The Syracuse basketball squad got knocked out of the Big Dance way too early, bringing to a conclusion a season that some say proved disappointing.
Now that I’ve had a few days to reflect, it’s appropriate to assess how the Syracuse basketball team performed during the 2018-19 stanza. It’s an interesting topic to tackle because there are multiple layers to peel back over what transpired to the ‘Cuse in this term.
SU possessed a lot of lofty expectations entering this year. Even head coach Jim Boeheim described his roster as perhaps the best that he’s had since 2013-14 when the Orange raced out to a 25-0 mark and attained a No. 1 ranking across the country before it struggled down the stretch and got bounced in the March Madness round of 32. Boeheim rarely sugarcoats things, although I think we can all agree that the 2018-19 crew came nowhere close to that 2013-14 group.
Still, the excitement among Syracuse coaches, players, fans and the media alike regarding this campaign’s prospects certainly made sense. The ‘Cuse returned all five starters from 2017-18, when SU went on a fantastic and surprising run to the Sweet 16, upsetting TCU and Michigan State in its journey. Sharp-shooting wing Elijah Hughes could suit up after sitting out a year following his transfer from East Carolina. The Orange owned a solid three-member recruiting class, led by speedy point guard Jalen Carey and 3-point specialist Buddy Boeheim.
Given all of these components, Syracuse found itself rated in every pre-season poll imaginable, and an invitation to the NCAA Tournament seemed inevitable, without ‘Cuse Nation having to sweat out Selection Sunday. Then, prior to the stanza commencing, we got news that senior point guard Frank Howard had an injury and would miss a handful of duels. Not good.
In the non-conference slate, SU put forth a mixed bag, in my humble opinion. The Orange defeated Ohio State on the road and former Big East Conference rival Georgetown at the Carrier Dome, but it also suffered four setbacks, including to Buffalo and Old Dominion on the Hill. As for Atlantic Coast Conference competition, Syracuse attained 10 victories, which is nice, but save for the triumph at No. 1 Duke, and home conquests of Clemson and Louisville, the ‘Cuse beat up on the league’s bottom tier. A success versus Pittsburgh in the ACC Tournament, thankfully, secured SU’s trip to the Big Dance.
Speaking of that, the Orange earned a No. 8 seed and would square off with No. 9 seed Baylor in the round of 64. However, before that encounter happened, Syracuse announced that Howard would not see the court due to a violation of athletic department policy. Most unfortunate, it goes without saying. Minus Howard, the ‘Cuse hung tough with the Bears, but Baylor’s ridiculous shooting from beyond the arc ultimately resulted in a nine-point achievement for the Bears.
SU may have gotten past Baylor, with a chance to then tilt against the West Region’s No. 1 seed, Gonzaga, if Howard could have played, but who knows at this juncture. With the loss, 2018-19 arrived at an end for the Orange, and its streak of eight-consecutive opening-round wins in the NCAA tourney got snapped.
From my perspective, it’s tricky to characterize how Syracuse fared this term. A lot of folks on social media have proclaimed the ‘Cuse a bitter disappointment. I think that’s taking it a tad overboard. SU did disappoint, to a degree, but I believe the initial expectations proved unfairly high.
I would more aptly detail the Orange in 2018-19 as frustrating. I didn’t witness a vast improvement in the returning guys. In some cases, I observed regression, in fact. A relatively stagnant offense, inconsistent shooting, and poor rebounding irritated me. A decent defense, buoyed by lots of blocks and steals, elated me.
The fatal accident involving Jim Boeheim is tragic. Junior guard Tyus Battle reportedly declaring for the NBA Draft is sad. Holding half-time edges versus top-five units Virginia, North Carolina and the Blue Devils, only to collapse after intermission, stings. Howard not commanding the troops in March Madness is a total bummer. Yet Syracuse accomplished several feats. It prevailed on foes’ turf, squeaked by Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, advanced in the conference tournament, and reached the Big Dance. Not an overly amazing season by any means, but not terrible, either.
With the promising recruiting class that lands in Central New York this fall, the 2019-20 campaign could entail positive developments. Annoyingly, it just feels like an eternity from the present.