Syracuse Basketball: Ranking best, worst moments in March Madness
By Neil Adler
The mid-decade dip
A captivating bracket is revealed in 2004, as my alma mater and the defending national champs, the No. 5 seed Orange, square off with the 2002 NCAA tourney winner, my hometown Maryland Terrapins, a No. 4 seed, in the round of 32.
I definitely feel torn in this encounter, since my Mom is an alum of the Terps and I grew up about 20 minutes from College Park, but the ‘Cuse squeaks past UMD. I have high hopes that Syracuse could gain entry to the Elite Eight, or beyond, but the Orange falls in the Sweet 16 to No. 8 seed Alabama.
The start of four awful campaigns in a row resides in 2005. The No. 4 seed ‘Cuse is upset in the round of 64 by No. 13 seed Vermont, in overtime. Yuck. Thankfully, Syracuse will spank the Catamounts five years later.
Another first-round dismissal in 2006, and it’s a crappy mini-trend. Texas A&M, a No. 12 seed, knocks off the fifth-seeded Orange.
In 2007, the ‘Cuse has the dubious distinction as the first Big East Conference member to capture 10 league meetings and not secure an invite to March Madness. Whatever.
A second-consecutive NIT appearance lands in Syracuse’s lap in 2008. Whatever, again.
The euphoria of claiming the ultimate prize, unquestionably, will never vanish, but its glamor is fading a tad for me at this juncture. Don’t get me wrong, I always bleed Orange, through and through.
Plus, to get to a regional semi-final the term that follows the 2003 trophy is absolutely commendable. However, the ‘Cuse then coughs up a pair of opening-round bouts as the convincingly better seed and is relegated to two-straight NIT showings.
A quartet of misery. I’m unequivocally bummed. My confidence in Syracuse is waning. I fear that Boeheim, and his program, are slipping.
Boy oh boy, am I clueless. My friends, we’re entering perhaps the finest stretch in the Orange’s history over the next several stints.