‘The pressure is off’ as UNC looks to defend title NCAA.com
CHAMPS
PRESENTED BY It's 7:45 a.m. on a Monday. While most college students are still snuggled in their beds or are trudging to their 8 a.m. class, North Carolina's defending national champion lacrosse team already is watching film and discussing how to improve. By 8:15, cleats are hitting the field putting words into action. Last year at this time was a whole different story. The Tar Heels were struggling with massive player losses. Eleven seniors had graduated from a team that had suffered a rough loss to Maryland in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals the year before. RANKINGS: Head coach Joe Breschi, who has more than 175 career wins and was the 2016 USILA Coach of the Year, said even though his team lost six seniors, the 2017 team still boasts a large number of standout leaders and young players that show a lot of promise. That has the lacrosse faithful around Chapel Hill thinking big. Again. “We have been to the top and know what it feels like to win," “Now, [the players] can play free and fast without being paralyzed by pressure,” he said. His players will still play with the same intensity and toughness as previous years, Breschi said. But this go-round they can have more fun with it. “The spotlight is on us as the preseason No. 1,” said Breschi. “But, I really want these guys to look deep inside themselves and focus on taking care of their body, taking care of their academics and taking care of each other as a teammate and a brother.” Still, the preseason No. 1 Tar Heels have challenges to face. “I don’t think that is anything we are not used to,” Tagliaferri said. Last year, the team entered the tournament 8-6, which certainly didn’t make UNC look like the team to beat. That changes this year. Tagliaferri noted that, while every team gets up for UNC, he is most looking forward to facing the teams that the Tar Heels lost to last year -- Hofstra, Denver, Maryland and Syracuse -- as well as other big ACC teams and rivals like Duke. “Our schedule is certainly one of the toughest in the country,” said Breschi. “We don’t look past anybody.” 2017 Schedule Date Opponent Location Time (ET) Sat, Feb 04 UMBC Chapel Hill, N.C. 3:00 PM Sat, Feb 11 Furman at Greenville, S.C. 12:00 PM Sat, Feb 18 Lehigh Chapel Hill, N.C. 1:00 PM Sat, Feb 25 Johns Hopkins Chapel Hill, N.C. 1:00 PM Sat, Mar 04 Denver at Denver, Colo. 1:30 PM Sat, Mar 11 Hofstra Chapel Hill, N.C. 2:30 PM Mon, Mar 13 Richmond Chapel Hill, N.C. 7:00 PM Sat, Mar 18 Dartmouth Chapel Hill, N.C. 7:30 PM Sat, Mar 25 Maryland Chapel Hill, N.C. 11:30 AM Sun, Apr 02 Duke * Chapel Hill, N.C. 7:00 PM Sun, Apr 09 Virginia * at Charlottesville, Va. 7:00 PM Sat, Apr 15 Syracuse * Chapel Hill, N.C. 4:00 PM Sat, Apr 22 Notre Dame * at Notre Dame, Ind. 12:00 PM ACC Championship Fri, Apr 28 Semifinal Game #1 Durham, N.C. 6:00 PM Fri, Apr 28 Semifinal Game #2 Durham, N.C. 8:30 PM Sun, Apr 30 Final Durham, N.C. 12:00 PM “We are a family, and we’re an exciting group that plays with a lot of energy,” Pifani said. “I expect a lot out of our group.” Is another shot at the title in the cards for 2017? “We definitely have the guys, the talent and the coaches to get us there," The Tar Heels start their season on their own turf on Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. ET against UMBC, who posted a 4-10 record last year and was tabbed to finish fifth in the America East Conference. Colleges with most players in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
UCLA leads all schools with seven basketball players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Here s what you need to know about the 2022-2023 preseason wrestling rankings
The wrestling season is officially just days away, and the pre-season rankings offer an early preview of which teams could be contending for a national title. Here’s what you need to know about those Top 25 teams. 11 impact juniors in men' s college basketball ranked by Andy Katz
Andy Katz ranks the juniors he predicts will have the biggest impact in DI men's college basketball for the upcoming 2022-23 season.