-20

[Deke1990]

The release of the first major preseason poll seems like an appropriate time to say goodbye to the summer thread and start looking forward.

USLacrosse Magazine has ND, Duke, and UVa 1-2-3. Not surprising, although I think you can make a case for Duke to be number one.

https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/colle...eseason-top-20

And Wlax nowhere to be found in Top 20. Umass, West Point, Princeton among others ranked in Top 20.

[chrishoke]

And Wlax nowhere to be found in Top 20. Umass, West Point, Princeton among others ranked in Top 20.

That is very sad.

[DangerDevil]

Don’t think there are that many dates that weren’t already figured out based on other schedules but the 2024 schedule has been released.

https://goduke.com/sports/mens-lacrosse/schedule

[budwom]

Don’t think there are that many dates that weren’t already figured out based on other schedules but the 2024 schedule has been released.

https://goduke.com/sports/mens-lacrosse/schedule

11 out of 15 games played in NC

[burnspbesq]

Bye week between UVa and Cheats is an interesting feature. Coincides with reading periods for both undergrads and grad students, with the ACC tournament during finals.

[devilirium]

Saw that Dino was inducted into the HOF ( love it). His contract runs out after this year. Does anyone have insight to an extension.?

Yea, lax is well below the US sport radar, but am curious if this it for Coach.

[budwom]

Saw that Dino was inducted into the HOF ( love it). His contract runs out after this year. Does anyone have insight to an extension.?

Yea, lax is well below the US sport radar, but am curious if this it for Coach.

Per this https://goduke.com/news/2018/7/10/211733955.aspx his contract ran through 2023. I had expected to hear about an extension at some point, but haven't. I guess no news is good news.

[budwom]

The 2024 Duke roster lists Brennan O'Neill at 250 lbs, up from 225 last year...that's a jump, maybe 225 was incorrect last year, but 250? Only 40 lbs to go and he'll be as heavy as Amherst grad transfer Brock Gonzalez...

[roywhite]

The 2024 Duke roster lists Brennan O'Neill at 250 lbs, up from 225 last year...that's a jump, maybe 225 was incorrect last year, but 250? Only 40 lbs to go and he'll be as heavy as Amherst grad transfer Brock Gonzalez...

Manny Diaz could probably find a role for Brennan.

[burnspbesq]

The preseason men’s club rankings are out, so its time for my annual rant about ACC schools that won’t step up, this year featuring a new chief villain: preseason number one Va Tech. GaTech, BC, FSU, and Cal are also in the top 20.

[DangerDevil]

https://goduke.com/news/2024/1/17/me...ica-teams.aspx

6 Blue Devils named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All Americans:

Brennan, Brower, and Naso made the 1st team, Carpenter made the 3rd team, and Dyson and newcomer Zawada named Honorable Mention.

Notre Dame was the only school with more players named.

[pamtelp]

https://goduke.com/news/2024/1/17/me...ica-teams.aspx

6 Blue Devils named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All Americans:

Brennan, Brower, and Naso made the 1st team, Carpenter made the 3rd team, and Dyson and newcomer Zawada named Honorable Mention.

Notre Dame was the only school with more players named.

No McAdorey? He played out of positions at attack last year and still was fantastic. But if he switches back to midfield this year, he will undoubtedly be an all-American. hope this lights a fire in him that burns bright all season!

[burnspbesq]

According to IL, Duke and Maryland are scrimmaging on Saturday. My guess would be that it will be indoors (the Terps turned Cole Field House into a football practice facility and renamed it Jones - Hill House in honor of the school’s first African - American football and basketball players) and not open to the public.

[DangerDevil]

https://goduke.com/news/2024/1/18/me...nd-brower.aspx

USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the year courtesy of Brennan and Kenny Brower.

[chrishoke]

Any report on our scrimmage with Maryland?

[burnspbesq]

Any report on our scrimmage with Maryland?

Not yet, and because it was in fact indoors and not open to the public, anything we’re likely to get will be sketchy and og questionable reliability.

https://x.com/terpsmlax/status/1748068197217993198?s=61

[burnspbesq]

IL preseason media poll drops, with the usual suspects at the top in the usual order: ND, Duke, and UVa.

Duke will not lack for strength-of-schedule points come Selection Sunday: all four ACC opponents are ranked (Cuse at 9 and the Cheats at 17), along with five non-conference opponents (Denver at 13, Princeton 14, BU 18, Penn 19, and Richmond 20).

[burnspbesq]

IL preseason media all-American teams drop, with one extremely pleasant surprise from a Duke perspective.

Brennan, Naso, and Brower are first team (Brennan is the only unanimous first team selection). Tyler Carpenter is third team. Dyson and McAdorey are honorable mention (McAdorey as a midfielder, for whatever that’s worth). Not much news there.

But lo and behold, some love for Aidan Maguire, honorable mention at shorty.

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/artic...675cc-56288745

[burnspbesq]

As part of IL’s preseason coverage, Terry Foy looks at the DraftKings projected win total for each of the top 20, and bets over/under. Duke’s projected win total is 12.5 (out of 15), and Foy is taking the under (i.e., 12-3 or worse). Regardless of whether you agree or disagree, his analysis is quite interesting.

For the 15th year in a row, the Blue Devils’ goalie and midfield lineup will be the among (or, more likely, the single) most interesting personnel grouping to watch in college lacrosse. All indications are that, with Michigan grad transfer Josh Zawada likely to start alongside Brennan O’Neill and Dyson Williams, Andrew McAdorey will move back to the midfield. That certainly sets him up for a matchup advantage in every game as he goes from being guarded by mostly No. 2 defenders last year to mostly LSMs this year. It seems that he’ll run alongside Aidan Danenza and Charles Balsamo, so there’s not a ton of intrigue there, but there is on the second line, where there’s so much young talent like Benn Johnston and Tomas Delgado, as well as some older guys who’ve contributed in spots like Grant Mitchell, Reed Landin and Ryan Mackenzie. There are also a bunch of attackmen who may need to find their way onto the field, like Amherst grad transfer Brock Gonzalez, Princeton grad transfer Alex Slusher and a bunch of young guys.

William Helm returns in net after starting last season, but Princeton grad transfer Griffen Rakower and freshman Patrick Jameison are both making bids to earn the starting nod.

I think we may have overrated the loss of Wilson Stephenson in last week's Top Defense unit rankings — Kenny Brower and Keith Boyer return with a ton of starting experience, and Henry Bard and Cole Krauss are both positioned to break out. Jake Naso is my pick for top face-off guy in the country and at SSDM, Jake Caputo is the known commodity and Jack Gray and Aidan Maguire are athletic freaks.

All of that is to say I like this Duke team as much as I have in any season, but 12.5 is a big number. If you factor in the annual February slip-up (Jacksonville the last two years, Air Force in 2020, High Point in 2019), that gives them the cushion of two losses vs. Virginia (ha, we know they’re not losing to Virginia in the regular season), Notre Dame, Carolina, Syracuse, Penn, Princeton, Loyola, Richmond, Denver and BU? Doesn’t seem like great odds