BALTIMORE, Jan. 6, 2014 — Lacrosse Magazine, the flagship publication of US Lacrosse, today named defending national champion Duke No. 1 in its 2014 NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse preseason rankings.
The Blue Devils, who have advanced to seven straight NCAA final fours and won titles in 2010 and 2013 under coach John Danowski, were 16-5 in 2013, winning 14 of their final 15 games.
All six members of the revamped ACC are ranked in the top 10, with 2013 NCAA runner-up Syracuse and North Carolina right behind the Blue Devils at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. Notre Dame (No. 6), Maryland (No. 7) and Virginia (No. 9) gave the expanded conference a dramatic presence at the top of the rankings.
Denver is the only non-ACC squad in the top five, earning the No. 4 nod after a trip to the NCAA semifinals last year. The Pioneers will make their Big East debut this season.
The rankings were compiled by Lacrosse Magazine staff after consultation with college coaches.
Lacrosse Magazine will continue its 2014 college lacrosse preview throughout January and into February, with team-by-team breakdowns of the top teams in NCAA Division I, II and III men’s and women’s lacrosse. Follow the countdown atLaxMagazine.com/LMranks and on Twitter at #LMranks.
Lacrosse Magazine NCAA Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20
1. Duke
2. Syracuse
3. North Carolina
4. Denver
5. Notre Dame
6. Princeton
7. Maryland
8. Penn State
9. Virginia
10. Albany
11. Loyola
12. Yale
13. Johns Hopkins
14. Bucknell
15. Ohio State
16. Lehigh
17. Penn
18. Cornell
19. St. John’s
20. Villanova
