Syracuse Basketball: Love my Orange, but reality is this team isn’t good

Syracuse basketball has only played 11 games in the 2020-21 campaign, so making any grand, wide-ranging proclamations at this juncture is probably a tad premature.

However, based on what’s transpired for the Orange over the past few games, it’s safe to say that the ‘Cuse is a team that presently faces an abundance of challenges.

My passion for Syracuse basketball, no matter its record, will always remain at a high level, yet if I’m assessing things honestly right now, the Orange (7-4) is a pretty mediocre team.

The ‘Cuse, assuming it doesn’t have future game postponements amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, will have a bunch of opportunities to notch marquee victories in Atlantic Coast Conference competition.

Syracuse basketball, though, better turn things around – and fast – if it wants to salvage the 2020-21 term. That starts with a home date this Tuesday evening against Miami, which by the way has dealt with a lot of injuries to its roster, but the Hurricanes still managed to upset nationally ranked Louisville over the weekend.

The ACC is so topsy-turvy this season! And this tells me that the Orange, if it can regain some of its mojo, has the potential to still put forth a respectable 2020-21 stanza.

Syracuse basketball, in reality, is a sub-par squad for the time being.

So many ‘Cuse fans, understandably frustrated, are in essence calling for head coach Jim Boeheim to get shown the door. I respect my fellow fans’ opinions, although I do think that’s taking things a step too far.

Boeheim has amassed more than 1,000 career conquests, he’s captured a national title and he’s advanced to five Final Fours, among other accomplishments in his more than four decades at the helm on the Hill.

Conversely, since the Orange bolted the Big East Conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013-14, Syracuse basketball has stumbled through a bunch of blah regular seasons, even though the team managed nice March Madness runs in 2016 and 2018.

The fact of the matter is that the ‘Cuse is a historically great program that’s mightily struggling these days. The NCAA sanctions of a few years back certainly stung for a while, but here we are today, and the Orange is looking fairly average.

The center position is a huge problem and has gotten well-documented by Boeheim. The ‘Cuse head coach has said that his team needs to make some 3-point shots to win, and the Orange is dreadful from beyond the arc of late.

The guards are struggling, while the forwards are playing well, with a bit more of an emphasis by Syracuse basketball to get into the lane. That’s at least a slightly encouraging sign.

What frustrated me in the Orange’s 20-point road loss against Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon isn’t that the ‘Cuse got crushed. Teams are allowed to have poor performances.

It’s not how much Syracuse fell by, it’s how the Orange lost. Giving up 64 points in the second half is atrocious. Not rebounding. Not running back on defense. Hoisting up contested 3-point attempts without running any real offensive sets.

Heck, the Panthers’ best player, sophomore forward Justin Champagnie, hadn’t suited up for Pitt in a while due to an injury. He returned versus Syracuse basketball and absolutely torched the Orange.

Kudos to Champagnie, but for the ‘Cuse to allow him to generate 24 points and 16 rebounds after missing several weeks is a testament to how bad the Orange defense was against Pitt.

Through games on Jan. 16, Syracuse basketball has an NCAA NET ranking of No. 61. Its kenpom.com rating is No. 51. And on the Bracket Matrix Web site, the ‘Cuse is on the proverbial bubble, with the bevy of pundits putting the Orange just on the outside looking in as it pertains to the field of 68.

Those are not super awesome data points as it relates to possibly securing a March Madness invite. Then again, if Syracuse basketball doesn’t get its act together, a berth in the 2021 NCAA Tournament is likely out of the equation anyway.