Inside lacrosse released it’s Top 50 Men’s Players for 2023 recently. Last week, I published Snubs from the Inside Lacrosse Top 50 Men’s Players For 2023. This list featured great players who did not make the cut for the Top 50. I hosted IL’s Terry Foy and Matt Kinnear on the Quintessential Lacrosse Podcast and we discussed more than a dozen players that I felt were overlooked. The podcast has some hard core analysis and observations from last spring and from practices/scrimmages this fall.
This week, we come back with a lengthy list of players who have the opportunity to play their way into the Top 50 and potentially earn All-American status this 2023 college lacrosse season. On this list you will find sophomores who flashed ability in their debut seasons along with proven producers from programs that don’t get the mainstream coverage that many of the blue bloods find beneficial.
They are merely grouped by position; the order has no bearing on my thoughts of their abilities and impact. I found the exercise to be wonderfully challenging. The deeper I dug, the more I realized just how many talented players are roaming around the country. When it was all said and done, I had a list eight pages long of deserving individuals and I had to just walk away.
It also got me to thinking, who’s the best player nobody has heard of yet?
MIDFIELD
Gabe Furey (Penn) – Furey is a behemoth (6’5″ 220lbs) who is a nightmare when paired with Sam Handley. Furey finished with 32 points and played well in wins over Yale and Richmond in May.
Will Angrick (Notre Dame) – This sophomore will be running on the first midfield line in South Bend and based on what I watched last spring, will eventually be an All-American performer. His trajectory predicts to be like so many young midfielders. If they get any playing time as a freshman while putting up minimal stats, you typically see a huge upgrade in point totals during year two.
James Shipley (Penn) – The 110 yard player operates like it’s the 1980’s with duel threat selfless enthusiasm.
Graydon Hogg (Albany) – The Hill Academy graduate had 38 points in 2022 and was a captain the Team Canada U-21squad in Ireland last summer, attacking the cage from a variety of angles.
Evan Zinn (Virginia) – One of the fastest players in the country, Zinn (IL’s No.7 recruit) will benefit from a full year in the Virginia defensive system as a graduate student after earning his degree from Johns Hopkins.
Ryan Bell (Providence) – Bell tallied gigantic assists (34) for a midfielder in his first collegiate season.
Justin Brown (Michigan) – Brown is a speedster who emerged late in the 2022 season with five goals against Penn State. He inevitably became a party starter for Coach Kevin Conry scoring 13 goals as the lightbulb went on. Brown skipped two years of high school lacrosse pursuing college football offers as a three-star and is Anish’s favorite blossoming prospect.
Mike Tobin (UMass) – The Reading Railroad finished 2022 with 28 points and has logged minutes for Ireland in international events..
Ari Allen (Ohio State) – Quick as lightning, Allen was a difficult cover when inverting from X last season. If he takes the next step to greatness, he could become one of the most dynamic midfield dodgers in the country. Call 911 because he’s breaking ankles. Tallying 13 points in his first season is just the start for the Atlanta product via IMG.
Scott Cole (Lehigh) – Cole recorded 40 points from the midfield for the Mountain Hawks.
Miles Botkiss (Harvard) – Botkiss is a California product recorded 23 goals and 4 assists as a freshman for the Crimson.
Patrick Hackler (Yale) – The 5’11” and 200lbs pound junior put up 10 goals and 3 assists in 2022 while playing a duel role as a transitional shorty. His shift to SSDM coincided with Yale’s late season improvement.
FOGO
Alec Stathakis (Denver) – The 225lbs FOGO went 56% in 2022, 64% in 2021 and 62% in 2020.
Caleb Hammett (UMass) -Hammett went 62% with 119 groundballs in 2022.
Matt Narewski (Johns Hopkins) – Consistent and rock solid, staying healthy has been the biggest hurdle for this FOGO.
Mitchell Myers (Dartmouth) – The St. John Bosco alum went 54% in 2022.
Tommy Burke (Vermont) – Burke went 61% in 19 games for the NCAA tournament qualifier. He has 229 groundballs over the last two seasons. He is transferring to Ohio State after this season.
ATTACK
Carter Page (St Joe’s) – Page is a hammer scoring 51 goals for the 14-4 Hawks in 2022.
Vince D’Alto (Boston University) – Part of the high scoring trio that led the Terriers to a Patriot League title before shooting blanks in the NCAA tournament against Princeton.
Cam Rubin (Penn) – Rubin is Lefty sniper (21 goals) who works best from the wing with his feet set. His sidearm and underhanded release is a big whoosh and could eclipse 40 goals this spring.
David Closterman (Vermont) – Now a graduate student, Closterman has the best hair in the America East and tallied 69 points in 2022 with a tough as nails, team first attitude.
Michael Boehm (Michigan) – Productive, smart, technical, and consistent. Boehm (63 points) an Ohio native and product of the Rocky River recreational program, is the ring leader for the Wolverine offense that started 7-0 and finished on an eight game skid.
Dyson Williams (Duke) – Williams is a lefty who’ll be a star in the NLL, but he hasn’t been utilized well in Durham. He’s Zack Greer version 2.0.
Mike Robinson (Delaware) – A Canadian via Culver, Robinson finished 2022 with 68 points, has no issue putting the ball in the net.
Devon McClane (Brown) – The Bears leading scorer with 71 points in 2022 is a worker who makes plays around the crease and is terrifying in transition with free flowing artistry.
Brayden Mayea (High Point) – The Dynamic Canadian from the Windsor ballet may miss his set-up man but he can dodge. Mayea will be a high NLL draft pick as he led the country in rebounds, ride backs and greasy goals.
Jack McKenna (Fairfield) – McKenna is 6’6″ and was named the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2022 after scoring 43 goals. Is McKenna the best player you’ve never seen play?
Jack Traynor (Penn State) – Traynor is graduate student who missed 8 games in 2022, played in six games in 2021, and played in seven games in 2020.
Jack Mulcahy (Drexel) – The 2022 CAA Offensive Player of the Year. scored over 3.0 ppg in 2022.
Brandon Dodd (Air Force) – Dodd tallied 70 points in 2022 after an injury plagued his 2021 season.
Tye Kurtz (Delaware) – The Ontario native was named the CAA tournament MVP scoring 52 goals on the year. The entire Blue Hen attack returns intact which is downright scary.
Lance Tillman (North Carolina) – Tillman was a supporting cast member under star Chris Gray in Chapel Hill. We will find out what he has up his sleeve this spring. The Colorado native had a big 2021 quarterfinal game, added 30 points in 2022, and made a Team USA appearance over the summer but now must stay healthy.
Jacob Greiner (Jacksonville) – A Jacksonville team captain who’s obsessed with his craft. Greiner had 51 goals for the Dolphins on top of 69 total points. Jacksonville went 14-3 in 2022 with wins over Duke, Denver, High Point, and Richmond.
Brian Kelly (St. John’s) – Kelly recorded 44 points as a freshman (a school record) and will be a strong launching pad for St. John’s during the 2023 college lacrosse season.
Chris Lyons (Yale) – As Leif would say, this sophomore can find rope and should have ample opportunity for lay-ups in 2023. Lyons scored 19 goals in Yale’s last six games of 2022. He projects to be the Bull Dogs leading goal scorer.
JJ Sillstrop (Denver) – The California native had 48 points for the Pioneers in 2022, including seven hat-tricks.
JP Ward (Delaware) – Ward tallied 72 points for the NCAA quarterfinalist Blue Hens in 2022 who are a bonafide Top 15 team for the 2023 college lacrosse season.
Michael Long (Cornell) – Long led the Big Red in assists with 29 last season. Never flashy, highly productive, and makes the smart play every time. Just wins baby.
Connor Davis (Bucknell) – The rookie put up big stats (44G/7A) for the Bison.
Ben Smith (Penn) – Smith was clutch late in May and will compile big point totals this year flanked by a dangerous first six at Penn. He has game instincts you can’t teach and delivers in pressure packed moments.
Dylan Pallonetti (Stony Brook) – The America East First-Team selection put up 49 points in 14 games after verbalizing UMass and transferring from Maryland.
Will Peden (Penn State) – The Nittany Lions went 3-11 in 2022 but a bright spot was leading scorer Peden who as a freshman finished with 33 points on 39% shooting. Definitely a name to look out for this 2023 college lacrosse season.
Sam King (Harvard) – This playmaker from Gilman loves to work up the tangents. He needs to get bigger, stronger, and faster but none-the-less put up 46 points as a freshman and is leading the Harvard resurgence.
Garrett Degnon (Johns Hopkins) – The Southpaw from DeMatha has done great work transforming his body and becoming more mobile. One thing he has always had is a vicious lefty shot with his feet set.
Owen Murphy (Maryland) – Murphy has a certain panache and style. He’s a gun slinger with a righty rip who plays with no fear after prepping at Avon and transferring from Johns Hopkins.
Kyle Gucwa (Manhattan) – Pottstown’s finest scored 40 goals for the Jaspers including four at Duke.
Pratt Reynolds (Siena) – Reynolds is a burly attackman who scored 33 goals for the Saints.
Peter Lehman (Lafayette) – Cornerstone of the improving Leopard program, the junior had over 50 points last spring. I was impressed with what I witnessed when ESPN covered the Lafayette at Virginia game at the end of 2022.
Tyler Bradbury (Utah) – Bradbury tallied 62 points as the ASUN Offensive Player of the Year from California while shooting 40%.
DEFENSE
Marcus Hudgins (Ohio State) – Hudgins is a super talented Army transfer who is currently listed on the Ohio State roster, but his eligibility for the 2023 college lacrosse season remains a mystery. He’s a First-Team quality player, now competing for a Buckeyes team that may have a serious defense in 2023, with ample shorties and star close defenders.
Elijah Gash (Albany) – Gifted in raw talent, Gash will be a game wrecker after being moved from close defense to LSM. The senior from Wisconsin is a PLL prospect based on his measurables.
Tyler Carpenter (Duke) – Carpenter has been switching back and forth between pole and close. He’s a natural pole but Duke has needed the help down low. Very skillful off the ground and in transition.
Sammy Cambere (Utah) – Flower Mound’s finest chipped in 12 points while being named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year.
Matt Wright (North Carolina) – Wright is a true LSM and Team Canada pole from Hill Academy. He has a motor, can run the field, and has the speed and cardio to match paces with the best athletes in the ACC. He’s an LSM that can actually play defense, which seems to becoming a rarity.
Jake Piseno (Albany) – Piseno is a terror roaming the middle of the field as an LSM. He scooped up 77 groundballs, caused 27 turnovers, and added 7 points for the Dane Train. Piseno is an offensive minded LSM which is fun to watch and he represented the Haudenosaunee team last summer in Ireland.
Griffin King (Brown) – Big, strong and a threat in transition, Coach Daly builds his system around SSDM’s like King.
Patrick Morrison (Boston University) – The 6’3″ 200lbs unit from Massachusetts anchors the Terriers defense down low.
Chet Comizio (Villanova) – The graduate student SSDM from Delbarton scooped up 44 grounders and is a talented individual playing in a broken defensive system.
Troy Hettinger (Jacksonville) – The SSDM captain scored 10 points in 2022 and has a fifth COVID year available but the Dolphins roster isn’t posted yet. He’s a two-way honcho who can handle one-on-one defensive assignments.
Mitchell Dunham (Mount St. Mary’s) – Dunham had 27 caused turnovers and 43 groundballs for The Mount.
Jake Caputo (Duke) – The SSDM cover man and winger played for Team USA over the summer.
Colby Barsz (Towson) – The 6’5″ LSM from Weddington, NC, played with the Shipley brothers in high school and club for Ryan Flanagan in Charlotte.
Nick Alviti (Vermont) – Alviti is an LSM who caused 32 turnovers and was voted to the America East All-Conference team.
Jack DeBenedetto (Denver) – The Pioneers top cover man from Buffalo was a First-Team Big East selection in 2022 and should do big things this 2023 college lacrosse season.
GOALIES
Colin Krieg (UNC) – The lefty from Ward Melville High School needs to hire a lawyer and sue his defense for lack of support. I love this guy, he stood tall in the face of a constant barrage in 2022.
Daniel Hincks (Georgetown) – Hincks is tall righty who transferred from Dartmouth to Georgetown and will see his save percentage skyrocket in a system that is producing All-American goalies on a yearly basis. The Massachusetts native was 52% for the Big Green and could add 5% to 10% to that bottom line playing for Coach Kevin Warne and under the tutelage of goalie coach David Shriver. Expect Hincks to be a big name this 2023 college lacrosse season.
Danny Brady (Wagner) – Brady finished the 2022 season with a 59% save percentage who has no relation to Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby or Cindy.
Matt Knote (UMass) – Knote was a three-sport high school athlete from Long Island. The big righty was the CAA’s most decorated keeper in 2022 and was razor sharp against Brown and Delaware.
