Syracuse basketball not in Andy Katz top 36, Alan Griffin response perfect

Andy Katz has released his latest pre-season ratings of the top-36 squads, Syracuse basketball is not included and Alan Griffin respectfully disagrees.

With talented junior wing Alan Griffin able to officially compete for Syracuse basketball in the 2020-21 campaign after receive a waiver from the NCAA, that boosts the Orange to a fringe pre-season top-25 team, top-six Atlantic Coast Conference group and anticipated Big Dance participant.

Prognostications about 2020-21 at this juncture are pure speculation, but they’re fun for debate purposes nonetheless. Andy Katz, a long-time college basketball insider who is currently an NCAA.com correspondent, has published his most-recent pre-season Power 36 rankings for the upcoming stanza, and the ‘Cuse didn’t make the cut.

Okay, that’s fine. Some folks are higher on the Orange at this point than others. What did surprise me, though, is that Katz put another 22 squads in his “under consideration” category, and Syracuse basketball isn’t here, either.

There’s no way that the Orange isn’t one of the top-58 teams across the country. Griffin, a native of Ossining, N.Y., who transferred to the Hill from Illinois in the off-season, responded via Twitter to Katz’s article with, “1. Syracuse.” That’s too good!

Syracuse basketball is not in Andy Katz’s top 36, Alan Griffin disagrees, and let’s review other ACC crews that are featured.

Griffin’s former team, Illinois, checks in at No. 4 in Katz’s national ratings. Leading the way among ACC squads on this list is Virginia at No. 7, followed by No. 11 Duke, No. 21 Florida State and No. 26 North Carolina. I found it interesting that Katz only has four ACC teams within his top-36 units.

Those “under consideration” are Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville and N.C. State. From my perspective, this means that Katz views at least eight league groups as superior to Syracuse basketball for the time being.

I don’t agree with that at all, and I respect Katz. He’s one of the best in the business. Without question, Virginia, Duke, Florida State, North Carolina and probably Louisville are ahead of the Orange. But Clemson, Georgia Tech and Louisville, too?

That’s a stretch. Heck, I’ll go with Griffin and slot Syracuse basketball at No. 1 across Division I hoops as well. Sure, maybe that’s going a tad far, but you have to admire Griffin’s confidence.