Syracuse Basketball: Top 8 Jim Boeheim coaching jobs in history

2012-13

Syracuse’s final year in the Big East proved one of its most memorable. Experts pegged this team as one of the top-10 schools in the country before the season commenced, given the prior term’s outcome and the fact that SU’s roster, despite seeing some key parts go, continued to ooze with talent.

The Orange tied for fourth in the regular campaign, and I despise mentioning a 61-39 drubbing at the hands of Georgetown in Washington, D.C. – the last regular-season Big East encounter for the ‘Cuse.

Thankfully, we exacted revenge on the hated Hoyas in the conference tourney, and our run to the title game, where we lost to Louisville, propelled Syracuse to the No. 4 seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament.

During the Big Dance, SU’s 2-3 zone absolutely demolished its initial opponents, as the Orange upset No. 1 seed Indiana in the Sweet 16 and absolutely crushed No. 3 seed Marquette in the Elite Eight. I attended the contest versus the Golden Eagles, held in our nation’s capital. As the game winded down, and it became clear that my alma mater would reach its first Final Four since 2003, I’ve honestly never screamed so loud, save for when we won it all 10 years earlier. At the national semi-finals in Atlanta, where I also watched in person, Syracuse would get defeated in a close five-point affair by fellow No. 4 seed Michigan. I’d like to add that the charge call on Brandon Triche near the end was absolute, utter non-sense. I felt so bummed, yet quite proud, of what SU did in this NCAA tourney, and it closed this stanza at 30-10.