Quint Kessenich: Determining No. 1 team no easy task
Four teams received first-place votes in the latest Inside Lacrosse media poll. Massachusetts and Loyola are undefeated, and Johns Hopkins topped Virginia in Charlottesville, yet the Cavaliers sit atop the poll. The divergent opinions have sparked healthy debate: Who is No. 1? Here's the poll:
1. Virginia (18 first-place votes, also No. 1 in The Baltimore Sun's poll)
2. UMass (3, No. 3)
3. Johns Hopkins (1, No. 5)
4. Loyola (3, No. 8)
ESPN's Quint Kessenich takes a closer look at each of the contenders (in alphabetical order):
1. Virginia (18 first-place votes, also No. 1 in The Baltimore Sun's poll)
2. UMass (3, No. 3)
3. Johns Hopkins (1, No. 5)
4. Loyola (3, No. 8)
ESPN's Quint Kessenich takes a closer look at each of the contenders (in alphabetical order):
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Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse defenseman Jack Reilly
Strengths: Defense is Hopkins' calling card with Tucker Durkin, Chris Lightner, Jack Reilly and Marshall Burkhart. Coach Dave Pietramala's unit is second-best to only Notre Dame's. The Jays' slide packages are buttoned up, and they scout tendencies extremely well and force opponents to take shots with their weak hand. Goalie Pierce Bassett is rock-solid. Hopkins' offense starts with defense — the Jays are the best riding team in the country.
"Hopkins is a dominating possession team, averaging an extra 5.1 offensive possessions per game," says stat guru Mike Rogers of the College Crosse blog. |
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