NEW YORK – Fresh off winning its sixth consecutive BIG EAST Championship title, Georgetown was picked first in the 2025 BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Providence attacking midfielder Ryan Bell was named BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Denver defender Jimmy Freehill was chosen as the BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Georgetown, the coaches’ unanimous preseason favorite, received five first-place votes and 25 points. With 20 points, Denver was selected second in the poll. Georgetown capped the 2024 campaign 13-4 (4-1 BIG EAST), coming up short in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 1 seed Notre Dame, 16-11. Denver finished 13-4 (5-0 BE) a season ago, reaching the national semifinal. The Pioneers topped Michigan and Syracuse before coming up short against Notre Dame, 13-6. The Pioneers enter the 2025 season ranked No. 10 in the USA Lacrosse Preseason Poll, while the Hoyas enter the year ranked No. 14.
Receiving votes in the poll, Villanova and Providence have been projected by the coaches to round out the top four. Villanova was picked to finish third with 16 points, just ahead of Providence with 15. The Wildcats capped the year 9-7 (2-3 BE) and topped Denver to advance to the BIG EAST Title game. The Friars closed out the year 7-8 (3-2 BE).
Rounding out the poll, Marquette and St. John’s tied for fifth with seven points apiece. The Golden Eagles capped 2024 with a 4-10 (0-5 BE) mark, while the Red Storm finished 4-11 (1-4 BE).
Bell, the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, led the BIG EAST in 2024 with 4.60 points per game and 3.20 assists per game across five league games. He was Providence’s first major award winner on the offensive end, after capping the season with 21 goals, 45 assists and 66 points. Bell has put together an exceptional career with the Friars, tallying 51 goals and 119 assists in his first three seasons. He is the Providence College all-time assists leader (119), having passed Matt Pymm '99, who closed his career with 102 assists. Most recently, Bell was named to the USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America Third Team.
Set to once again anchor the Denver back line in his fourth season, Freehill captured 2024 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year accolades and was a unanimous selection on the All-BIG EAST First Team. A 2024 USILA Third Team All-American, Freehill often drew the opponent's top attackmen a year ago while picking up 37 ground balls and forcing 22 turnovers. Freehill led a Denver defense that finished the regular season fourth in the country in goals against average at 9.41 goals allowed per game. On Wednesday, Freehill was named to the 2025 USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America First Team.
Along with the preseason coaches’ poll and awards, the BIG EAST also released the coaches’ picks for the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their players.
Bell and Freehill were unanimously selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Additionally, Denver’s Casey Wilson (short-stick defensive midfielder); Georgetown’s Ty Banks (defender), Aidan Carroll (attacker) and Anderson Moore (goalkeeper); Providence’s Richie Joseph (attacker); and Villanova’s Matt Licata (attacker) were also unanimous.
The full list of the preseason All-BIG EAST team is listed below.
BIG EAST Preseason Men’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Poll
First-place votes in ( )
1. Georgetown (5) 25 pts.
2. Denver (1) 20
3. Villanova 16
4. Providence 15
5. Marquette 7
5. St. John's 7
BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Ryan Bell, Providence, Sr., M
BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Jimmy Freehill, Denver, Sr., D ^
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team *
Jimmy Freehill, Denver, Sr., D ^
Mic Kelly, Denver, Sr., M
Malcolm Kleban, Denver, R-Sr., GK
Casey Wilson, Denver, Sr., SSDM ^
James Ball, Georgetown, Gr., FOS
Ty Banks, Georgetown, So, D^
Aidan Carroll, Georgetown, Gr., A^
Anderson Moore, Georgetown, So., GK ^
Patrick Crogan, Georgetown, Jr., M
Bobby O’Grady, Marquette, Sr., A
Ryan Bell, Providence, Sr., M ^
Richie Joseph, Providence, Jr., A ^
Brian Kelly, St. John’s, Sr., A
Bobby Seel, St. John’s, Sr., M
Matt Licata, Villanova, Gr., A ^
Jack Shoemaker, Villanova, Jr., D
^denotes unanimous selection
*due to a tie, 16 players are on the All-BIG EAST Team