😈 DUKE FINISHES ON TOP

The game of hot potato is over…for now.

On Tuesday, the Duke Blue Devils were revealed as the No. 1 team in the penultimate edition of The People’s Top 20. With conference tournaments already underway and the NCAA Tournament soon to follow, this is the last ranking TLN will put out until after the season is finalized.

The shift at the top came after Virginia beat Notre Dame, 12-8, on Saturday. Duke claimed the No. 1 spot by virtue of their two wins over the Cavaliers this season. With a 5-1 record in conference play, the Blue Devils also locked up the 2023 ACC Championship.

At 12-2 overall (with one game left against Merrimack on Sunday), Duke has the best record in Division I Men’s Lacrosse. Assuming they take care of business in the regular-season finale, the Blue Devils are poised to claim the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke’s only losses this year have came against Jacksonville (13-12) in early February and Notre Dame (17-12) earlier this month — both on the road. There were a few other close calls, including one-point victories over Denver (OT), Penn, Syracuse (OT) and Virginia.

Does Duke have what it takes to go all the way? Let us know in the poll below.

🍿 ‘THROUGH X’ Returns Today

Last week, we celebrated the return of THROUGH X. The episode profiling Virginia attackman Connor Shellenberger drops today (Tuesday) at 3 p.m. ET on our YouTube channel.

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a teaser for Shellenberger’s episode:

Shellenberger quarterbacks the highest-scoring offense in Division I (17.64 goals/game) and is a nominee for the 2023 Tewaaraton Award. He has 19 goals this season and currently leads the nation with 43 assists.

As a redshirt freshman in 2021, Shellenberger lifted Virginia to a National Championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, he was a Tewaaraton Award finalist.

This episode of THROUGH X will highlight Shellenberger’s efforts to guide the Cavaliers on another title run, all while playing under the weight of massive expectations.

⏰ PLL Draft in ONE Week

The 2023 PLL Draft is a week from today (Tuesday, May 9 on ESPNU). Who will go No. 1?

In his latest mock draft, Kevin Brown of Inside Lacrosse has Georgetown defenseman Will Bowen going first overall to Atlas. That’s despite the fact that ESPN Analyst Paul Carcaterra has Cornell defenseman Gavin Adler as the No. 1 prospect on his big board.

Multiple PLL head coaches spoke with the media on Monday, and it sounds like we could see an influx of draft-day trades this year. The Redwoods currently hold Pick No. 2, and head coach Nat St. Laurent said they’ll “entertain all offers.”

If you’re craving a deeper PLL Draft discussion, don’t forget to join our Fan Mock Draft event on Discord this Thursday. All you have to do is accept this invite. You can also help us guide the conversation by participating in this survey, where you can submit your picks and identify your draft strategy.

Can’t wait to debate with you all on Thursday!

🔀 Cornell Goalie to Transfer

Cornell goalie Chayse Ierlan is entering the transfer portal after this season, Ty Xanders of Inside Lacrosse reported on Monday. This is an interesting bit of news but not totally unexpected; although Ierlan (a senior) has another year of eligibility, the Ivy League does not allow athletes to compete as graduate students.

It’s also not that surprising because the Ierlan family is quite familiar with transferring. Chayse’s older brother, TD Ierlan (currently with the Redwoods), started his college career at Albany, then transferred to Yale before transferring again to Denver.

Chayse Ierlan has started 48 games for Cornell since 2019 and helped the Big Red reach the NCAA Championship game last season. Ierlan’s .559 save percentage in 2023 currently ranks sixth best in Division I.

📺 Midweek TV/Streaming Info

All times Eastern (streaming links via Inside Lacrosse/USA Lacrosse Magazine):

Tuesday, May 2:
1 p.m. — Bellarmine at Mercer (ESPN+)
4 p.m. — Robert Morris at Jacksonville (ESPN+)
7 p.m. — Lafayette at Lehigh (ESPN+)
7 p.m. — Loyola at Navy (ESPN+)

Wednesday, May 3:
***No Division I Men’s games***

Thursday, May 4:
1 p.m. — Michigan at Penn State (BTN)
3 p.m. — Marist at Mount St. Mary’s (ESPN+)
3:30 p.m. — Maryland at Johns Hopkins (BTN)
4 p.m. — Albany at Vermont (ESPN+)
5:30 p.m. — Towson at Delaware (LacrosseTV)
5:30 p.m. — High Point at Saint Joe’s (ESPN+)
6:30 p.m. — Providence at Georgetown (CBS Sports Network)
7 p.m. — Siena at Manhattan (ESPN+)
7 p.m. — Binghamton at Bryant (ESPN+)
8 p.m. — UMass at Richmond (ESPN+)
8:30 p.m. — Stony Brook at Drexel (LacrosseTV)
9:30 p.m. — Villanova at Denver (CBS Sports Network)