Welcome to 2022: The Big Ten
I refuse to write out "Big Ten" in that weird culty way everyone else does. It's a conference; not a conspiracy.
(Hi, it’s me. Kyle. I’m still in the content mines, but Craig McMichael is back with another conference preview. The season is so close that I can smell it. Mmm. Smoky disappointment and silky sweet triumph - I have missed you, so. Enjoy the preview and don’t forget to follow Craig here.)
#BeTheBest. Since the formation of the Big Ten Lacrosse Conference (B1G) in 2015, Maryland has done their part to uphold this standard. The rest of the conference? Not so much.
#LaxTwitter and many in the lacrosse community see the B1G as the second-best conference behind the ACC. The Terps’ success skews this mindset.
Since 2015, Maryland has won three B1G tournament championships and made five Memorial Day appearances. Winning the championship in 2017 and finishing runner-up in 2015, 2016, and 2021.
The rest of the conference has three B1G tournament championships and three Memorial Day weekend appearances with no national championships and one runner-up (Ohio State).
The weight and prestige of the B1G rest on the shoulders of the Terps. They resemble and play more like their former ACC counterparts. The rest of the conference has lacked the consistency and success to bolster and separate the B1G from the other conferences.
Johns Hopkins has won two B1G tournament championships and has had five tournament appearances since 2015. The Jays have not returned to Memorial Day weekend since 2015 and have been bounced out of the tournament three times in the first round. For a program with its storied history and tradition, I speak for the B1G when I say #WeWantMore.
Penn State looked prime to join Maryland’s elite status in 2019 with a semifinal run that ended to eventual champion Yale. 2020 looked more of the same before it was cut short. In 2021, they looked like a shell of that 2019 and 2020 team. Can Coach Tambroni right the ship or will they continue muddling through the bottom half of the conference?
Rutgers used the Transfer Portal to build and shape their team to a tournament appearance in 2021. Dispatching Lehigh and falling by a goal to UNC in the quarterfinals. They have gone back to the portal in 2022, can they recreate the magic again?
The ACC can consistently count on four teams each year to make the tournament with at least two being around Memorial Day weekend. If the B1G is going to cement themselves as the #2 lacrosse conference, they need at least three teams in the tournament each year and two teams playing Memorial Day weekend every couple of years.
2022 Outlook
Maryland uses the Transfer Portal to fortify
Gone is Tewaaraton and Division 2 National Champion Jared Bernhardt from the Terps. Something tells me they will be ok. Not only do the Terps have an embarrassment of riches returning, but John Tillman is a master of the Transfer Portal.
Tillman uses the portal to reinforce the Terps to prepare them for their deep Memorial Day weekend runs. 2022 brings midfielder Jonathan Donville (Cornell) and attackman Keegan Khan (Villanova) to College Park. Donville led the Big Red in scoring in the shortened 2020 season and Khan put up 58 points (26G/32A) from the Wildcats in 2021. The two should pair nicely with Logan Wisnauskas, Daniel Maltz, and Bubba Fairman in the second year of Bobby Benson’s offense.
Can Brecht find gold again in the portal?
Rutgers struck gold in 2021 with the Transfer Portal landing brothers, Connor (Attackman) and Colin (Goalie) Kirst and Jonathan Dugenio (Fogo). It paid off with an 8-2 record and their first trip back to the NCAA tournament since the early 2000s. This year, Coach Brian Brecht used the portal to help replace his attack unit and 165 points.
The group will be led by Mitch Bartolo, a 6-6 220 lb linebacker, err Attack/Midfielder from Penn. Joining him will be defenseman Brad Apgar (Salisbury DIII) and attackmen Ronan Jacoby (Wesleyan DIII) and Brian Cameron (North Carolina). Offensive coordinator Eric Sermet has a logjam of left-handed attackmen this season. It will be interesting to see the creativity he uses to deploy them. My eyes will also be on #NascarMiddie Brennan Kamish. The Preseason All-American is a 2019 transfer from Detroit Mercy and will help fortify the defense and push the transition game for the Knights.
Who bounces back from a disappointing 2021?
There was a clear gap in 2021 between Maryland and Rutgers and the rest of the B1G teams. Looking at Adjusted Efficiency, the bottom four teams finished in the bottom ⅓ of Division 1: John Hopkins (42), Ohio State (44), Penn State (58), and Michigan (60). While the Jays performed similarly to 2021, the other three saw uncharacteristic drops in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Penn State for example, had an adjusted OFE of over 40% in 2019 and 2020, that number dropped to 23.9% in 2021.
So, who bounces back?
My money is on a turnaround at Homewood. Am I biased because I like to hear the band play? Probably. Hopkins made a tough decision in 2020 to replace Hopkins’ alum, Hall of Famer, and national championship-winning head coach Dave Pietramala with Cornell’s Peter Milliman. Milliman has put together a great staff and paired with a healthy Joey Epstein should help return the Jays to the top of the B1G conversation.
2022 Schedules
What’s that? The B1G gets to play nonconference games again? Nice!
Below, we will have (most) of the schedules for the B1G and a few notes on notable games this season. Lacrosse Reference has provided over/under win totals for each team. If you would like to join in on the fun click here.
Maryland
They're here 💍🤩 Celebrating our historic 2021 @B1GLacrosse titles in style #FridayFeeling x #BeTheBestWho needs to post a schedule with that bling? Anybody. Anywhere. That is John Tillman’s approach to scheduling. Tillman does not believe in cupcakes. I am looking forward to their March 19th 2021 national championship rematch at Audi Field against Virginia.
O/U wins 11.5: Under (they slip up somewhere, maybe Homewood?)
Rutgers
Now that the schedule is officially out, #RUMLax tickets are on sale! Season / single-game tickets can be purchased here: go.rutgers.edu/p35tjxf4The Kamish brothers square off in February at Loyola and the Jersey Boys visit Princeton in March before the start of B1G play.
O/U wins 10.5: Under
Johns Hopkins
BREAKING: @MillimanPeter has announced the 2022 JHU men's lacrosse schedule - tinyurl.com/2p8uyfdd. . #GoHopThe Jays are going to be in for a challenge in the nonconference. Georgetown, UNC, UVA, and Loyola could get sideways if the defense is not up for the challenge. Nice to see the return of Navy to the schedule.
O/U wins 5.5: Over
Penn State
#WeAre? That is the question for Coach Tambroni and the Nittany Lions. Early challenges against Villanova and Vermont and three games against the Ivy will tell us a lot about who Penn State is this year.
O/U wins 5.5: Over
Ohio State
🎁 Our holiday gift to you... ...our 2022 schedule ‼️ 🔗: go.osu.edu/22Schedule 🎟️ (ticket info): go.osu.edu/LaxTix #GoBucksNick Myers and the Buckeyes should get off to a nice start before heading into a tough five-game stretch in late February and early March. Winning two of the five will be important for righting the ship from 2021.
O/U wins 6.5: Under
Michigan
Michigan’s nonconference schedule is light compared to their conference rivals. If things go right, the Wolverines should have 6 wins heading into conference play. How many times will the Wolverines be tested? Not enough. Does this help you win more/any conference games? I am not so sure.
O/U wins 6.5: Under
Maryland will once again #BeTheBest in the B1G this year. How much separates 2-6 depends on how well Rutgers’s new pieces come together and who bounces back after a largely forgettable 2021.
Week 1 Picks courtesy of LaxVegas Lines
Welcome to our first live game of 2022. We have one matchup. It won’t be on ESPNU or ESPN+, but that is ok. What I love about college lacrosse is that most games are streamed by the school. And if you are a lax junky like me, and if you are still reading you are. You’ll be streaming this game on your phone or laptop on Saturday.
This year, I will be picking games with lines courtesy of LaxVegasLines. Picks in bold.
Bellarmine @ Mercer (-3.5) (1/29) It’s the SoCon vs. the ASUN. Last year, they were conference rivals in the SoCon and Bellarmine took both matchups. Give me the Knights to continue the streak.
Grab your 🍿 and enjoy the games!
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