We’re keeping close tabs on Syracuse basketball versus Florida State, scheduled for Jan. 6.
At this juncture in the 2020-21 campaign, Syracuse basketball is 6-1 and has played one Atlantic Coast Conference affair, a romp of Boston College on the road last month.
How many more ACC clashes the Orange will get to participate in amid the novel coronavirus pandemic is something we’ll have to monitor on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
Due to Covid-19 protocols, the ‘Cuse saw conference collisions against Notre Dame, Wake Forest and North Carolina postponed. The next ACC battle scheduled for Syracuse basketball is at home against Florida State this coming Wednesday.
However, whether that contest comes to fruition is, unfortunately, at least somewhat up in the air. The ACC announced via a press release on late Friday night that Duke at FSU, a league duel slated for Jan. 2, is postponed following “a positive test, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing with the Florida State men’s basketball program.”
Hopefully, Syracuse basketball will get to host the Seminoles this Wednesday.
It’s probably a bit too early to know whether the ‘Cuse will have the ability to compete versus FSU in a few days on the Hill. I traded e-mails with a Syracuse basketball spokesman on Saturday morning regarding the Seminoles encounter, and he said that, as of now, “there has been no change in the status of the Syracuse-Florida State game.”
The spokesman added, “Conference schedule changes come primarily from the ACC Office.”
The Orange has had to pause its basketball-related activities twice since mid-November, including recently because of a positive Covid-19 test within the Buffalo program. The ‘Cuse squeaked by the Bulls in overtime from the Carrier Dome on Dec. 19.
That more recent pause led to the postponement of three Syracuse basketball games against ACC foes, but the Orange has aimed to restart competition versus Florida State.
I haven’t received any word from the ‘Cuse program about the squad resuming full official team practices, although this report from Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com says that players are able to work out with their positional coaches.
How the pandemic is impacting college basketball changes all the time, and the situation is certainly quite fluid. I’m hopeful that the Orange will still get to suit up for a sizable number of its scheduled ACC bouts, however, we’ll have to wait and see how everything pans out.
Of course, the utmost priority is that everyone associated with the sport stays healthy and safe.