Syracuse basketball record in ACC-Big Ten event mirrors its league woes

Syracuse basketball is under .500 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

It’s no secret that Syracuse basketball has struggled in Atlantic Coast Conference competition since joining this league from the old Big East Conference starting with the 2013-14 campaign.

Yes, the Orange finished 14-4 in ACC play in that first season, good for second place in the conference. Yes, the ‘Cuse has made multiple NCAA Tournaments since relocating to the ACC, including a Final Four in 2016 and a Sweet 16 in 2018 (as a No. 10 and a No. 11 seed, respectively).

However, save for 2013-14, Syracuse basketball by and large is a roughly .500 squad in ACC games between that term and last year. The Orange, by the way, opens its conference bouts on the road this coming Saturday afternoon at Boston College.

Following its 79-69 loss at No. 21 Rutgers on Tuesday evening, Syracuse basketball (3-1) fell further below the .500 mark in ACC-Big Ten Challenge clashes dating back to 2013-14. As it presently stands, the ‘Cuse is now 3-5 all-time in this annual event.

To me, that relatively sub-par record in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge is par for the course, given that Syracuse basketball has struggled through numerous regular seasons in a row over the past seven stanzas, prior to 2020-21 commencing.

Syracuse basketball has had a rough go in league competition and the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

The Orange got things off on the right foot in its initial ACC-Big Ten Challenge, besting Indiana in 2013. That outcome came after the ‘Cuse stunned the top-seeded Hoosiers in the previous spring’s Big Dance, in a Sweet 16 match-up where Syracuse basketball clamped down on Indiana in the 2-3 zone.

The Orange would ultimately make it to the 2013 Final Four, where it fell in heart-breaking fashion to Michigan. Speak of the Wolverines, Michigan squeaked by the ‘Cuse in the 2014 ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

In the next two challenges, Syracuse basketball would suffer defeats at the hands of Wisconsin, in overtime during 2015 and in a blow-out in 2016.

However, the Orange would get back on track in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in both 2017 and 2018, knocking off Maryland by two points and then upsetting a ranked Ohio State crew on the road.

The good times, though, have turned unfortunate, as the ‘Cuse is stuck in a two-game skid, getting beaten by Iowa in 2019 and, most recently, by the Scarlet Knights.

Let’s cross our fingers that better performances are in store down the road, as it pertains to the ACC-Big Ten Challenge as well as conference duels for Syracuse basketball.