The NCAA lacrosse committee will unveil its 17-team bracket Sunday night, after another four early afternoon games produce three more automatic qualifiers and the final touches on the possible No. 1 seed’s profile.
Not many questions are left. But there are a few worth touching on before getting to the last full-field rundown.
What is the most incredible scenario in play?
It has to be that Princeton would probably end Bill Tierney’s career if it wins the Ivy League tournament, right? Tierney built the Tigers into a juggernaut, winning six national titles in a 10-year span. He headed west to Denver for a second chapter as a Division I head coach and led the Pioneers to the 2015 national title.
He’s retiring at the end of the season, whenever that is. It’s hard to see room for Denver — which did not impress in a 14-5 loss to Georgetown in the Big East title game Saturday — if Princeton wins the Ivy. If Yale knocks off the Tigers, there is an at-large spot for someone to claim. Denver and Penn easily have the best arguments to be that someone.
What else is at stake on Sunday?
The automatic bids in the Patriot League and the Atlantic Sun. Army (11-3) meets Loyola (9-7) in Boston to determine the Patriot champion, while Utah (11-4) faces Air Force (11-5) in Moon Township, Pa., in the Atlantic Sun final. Both are one-bid leagues, but any of those teams could cause problems as a first-round opponent.
What will be the final tally on bid snatchers?
One or two. Princeton would fall in this category, but there was already some bracket disruption thanks to Michigan’s 14-5 blowout of Maryland in the Big Ten final. The Wolverines needed victories over Ohio State, Penn State and Maryland in an eight-day span, and their mix of a veteran attack and a stellar faceoff game will make them a most unpleasant first-round matchup for somebody.
Who is the No. 1 seed?
It will be an ACC team.
Count on that being a question committee chair Brandon Macneill (Denver’s deputy athletic director) faces whether Duke, Notre Dame or Virginia winds up in the top slot. The guess here remains Duke, assuming it defeats Merrimack on Sunday.
Will there be a curveball during the selection show?
Not to the extent of last year, when long tournament appearance streaks owned by Duke and Notre Dame ended abruptly and the Ivy League sent a six-pack of teams into the postseason.
There could be some bickering over the top seed, but it’s clear who the top three are. The last of the seeded teams (especially if Yale loses Sunday) could provoke some scrutiny. But here’s guessing the biggest conversation revolves around the last spot in the field, especially if Yale wins the Ivy League and bumps Princeton from the field.
On to the full rundown through Saturday’s games. All data courtesy of Lacrosse Reference.
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS (9)
Georgetown (12-3) Big East
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
5
|
11
|
0-2
|
2-2
|
4-3
|
—
|
Michigan (9-6) Big Ten
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
12
|
5
|
0-3
|
3-4
|
3-5
|
Marquette (39)
|
Utah (11-4) ASUN
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
16
|
32
|
0-1
|
0-2
|
0-3
|
Vermont (28)
|
Princeton (7-6) Ivy League
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
17
|
15
|
0-1
|
1-3
|
2-5
|
Syracuse (23)
|
Bryant (12-4) America East
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
18
|
47
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
0-1
|
3 losses 21+
|
Army (11-3) Patriot League
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
19
|
40
|
0-0
|
0-1
|
1-2
|
at UMass (31)
|
Richmond (11-4) Atlantic 10
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
21
|
32
|
0-2
|
0-3
|
0-3
|
at Saint Joseph's (30)
|
Delaware (12-4) CAA
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
27
|
45
|
0-1
|
0-1
|
0-3
|
at Towson (41)
|
Marist (10-7) MAAC
RPI
|
SOS
|
T5
|
T10
|
T20
|
21+L
|
40
|
64
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
0-1
|
6 losses 21+
|
It’s going to be difficult to deny Georgetown a home game after it tore through the weekend for its fifth consecutive Big East tournament title. The Hoyas have won 12 in a row and have clinched their 16th all-time NCAA tournament berth. Plausible first-round opponents on the Hilltop: Cornell, Penn, Yale (if it loses in the Ivy final) and Michigan. …
Speaking of Michigan, the Wolverines are off to the NCAA tournament for the first time after drubbing Maryland 14-5 in the Big Ten final. Michigan was under .500 a little more than two weeks ago and now looks like it will be headed to Georgetown or an Ivy League site for the first round. … Utah goes for its first NCAA berth Sunday against Air Force. The winner has to fly somewhere, and somebody has to fly to Notre Dame. The Irish welcoming the ASUN champ for a first-round game makes all the sense in the world. …
Princeton needs to beat Yale on Sunday to get into the tournament; a loss will end the Tigers’ season. Princeton’s destination with a victory would probably be a Big Ten site (Johns Hopkins, Maryland or Penn State), with Georgetown a possibility. … Bryant is back in the tournament after a one-year hiatus. The Bulldogs, making their sixth NCAA trip, are within a 400-mile drive of Johns Hopkins but not Maryland (at least according to Google Maps). That might be a convenient matchup for the committee. …
Army meets Loyola in Boston on Sunday afternoon to determine the Patriot League title. The winner is a possible fit to visit Virginia, Maryland, Hopkins or Penn State (and yes, Army is just inside the 400-mile window to get to Charlottesville). … Richmond is back in the tournament for the second year in a row and fifth time ever. If the committee really cares about avoiding regular-season rematches, it could send the Spiders to Penn State. But for the sake of convenience and bracket integrity, a trip west on Interstate 64 to Virginia would be an easy pairing. …
Looks like Delaware will host a play-in game for the second year in a row. The Blue Hens will make their eighth all-time NCAA tournament appearance after dispatching Stony Brook in the CAA final. … Marist earned the MAAC’s automatic berth and will be part of Wednesday’s play-in game. The Red Foxes are making their fourth NCAA trip and first since 2019.