Princeton University Athletics
As Practice Starts, Princeton Ranked Somewhere In Top 10
January 31, 2011 | Men's Lacrosse
So what is it? Sixth? Ninth? Tenth?
The correct answer is, who cares.
The Princeton men's lacrosse team was ranked sixth in the Inside Lacrosse coaches' preseason poll back in December. The USILA coaches' poll, which asks a different group of coaches, had Princeton ranked 10th when it was announced today. The Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll, also announced today, has the Tigers 10th.
Of course, Princeton has yet to have a single practice, something that changes tomorrow.
And, of course, it's not about where you're ranked in December or January, and Princeton will have every opportunity to move way up as the season goes along.
Princeton's 12-game reguar-season consists of six games in the Ivy League, where four of the teams are currently ranked in both polls, and six non-league games, where four opponents are ranked in both polls and a fifth is ranked in one.
Going by the media poll, Princeton opens its season at No. 10 Hofstra and No. 11 Johns Hopkins before coming home to play No. 3 North Carolina and No. 20 Villanova. Down the road would be games against No. 1 Syracuse outside the league and No. 7 Cornell, No. 18 Yale and No. 19 Brown.
Princeton went 11-5 a year ago, when it won the first Ivy League tournament championship after finishing in a tie for the regular-season championship. Princeton returns six starters for 2011.