Q&A with CBS Sports Network's Matt Danowski
CBS Sports Network analyst and former Duke attackman Matt Danowski knows a thing or two about postseason success, having helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four in his last three years. The four-time All American who was awarded the Tewaaraton Award in 2007 spoke about Maryland’s first-round game at North Carolina, a Denver squad that could make waves, and a potential upset in the first round.
Any surprises leap out to you when the bracket was announced on Sunday night?
I have to say that I was a little surprised that Hofstra got in. I thought they’d be on the bubble a little bit, but 13-2, you really can’t argue with that. I just didn’t think they had the wins to get in.
So in your opinion, which team had a better resume than Hofstra?
I think there were a lot of teams that were hovering around and had the same thing going on in terms of wins. Hofstra may have had the most wins and 13-2 is tough to argue with, but there were a couple teams on the bubble there, and it just didn’t seem that they could separate themselves.
Should Maryland feel slighted about the NCAA selection committee sending the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference tournament champion on the road for a first-round contest at North Carolina?
The thing is, when Maryland got their win against UNC, it was in the ACC semifinals, and a lot of people don’t believe that the ACC should even have a tournament and that it shouldn’t count. So you’ve kind of got to look at it from both angles. When Maryland lost to Colgate, I don’t think that helped their case at all. If Maryland had taken care of Colgate, they probably would have had a home game. So I don’t think they have a right to gripe.
Which first-round game is the most intriguing?
I think UNC-Maryland for obvious reasons. Johns Hopkins-Hofstra is very intriguing to me because Coach [Seth] Tierney knows Johns Hopkins very well. There’s a potential for that game to be really tight.
Which team heads into the tournament with the most concerns?
I think Virginia has some question marks. Losing the two Bratton brothers, I don’t know if it’s addition by subtraction. I don’t know how that team is reacting to it, but they lost two very good players that could help on both sides of the field. So losing them, I can’t say, helps them talent-wise. Hofstra is backing in after the loss to Delaware in first round of the CAA [Colonial Athletic Association tournament semifinal]. You never want to go in with a loss, and the same applies to Notre Dame. They have two losses going into the first round of the playoffs.
Is there a team in the field that’s flying under the radar?
I don’t think you can say that Denver is under the radar, but I don’t think they get as much press and coverage as the East Coast teams do. But that’s a team that’s very capable of turning it on and getting anybody. If they do stick around to face Hopkins, that’s a tough draw because Denver has a couple of players on attack who can put the ball in the net, and they’ve got a good faceoff guy. So they could get hot at the right time.
Is there an upset brewing in the first round?
I don’t think Bucknell will upset Virginia. I just don’t think they have the athletes although Virginia has shown the ability to let its guard down in the first round the last couple of years. I guess you can call Maryland’s win an upset over UNC, but I can see that happening. Maryland’s a very senior-laden team against a very young UNC team in the first round and that is coming off of a huge win against Notre Dame. And then I guess Penn-Notre Dame. Notre Dame is slipping a little bit. Two losses and although Penn hasn’t played great lacrosse over the past month, they’ve shown the ability to beat realy good teams. So those games stand out to me.
Which of the seeded teams has the easiest path to the Final Four? The toughest?
I think Cornell has the easiest road to the Final Four. They get to play Hartford and then they get to beat a Virginia team that has lost two of their better players. So I can see them getting to the Final Four pretty easily. I think one of the tougher ones would have to be that Foxborough bracket whether it’s either Duke or Syracuse. Duke may have to play Notre Dame in the quarterfinals, and Syracuse has to play an ACC team in the quarterfinals.
Comments
Syracuse has a great team, an unusually complete team. Keogh, Marasco, Palasek, Thompson, Amidon, Miller, and Desko score easily.
Galloway sees the ball well and guides a great defense.
Guadagnolo, Hamlin, Lade, and Megill are the best at defense.
White is agroundball machine.
Jeremy Thompson wins the Teraraton.
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Ed: A few good points, but there's no way Thompson can win the Tewaaraton as he is not one of the 25 candidates still eligible to win the award.
Posted by: rh | May 12, 2011 8:35 AM
FEAR THE TURTLE!!! An opinion of a pukie? worthless. Robbed by the NCAA . . . why were we seeded lower than uva? unc? duke? we beat all three of them. duke as a #5 seed is ridiculous. they lost at home to maryland . . . the blown lead against hopkins was very costly in the end. the down years of navy and g'town were hurtful to our strength of schedule.
Posted by: terpcentral | May 12, 2011 10:10 AM
Who should've made it in lieu of a 13-2 Hofstra? Colgate? Harvard? UMASS? Sorry, lost head-to-head to Hofstra. Not much insight from this fellow.
Posted by: 8th year Duke Senior | May 12, 2011 1:15 PM
Hopkins has the easiest path...people can cite Hofstra and Denver as under the radar, but if you can't beat those teams you just don't deserve to make the Final 4. UVA has the talent (even sans Brattons) to beat anyone.
Posted by: Dave G | May 12, 2011 5:57 PM
Nice truism. If you don't beat the teams in your way to the Final Four, you don't deserve to make the Final Four.
Oh yeah and you won't make it either if you don't beat those teams.
Thanks for the wisdom.
Posted by: Steve | May 13, 2011 12:08 PM