Kevin Conry says Michigan lacrosse focused on 'best versions' of self ahead of Duke matchup

Michigan lacrosse found itself in the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament and No. 1 Duke on deck. But head coach Kevin Conry isn’t worried.

Well, he’s not worried about the matchup in a different kind of way. Conry wanted his team to focus on itself and put its best version ahead of Saturday’s game. The Wolverines won their first ever NCAA Tournament game coming into this one, and they have no plans of slowing down.

“You know what, it’s not about the matchup, it’s about us,” Conry said on Sirius XM Big Ten Radio. “I think we can sit here and get lost in the recruiting classes that Duke has, the incredible success they’ve had. You know, they’re coached by one of the best to ever do it. We can sit there and we can get lost in it. The reality is, it has nothing to do with Duke. It has everything to do with Michigan (lacrosse), you know? And we’re gonna go out there and we’re gonna have a great practice today. 

“We know we’re gonna dive into some film, we’re gonna go do what we do. And that’s been our main focus. When we get caught up in matchups and things like that, you know, we don’t play our best brand of lacrosse. We need to just be the best versions of ourselves. And when we do that, and put our best foot forward, we’re really tough to beat.”

Michigan knocked off No. 8 Cornell 15-14 in the second round of the tournament. Duke edged Delaware 12-11 in the second round after a first-round bye. It’s been a banner year for Conry and Michigan lacrosse. The team made history coming in to clinch a tournament berth.

After a 6-6 regular season, Michigan had a rematch with Ohio State a week later (April 29) in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. After a 19-14 victory in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes again, this time 14-10.

In the semifinals, Michigan upset Penn State 17-15 and took on juggernaut Maryland in the finals. That’s where the magic happened. The Wolverines completely shutdown the Terrapins. Michigan won 14-5 to capture the first Big Ten title in school history.

Michigan lacrosse is hot right now as the team is winners of five in a row. Can it continue against Duke? It remains to be seen. The Blue Devils are 14-2 going into the matchup with Michigan in the 2023 NCAA Lacrosse Tournament.