Are We Seeing The (Steady) Decline Of Syracuse Basketball?

Speaking of recruiting, the NCAA sanctions are real, and they’ve hurt, despite what some national media have proclaimed, especially in light of last season’s Final Four finish.

SU is losing two scholarships annually for a four-year period. That’s significant, as it has forced Boeheim and his staff to act more prudent in their recruiting efforts. Furthermore, ‘Cuse feels a larger impact when players leave early or transfer.

The NCAA also diminished how many coaches Syracuse may have out on the road for recruiting purposes, from four to two.

Mike Waters, an excellent journalist with Syracuse.com, reported this in a Dec. 23 analysis:

"“The off-campus recruiting penalty prevents Syracuse from assigning its coaches to see different recruits at different high school or AAU events, especially during the summer recruiting season. Sometimes, a school will send every member of its staff to one game to impress a key recruit. For the past two years, Syracuse hasn’t been able to match those numbers.”"

This could also make it more challenging for the SU coaches to evaluate younger recruits, Waters also noted.

"“Some of the highest-rated recruits that have come to Syracuse in the past decade committed early, before they blossomed into McDonald’s All-American-quality recruits. The list includes the likes of Jonny Flynn, Dion Waiters and Michael Carter-Williams. The recruiting restriction penalty ends on May 31, 2017.”"

Of course, other programs have gotten punished by the NCAA, and I’m interested to see what shakes out at Louisville and North Carolina. Regardless, I’m wondering if the sanctions levied to SU, as well as the Bernie Fine fiasco, have stained the Orange’s national brand.

Maybe, maybe not. Syracuse and Boeheim have gotten slapped on the proverbial wrist in the past, and they managed to survive, and then thrive again.