For the third straight year, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi was wrong about Syracuse. For the second time in three years, the Orange will make him pay.
Being a fan of Syracuse’s basketball program is an exhilarating, tempestuous rollercoaster ride. Following their 19-point loss to the eventual ACC Tournament finalist North Carolina Tar Heels, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports was quick to dismiss the Orange’s chances of making the field of 68.
Even ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, who had been wrong about the Orange making the tournament these past two years, slotted Syracuse as his seventh team out ahead of Selection Sunday. Once again, to the dismay of the highly touted Bracketologist, and College Basketball insiders around the country, the Syracuse Orange are the final team in the field of 68.
Since Syracuse is one of the more hated teams in the country, the Twitter community has already blown up with arguments against the selection committees decision to include the Orange in the field of 68. The Atlantic Coast Conference, to nobody’s surprise, will be sending an NCAA-most nine teams to dance in March Madness.
Many critics around the country were shocked to see the Orange make it over the Louisville Cardinals. However, when you look at the numbers, Jim Boeheim’s squad deserved a spot over David Padgett’s.
The Orange won four of their 11 games against RPI Top 50 teams, and eight of their 17 games against RPI Top 100 teams, while Louisville went 0-11 against RPI Top 50 squads, and won seven of 20 against RPI Top 100 teams.
Two years ago, Syracuse and Michigan State were slotted to play each other in the round of 32 assuming both teams won their first games of the tournament. While Syracuse held their end of the bargain, the No. 2 Spartans were upset by the 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee State in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, 91-80. As a result, Syracuse had a far easier second-round matchup than they were supposed to, and the rest is history.
Two years later, the Spartans and Orange are set to play each other in the round of 32 if both teams make it, but Syracuse’ road to make it there will be far harder this time around.
For the now three-seed Spartans, a simple first-round win over Bucknell is all they’ll need to reach round two. For Syracuse, who made the Big Dance by the skin of their teeth, they’ll need a first-four win over Arizona State, and a win over TCU in the first round of the Big Dance in order to meet the Spartans in round two.
After Taurean Thompson and Geno Thorpe transferred out of the program, and a knee injury in late January ruled freshman point guard Howard Washington out for the season, the Orange had arguably the shallowest bench in the NCAA.
Boeheim’s ability to coach this inexperienced squad into the tournament is something that has and will continue to be extremely overlooked. Syracuse’ freshmen, alongside Frank Howard and Tyus Battle, mastered Boeheim’s illustrious 2-3 zone far quicker than most expected, and as a result, the Orange were able to beat tough opponents in low-scoring games. The latest example being their 55-52 win over the Clemson Tigers in the Carrier Dome on March 3rd.
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When their backs are up against the wall, the Syracuse Orange thrive. Negative media attention ahead of the 2016 NCAA Tournament only fueled the Orange, who would go on to shock the country and make the Final Four. Two years later, the Orange are ready to go on another run.