Parity is the popular word in college lacrosse these days. Early recruiting seems to be a factor.

From an IL article 3/11/16:

"Simultaneously the recruiting timetable has shifted. Virginia, Hopkins, Maryland and North Carolina are the most aggressive early recruiters. Their coaches evaluate eighth and ninth graders, and have been offering to freshmen and sophomores. The strategy is unproven. It's equal to investing in start-ups instead of Fortune 500 companies."

"You know a lot more about a kid who commits before his senior year than a kid who commits before his sophomore year," Flanagan said. "Coaches loaded up on sophomore commits and missed on the kids who were slower to develop."