It’s a good thing they packed the white home uniforms in the Syracuse lacrosse equipment truck that was parked outside of Villanova Stadium late Thursday night.
The fact that no former Orange player has been taken that early since future Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney went to the Indianapolis Colts in 2002 as the 11th overall pick tells you all you need to know where the talent level has come and gone in that ten year, three head coach span.
Sexy, state-of-the-art facilities bring in better recruits. Better talent is what wins games, and it’s the direction Doug Marrone has been heading slowly but surely in each of his four recruiting classes, increasing the talent base each year.
As a rare, rebuilding lacrosse season winds down with the Orange likely needing to win the inaugural Big East Lacrosse Championship May 3-5 at Villanova to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, we go back to last Sept. 1.
Now, after deciding that the best way to totally concentrate on getting the team’s foundation back on a winning track this spring is by essentially going into a bunker mentality mode, the fourth year boss wants minimal distractions and interaction with the media and fans.
With a little scheduling luck (and certainly some skill), the ‘Cuse could be playing in both their final Big East Tournament, and final NCAA Tournament as a Big East original, in Madison Square Garden.