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A is for awesome — 2013 projects to be a riveting season because so many of the teams in the Top 10 are better this spring than a year ago. Loyola, Maryland, Notre Dame, Duke, Hopkins, Denver, Cornell and North Carolina all appear to be stronger. Nationwide, the 2013 senior class is stellar. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

The Division I men's college lacrosse season seems to start earlier and earlier every year, and this time that's a bonus, because 2013 might be the most anticipated campaign in the history of the sport. A slew of rules changes, including the introduction of a shot clock, and the return of decorated Cornell attackman Rob Pannell are among the major storylines. After a change-laden offseason, here's an A-to-Z primer to get you up to speed: —Quint Kessenich, For The Baltimore Sun