Billy Dwan Discusses Syracuse Commitment

Syracuse lacrosse continued its hot streak on the recruiting trail by adding 2022 defender Billy Dwan.

Lacrosse is in Billy Dwan's blood, and now he joins perhaps the top historical program in the sport. The class of 2022 defender committed to Syracuse Friday night over North Carolina, Duke, Loyola and Maryland, among others. Dwan is the son of Bill Dwan, who coached at Syracuse rival Johns Hopkins for 20 seasons. His uncle, Matt Dwan, remains an assistant at Loyola. 

Despite family ties to those two programs, Dwan elected to play for John Desko at Syracuse. 

"I chose Syracuse because it's a great school, great lacrosse and the tradition they have," Dwan said. "Now is the right time because I took my time, I wanted to make the right decision and I think it's the best for me."

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Dwan is a five star defender according to Inside Lacrosse. The number one overall player in the 2022 recruiting cycle is Joey Spallina (highlights in the video above), who committed to Syracuse recently as well. Spallina and Dwan are friends, and that played a role in Dwan's decision.

"We got much closer over the summer because we played a lot together," Dwan said. "We're both New York Islanders fans and New York Giants fans, so we talk a lot about that. I've been talking to him some throughout this process too. He was definitely texting me and he called me a couple times. I think it helped some. He was definitely texting me and trying to recruit me to go there."

With several elite recruits committed to Syracuse for the 2022 class, expectations will be high. That is something Dwan embraces. 

"Like everybody would say, but I would say win a national championship," Dwan said. "Make a run for it."

Dwan said he spoke most often with John Desko and assistant Lelan Rogers. 

"I liked (coach Rogers) a lot," Dwan said. "He was definitely influential. We were relatable on a lot of topics. So we talked a lot about that. Coach Desko was very relatable. I felt very comfortable around him. I think he helped a lot with me making my decision."

Dwan is the 12th player in Syracuse's 2022 class overall and third defenseman.