2021 All-Black NCAA Lacrosse Team
It is a milestone year for college lacrosse in 2021 — in many ways. New face-off rules, a volume of transfers and grad/5th years that rivals any professional league’s free agency, and of course the ever-present impact of COVID-19.
But here is one I’ll bet you didn’t know. For the first time in the modern era of NCAA D1 Men’s Lacrosse, There AS MANY African American players as there are programs.
Well almost.
I’ve come up with 72 players across the 73 D1 programs.
And that is WITHOUT including Hampton — the only historically black university with a D1 men’s team.
This is the 3rd year (I skipped 2020 for obvious reasons) that I’ve assembled an All-Black NCAA team for Division 1 men.
As I’ve stated before, I’m not an expert at evaluating lacrosse capability. I’m simply a fan and an African American father of a lacrosse player. My son, now in college, has played in some organized way since the third grade. I’ve grown to love and appreciate the game through supporting him and watching many epic pro and college games over the last 10 years.
There have been great strides towards diversity in the game, particularly in the last 2 years. Awareness and impact efforts from the PLL and MLL last summer were particularly profound.
It’s great to see such great growth at the college level. Below are some interesting stats, but here are a few positive trends from my research:
· 60% of programs have one or more black player (Jacksonville by far occupies the top spot with 6)
· Black players come from 19 states and British Columbia (New York is the clear leader with 16 players from the Empire State)
· 30% of the players occupy positions normally underrepresented by African Americans — attack, keeper, LSM, and face-off
· The list includes not just roster or role players, but potential All-Americans, All-Conference, and Tewaaraton candidates — showing the depth of talent
· Hampton, while shuttered for 2021, has signaled a serious commitment to its program with the hire of Chazz Woodson
But there’s work still to be done:
· 40% of programs have NO black players on the roster, including several top 20 and well-known teams
· Over 30 states have no black players in D1
· Black players still overwhelmingly come through the elite high school and club programs — which can be a long journey for those without the resources
And so, I’ve put together this list in the spirit of showcasing progress and the presence of diversity in the game
Here is my All-Black NCAA team for Division 1 college men.
Join me in celebrating these wonderful athletes!
Some qualifiers about the list:
· The depth of talent dictated a breakout of classifications:
-1st and 2nd Team: elite players or best black players at their position
- Unranked: players who see the field and have playing time of note
- Roster: players who have limited or no playing time, or out on injury
· As noted, I’m no expert — so open to suggestions or revisions
· I didn’t include Hampton mainly since they are quiet this year and resetting with a new coach and new recruits coming
· I did include some established players from the Ivy League, even though the league is also dormant this year
· I tried to be thorough, but apologize if I missed or mischaracterized anyone; no slight was intended
Some stats:
