It is time for someone who actually knows something about lacrosse to break down the final 4.

1. HOPKINS. By far, the least talented of the the Final 4 teams, but they played with the most heart. They squeeked by the entire year winning one-goal games, and it finally caught up with them against Princeton.....but this was a young, well coached team that is going to make a lot of noise the next few years. You have to love Petro......the guy has such passion for the Jays.....he loves that school and it rubs off on his team. Mark it down.....they will be in the final next year. On a side note - Benson on the World team? That is a little embarrasing. I'm not even sure he was on the field on saturday.

2. UVA. I love Dom Starsia. He is a great guy. He is a great recruitor. But he is the worst coach in DI lacrosse. What was UVA doing out there? Was there any gameplan at all going into the semifinal or did they spend the entire week partying in Charlottesville? You have Conor Gill - the top assist guy in the country - your only senior on the offensive side of the field - a guy coming off a 10-point day the week before.......and he hardly touches the ball the entire game? Horrible. He should have had the ball the entire 4th qtr. Christmas is a sick dodger......no one can keep up with him. But in the 4th qtr of the semifinals, you have to pull in the reigns a little bit and play smart. He lost the ball at least 5 times in te 4th qtr when they really needed to possess. Bottom line - there is no way they should have lost that game. Syracuse brought the "B" game and still pulled it out. Johnson played great......they should be tough next year.

PRINCETON. Another gutsy effort from the best coached team in college lacrosse. They blew out the Jays early and held on for the win. And they scared the crap out of Syracuse and had a number of great chances to put the Final into overtime where you know they don't lose. For all of those people who are still out there crying that Princeton slows it down and plays boring lacrosse - wake up. This team ran up and down all day with 'Cuse and had more than their share of sick offensive plays. The Tigers have gotten to the point where their athletes are just as good as anyone else's in college lacrosse year after year. Don't trash them for playing smart......it puts them in the championship game year after year after year. Princeton is the team UVA wishes they could be.

Oh....and by the way.....the Tigers have everyone back next year. Pton-Hop in the 2003 final. Put it in the books.

4. SYRACUSE. What can you say about these guys? They come to play every game. They put sick talent on the field every year. And they are just a lock to get to the Final 4. Whether you love them or you hate them, you have to respect the product Syracuse brings to the table year in and year out. What I find most impressive about Syracuse under Desko, is that they play so much smarter than they used to. If a mid '90s Syracuse team had played Princeton yesterday the Tigers would have come out on top. But Syracuse has cut back on the errors, particularly when they play the Tigers, and it has made them that much tougher to beat. Powell is just ridiculous out there. What an amazing player. And to a man, Syracuse players are the best shooters I have ever seen. Every time they get an open shot they stick it in a corner......hard.

These guys lose a ton next year. It will be intersting to see if they can reload and get back to the Final 4. I wouldn't bet against them.