Syracuse Basketball: What a Year it's Been

What a year for Syracuse basketball. The men won the Battle 4 Atlantis and made the Final Four, while the women went to the ACC Championship game and now the NCAA championship game as well.

Could anyone have predicted the type of success this year would provide for Syracuse basketball? I certainly couldn’t. Although I had high hopes going into the season, there’s absolutely no way I expected both the men’s and women’s team to make a Final Four.

First let’s discuss the men. Talk about a rollercoaster! From the early season 6-0 start and triumph over Texas A&M in the B4A, to the next 11 game rocky stretch where the Orange went 4-7, to winning eight of nine, then dropping five of six, to finally winning four straight in the NCAA tournament, this team had it’s ups and downs.

But at the end of the day, they played their best basketball when it mattered most and on the biggest stage. With all the odds and pretty much every major analyst firmly against them, Syracuse basketball did the unthinkable and made a Final Four.

Not only that, but they did it in style. After two blowout wins, it took epic comebacks, including the monumental 15-point comeback against Virginia with under 10 to play, to make it there. That game is an instant SU classic, and in my near 30 years of watching, one of the best games I’ve ever seen.

This team truly was such a gift to Syracuse basketball fans. They played with grit, determination, emotion, and a never-say-die attitude that was both mesmerizing and awe-inspiring. You couldn’t take your eyes off them, because you truly never knew what would happen next.

Apr 2, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Vice President Joe Biden shakes hands with Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim in the locker room after the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2016 NCAA Men /

The best part of all of this is that they did it in a year where there were zero expectations. They didn’t receive a single vote in the preseason, nor at the end of the regular season. They were an afterthought by most in the dance, yet there they stood, facing the goliath of North Carolina.

And was anyone else almost expecting another epic comeback, even when they were down 16 late in the game? I know I was, especially once Trevor Cooney started to light it up late.

Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be, but it certainly doesn’t tarnish the absolute brilliance this team demonstrated down the stretch.

Now we just have to hope and pray that Malachi Richardson and Tyler Lydon decide to return to school, because if they do, we could have a behemoth of a team next year. Although we lose our seniors in Cooney and Gbinije, we are gaining a lot.

Tyus Battle and Matthew Moyer both won player of the year in their respective states. Paschal Chukwu is a 7′-2″ monster who will anchor the middle defensively the way no one has since he-who-must-not-be-named (Fab Melo, gasp, I said it!). There’s still the possibility SU lands a graduate transfer, and also the possibility of getting Taurean Thompson.

If you weren’t excited for next season, get there quickly, because it could be an outstanding year for the Orange.

Apr 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Huskies forward/center Katie Collier (13) prepares to shoot the ball as Syracuse Orange center Briana Day (50) and forward Taylor Ford (22) defend during the second quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

As for the women, what more can you really say? They have proven to be one of the elite programs in the country and have also proven that Quentin Hillsman is one of the best coaches in all of college basketball. If he doesn’t win coach of the year, it’s an absolute outrage.

Syracuse Basketball: What a Year it’s Been!

By David Stone | Apr 4, 2016

What a year for Syracuse basketball. The men won the Battle 4 Atlantis and made the Final Four, while the women went to the ACC Championship game and now the NCAA championship game as well.