Syracuse Basketball: Yearning for days when Orange was a top-10 team

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim, usually blunt and candid in his assessments, said after the ‘Cuse fell to No. 8 Virginia on Monday evening in Charlottesville, Va., that the Orange is not a top-10 team, and the Cavaliers are. He’s correct.

But remember when Syracuse basketball was a top-10 squad? There are countless examples over the past four-plus decades during Boeheim’s tenure at the helm of the ‘Cuse.

Even more recently, though, Syracuse basketball had what I consider as one of the most prolific stretches in program history from 2009-2014.

This period of time covered the Orange’s last few stanzas in the Big East Conference, as well as the team’s initial term in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Syracuse basketball fans, myself included, are longing for those days. The ‘Cuse went to a Final Four and an Elite Eight. It boasted No. 1 national rankings and No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

If not for some unfortunate circumstances in 2010 and 2012, Boeheim and his boys could realistically have captured a second national title for the school.

Since that golden era, save for the 2013-14 campaign, the Orange has struggled through its regular seasons as a member of the ACC. The ‘Cuse did make the Final Four in 2016 and the Sweet 16 in 2018, however, it has also missed out on March Madness more than once.

Syracuse basketball has proven somewhat sub-par in recent stanzas.

So what’s going on with the Orange? Well, from my perspective, it’s a combination of factors. The NCAA sanctions of a few years back undeniably stung the ‘Cuse from a recruiting standpoint.

Long-time assistant Mike Hopkins left the Hill to serve as the head coach of Pac-12 Conference participant Washington. Syracuse basketball is suiting up in the rugged ACC (not that the Big East was a walk in the park), and the team has seen its recruiting teeter a bit.

Many Orange fans lament the lack of talented big men and true point guards that the ‘Cuse is bringing in. The roster has gotten hurt by some unexpected early departures to the NBA, injuries and transfers. And some Syracuse basketball fanatics say the 2-3 zone defense has to get shown the door.

Another dilemma is expectations. Under Boeheim, the team has never endured a losing season. He has taken the Orange to countless NCAA Tournaments, five Final Fours and two Elite Eights, and the ‘Cuse cut down the nets in 2003.

Like the bevy of fan bases, however, what’s in the past is in the past. It’s human nature. Syracuse basketball, according to a bunch of historical metrics, is a top-10 program all-time in the sport.

Yet for a while now, as a member of the ACC, the Orange hasn’t shined like we’re used to, and that’s frustrating to stomach. There’s a contingent of ‘Cuse fans out there who believe the team will keep on being somewhat average until Boeheim rides off into the sunset.

I respect these sentiments, but I’m not in this camp. Yes, 2009-2014 seems like a distant memory, and Boeheim is right in that presently Syracuse basketball is not a top-10 group. I’m hopeful, though, that this will change sooner rather than later.