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Syracuse Basketball: Top takeaways from the Orange’s ACC line-up

By Neil Adler

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 21: Elijah Hughes #33 of the Syracuse Orange reacts after getting hit in the face by Freddie Gillespie (not pictured) #33 of the Baylor Bears during the second half in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 21: Elijah Hughes #33 of the Syracuse Orange reacts after getting hit in the face by Freddie Gillespie (not pictured) #33 of the Baylor Bears during the second half in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The Syracuse basketball squad will tackle an Atlantic Coast Conference schedule filled with intriguing match-ups and storylines.

The 2019-20 campaign is inching closer for the Syracuse basketball program, and the Orange’s full calendar is now complete, following the recent release of the entire Atlantic Coast Conference docket.

This should prove an interesting stanza for the ‘Cuse, which will possess more depth and offensive weapons, while simultaneously putting forth a roster that is relatively young and includes five freshmen.

Expectations are tempered, Syracuse won’t likely begin this upcoming term as a top-25 crew, and many pundits are projecting that the Orange will sit on the Big Dance bubble throughout 2019-20.

Since the ACC contests have gotten unveiled, it seems appropriate to delve into some of the key takeaways and topics for the ‘Cuse.

First and foremost, the league has expanded its schedule from 18 to 20 affairs, and that means Syracuse will suit up earlier than usual for a pair of ACC encounters. The Orange will kick off the season on Wednesday, Nov. 6, inside the Carrier Dome versus the defending national champions, Virginia.

The Cavaliers lost a bunch of top-flight talent to this past June’s NBA Draft, however, UVA will continue to remain in the upper echelon of the conference. If the ‘Cuse could muster an upset of the Cavaliers, it would set an extremely positive tone for 2019-20. Syracuse also travels to Georgia Tech, which is always a challenging road foe, on Sunday, Dec. 8.

The Orange will square off twice against six of its ACC counterparts, and they are Boston College, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech, as well as previously mentioned Virginia and the Yellow Jackets.

My initial reaction here is that this is a fairly favorable draw for the ‘Cuse. The Panthers are trending upwards, and the Cavaliers are daunting. The Eagles, GT and the Hokies are certainly winnable occasions. The Fighting Irish, to me, is a wildcard. ND did not fare well in 2018-19, but there are prognosticators out there who believe the Fighting Irish will contend for a March Madness berth.

By extension, Syracuse will battle conference heavyweights Duke, Louisville and North Carolina just once each. The Blue Devils and the Tar Heels will head to the Hill, although the Orange will make a trip to the Cardinals. If the ‘Cuse can somehow emerge victorious in at least one of these slugfests, that will significantly bolster its NCAA Tournament resume. Both the Duke and UNC home games are on Saturdays in February, so massive crowds are anticipated.

While Syracuse has a juicy opportunity to notch a handful of successes at the onset of its ACC line-up, prepare yourself for a bit of a brutal stretch in February, as the Orange goes toe to toe with the Blue Devils, the Tar Heels and Louisville, as well as Florida State and N.C. State. This is important to note, because the Seminoles and the Wolfpack are forecast by numerous bracketologists to reach the Big Dance.

The ‘Cuse will witness an abundance of its bouts airing on various television networks, but the fantastic Mike Waters of Syracuse.com pointed out in an article that the Orange doesn’t have any Big Monday match-ups on ESPN in 2019-20. Hmmm. I recall a pretty awesome overtime conquest by the ‘Cuse at No. 1 Duke on Big Monday last year. Oh well.

Syracuse could enter the ACC Tournament on a small slide, due to the Orange’s final two regular-season contests, versus Boston College and Miami, coming away from Central New York.

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Here’s the total league calendar for the ‘Cuse, via Syracuse.com:

"Wednesday, Nov. 6 vs. Virginia (9 p.m.)Sunday, Dec. 8 at Georgia Tech (Noon)Saturday, Jan. 4 vs. Notre Dame (4 p.m.)Tuesday, Jan. 7 vs. Virginia Tech (9 p.m.)Saturday, Jan. 11 at Virginia (4 p.m.)Wednesday, Jan. 15 vs. Boston College (6:30 p.m.)Saturday, Jan. 18 at Virginia Tech (Noon)Wednesday, Jan. 22 at Notre Dame (7 p.m.)Saturday, Jan. 25 vs. Pittsburgh (Noon)Tuesday, Jan. 28 at Clemson (7 p.m.)Saturday, Feb. 1 vs. Duke (4/6/8 p.m.)Saturday, Feb. 8 vs. Wake Forest (8 p.m.)Tuesday, Feb. 11 vs. N.C. State (7 p.m.)Saturday, Feb. 15 at Florida State (Noon)Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Louisville (7 p.m.)Saturday, Feb. 22 vs. Georgia Tech (4 p.m.)Wednesday, Feb. 26 at Pittsburgh (7 p.m.)Saturday, Feb. 29 vs. North Carolina (4/6/8 p.m.)Tuesday, March 3 at Boston College (7 p.m.)Saturday, March 7 at Miami (2/4 p.m.)"

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