⏰ DRAFT DAY IS HERE

PLL Draft…you’re on the clock!

With the college season reaching its climax, it’s time to turn an eye toward the upcoming PLL season. Opening weekend is less than a month away, and on Tuesday night we get to meet this year’s rookie class.

For the diehard college fans, many of the names will be familiar. A total of 32 players will be selected — all announced live on ESPNU starting at 7 p.m. ET.

If you haven’t seen it yet, you should check out our latest installment of the TLN Digital Cover. It’s titled “Year of the Long Pole” because the 2023 class is loaded with defensive talent, but inside the edition you’ll also find team needs, key quotes and even some draft history.

To get the draft-day conversation started, let’s dive into some of the biggest storylines…

💰 What Will Atlas Do With Picks 1 & 3?

The Atlas Lacrosse Club is sitting on a gold mine. After swinging a trade with the Cannons during last year’s draft, they own both the first-overall and the third-overall picks in this year’s draft.

This is a dream situation for first-year head coach Mike Pressler, who can start his PLL career with a bang after spending the past 16 spring seasons as head coach of the Bryant Bulldogs.

“I think with Picks 1 and 3, for me…I want it all,” Pressler said during his pre-draft press conference last week. “I want the player. I want the athlete. Just as important for me are the intangibles. The leadership. The locker room guy. The selflessness.”

So, what do the Atlas do with their top two picks? Many believe Penn midfielder Sam Handley is the best overall player in this year’s draft and is deserving of the No. 1 pick. Cornell defenseman Gavin Adler, however, is the top player on ESPN Analyst Paul Carcaterra’s Big Board.

To see what happened when Handley and Adler went head-to-head this season, check out this film breakdown:

If the Atlas go with Handley at No. 1, they will have multiple options at long pole with the third-overall pick — even if Adler is off the board. Delaware’s Owen Grant and Maryland’s Brett Makar are two other long poles with first-round potential.

🧐 Where Will Tucker Dordevic Go?

One of the most polarizing players in this year’s draft is Georgetown’s Tucker Dordevic. Some think he’s the second best offensive player in the draft behind Handley, while others think he’s barely worth a mid-to-late-round flyer.

This much is certain: Dordevic has put up BIG numbers in college. He’s actually TLN’s reigning Player of the Week, after dropping 15 points (11 goals, 4 assists) in the Big East Tournament over the weekend.

Dordevic has racked up 70 points (53 goals, 13 assists) so far this season, and he’s far from a one-year wonder. Before transferring to Georgetown last fall, the Portland, Oregon product put up 124 points (95 goals, 29 assists) in 47 games at Syracuse from 2018-22.

With attack/midfield flexibility, Dordevic is a truly position-less player. At 6-0 and 197 lbs., he can create for himself or serve as a lethal finisher. He can score with both hands and has great range on his outside shot, too.

Will that productivity and skill set translate to the next level? We hope to see him scoring goals like this in a PLL uniform soon.

👀 Who Will Be The Best Sleeper Pick?

Last year, we saw a second-round pick in Chrome attackman Brendan Nichtern (Army) win Rookie of the Year. Nichtern made a seamless transition to the professional ranks, posting an identical stat line to eight-time All-Star Rob Pannell (16 goals, 22 assists) in his first PLL season.

Is there a Nichtern in this year’s draft class?

There are several studs who may not hear their names called until after Round 1. Virginia attackman Xander Dickson is a late-riser who could turn out to be a steal. With 56 goals this season, he has transitioned well to an off-ball role with the Cavaliers after entering college as more of a quarterback-type.

Garrett Leadmon is another name to watch. His career-arc at Duke has been absolutely fascinating. He started out as an offensive midfielder, then reinvented himself as a short-stick defensive midfielder, and has since developed into one of the best two-way players in the country.

One last name to keep in mind is Delaware’s Tye Kurtz. He’s a pure point producer (171 career goals, 99 assists) with a shooting stroke that looks like Mac O’Keefe’s. Whoever picks up Kurtz is getting a player who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net, simply put.

📝 TLN Fan Mock Draft Results

Last week, we held a live mock draft event on Discord. We made it through two rounds, and the conversation/debate with fans was a ton of fun.

Here are the results from that mock draft:

Any surprises?

📺 NCAA Tournament Info

Many of the players who will hear their names called on Tuesday night will also be competing in the NCAA Tournament this month. Here’s when and where you can watch them before they make the PLL leap.

***ALL TIMES EASTERN***

Wednesday, May 10 (Play-In Game)
7 p.m. — Marist at Delaware — (ESPN+)

Saturday, May 13 (Round 1)
12 p.m. — Richmond at (2) Virginia — (ESPNU)
2:30 p.m. — Utah at (3) Notre Dame — (ESPNU)
5 p.m. — Yale at (7) Georgetown — (ESPNU)
7:30 p.m. — Army at (4) Maryland — (ESPNU)

Sunday, May 14 (Round 1)
12 p.m. — Bryant at (6) Johns Hopkins — (ESPNU)
2:30 p.m. — Michigan at (8) Cornell — (ESPNU)
5 p.m. — Marist/Delaware at (1) Duke — (ESPNU)
7:30 p.m. — Princeton at (5) Penn State — (ESPNU)

Saturday, May 20 (Quarterfinals)
Albany, N.Y. (Teams TBD)
ESPNU (Times TBD)

Sunday, May 21 (Quarterfinals)
Annapolis, Md. (Teams TBD)
ESPNU (Times TBD)

Saturday, May 27 (Semifinals)
Philadelphia, Pa. (Teams TBD)
ESPN2 (Times TBD)

Monday, May 29 (Final)
Philadelphia, Pa. (Teams TBD)
1 p.m., ESPN