Is This 2016 Preseason Lacrosse Poll Serious?

Welcome to my annual Media Poll post series, where I question my own poll votes as much as I question the actual poll itself. With the varied sources of input, the Media Poll over on IL is quite robust, and as usual, I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

At the same time, is this 2016 Preseason Lacrosse Poll serious?

Now, on to my Preseason Media Poll Votes, an explanation for why I put who where, and for some contrast, the Media Poll’s placement will also be listed in (parentheses). If I am way off, or the poll is way off, I’ll try my best to explain the difference! I’m also curious to know if you think the overall Media Poll or my votes in the Media Poll are a better representation of YOUR Top 20? Everyone has different opinions, and that’s beautiful, so where does your opinion fall?

2016 Preseason Lacrosse Poll Votes

1. Denver (Notre Dame) – How do you not give last year’s champion the honor of the #1 spot for one more meaningless week? I’m a big believer that you’re #1 until the next season starts, and the next season has not started yet. This is a preseason poll, so Denver is #1. I also think the Pioneers are going to be very good, but right now that’s beside the point, for me. Not for the other pollsters though, which is totally fair.
2. Syracuse (Denver) – I’m high on Cuse this year as they have a lot of the right parts to have a banner season. I could be wrong early, but when it counts I’m pretty firm on this being the right call. Clearly next to no one agrees with me on that, but they do agree that Denver will be good as they got the #2 spot in the media poll.
3. Notre Dame (Duke) – Talk about having all the parts! Notre Dame is loaded and it really should only be a matter of time before this well-run program wins a title. Anyone putting them as a preseason #1 is not only sane, but probably also incredibly smart. Duke in the top 3 early on is suspect. Look at their starts over the last couple of years for historical precedent.
4. Maryland (Maryland) – I have a hard time putting Maryland this low, and I feel similarly about the Terps as I do the Orange. The top portion of the D1 pile is loaded with contenders in 2016 and for the first time all year, the Media Poll and I agree.
5. Duke (Syracuse) – They may fall early, they’ve done it in the past. But that doesn’t matter as Duke reloads for the later runs every year now, and this team has all the talent to do it again. I can see Cuse being a #5 team early as well, and the Media Pollsters made a safe bet here. I went out on a limb, because I’m suspect myself.
6. Johns Hopkins (Hopkins) – Yes, the Blue Jays have lost some guys early to the injury bug, but I’m not so sure it matters. Hop has depth, and if they play loose, can beat anyone in the country. And they’re 6th. Think about that. Second agreement for the year already? Nice!
7. UNC (Virginia) – Again you’re looking at plenty of talent, and the only reason UNC is any lower than the six teams above the Tar Heels is based on past performance only. This group could rewrite that storyline. Many have been waiting to see it happen. I actually like Virginia as a Top 10 team and I have them at 8.
8. Virginia (UNC) – The Cavs aren’t the deepest, but they have what good Virginia teams usually have: 3 good attackmen, a good crop of athletic mids, a versatile D, and a good goalie. I like them to rebound if they stay healthy.
9. Brown (Yale) – Is this a good pick? Maybe not, as the Ivy is brutally competitive, but I do love Brown’s style of play, and I won’t lie, it factored into my voting. Please do well Brown, make my bias for crazy transition play an asset for once.
10. Yale (Brown) – Yale above Brown is probably smart as Yale is system based, and oh so good at what they do. Consistency is key for Ivy success, and now I’m regretting my Brown pick even more. The Media Poll and I are flip flopped here.
11. Navy (Loyola) – Yup, Navy is my darkhorse for a strong 2016 campaign. The program is redefined, there are lots of seniors playing meaningful minutes, and their offense was more dynamic than it’s been since Ian Dingman was at the Academy. The Media Poll has them MUCH lower, but again, Navy is my darkhorse pick for success.
12. Loyola (Ohio State) – The Hounds could really use a healthy season, and if they do, they can run again, and that would make for a truly dangerous team. If this team suffers some injuries, they could drop quickly. I think this is way too high for an OSU team that lost quite a bit from 2015, and 2015 wasn’t a Top 10 year.
13. Georgetown (Albany) – The Hoyas could finish higher than 13th, I have no doubt about it. It’s not a guarantee, but I do like Georgetown’s trajectory as a program.
14. Albany (Georgetown) – Don’t count the Danes out just yet. They still have a crafty and dangerous attack, and they will still score goals in bunches. Just wait for it. I am thinking I might have put them too low after a couple more days of reflection. Albany could still be very good, but can they be better than they were in 2015? Honestly, I think it’s possible.
15. Cornell (Cornell) – Every time Cornell looks like they will have to rebuild, they reload. There could be some weird scores early on, but late in the game I expect the Big Red to emerge well placed. The Media Poll and I agree here.
16. Marquette (Harvard) – Marquette is another program that could realistically be higher, based on potential alone. Now that expectations are higher, how will the Golden Eagles react? Harvard this high has me scratching my head. On paper they look great, but they also looked great on paper last year. This program needs to win some big games consistently before they are in my preseason Top 20.
17. Stony Brook (Towson) – Experienced scoring, some depth in good places, and a group that wants to take down Albany badly. I’m all in on SBU for 2016 and I like them as a possible early riser. How they didn’t make the Media Poll Top 20 at all is kind of shocking.
18. Ohio State (Navy) – Can OSU reload? For some reason I think they could struggle to do so, but I’ve been wrong before. Oh, have I been wrong before… Navy at 18 for the Media Poll is conservative, but a SR heavy Navy team gives me hope.
19. Towson (Villanova) – I could see the Tigers climbing higher. They’re scrappy and I like scrappy. I did not have Villanova in my Top 20, and would love to hear why they got so many votes.
20. Princeton (Princeton) – I don’t know, I like their chances as much as Harvard in the Ivy, so why not? We agree on #20, and Princeton could be looking up again… or both I and the Media Poll will be wrong. Either way it will be exciting to watch it all unfold.

I’ll be back in 2 or 3 weeks with another look at my poll votes and how they stack up when the real polling begins, and this preseason fodder subsides! Can’t wait for the real games, the real polls, and the 2016 season in all its glory!