Syracuse basketball moves closer to bubble as ACC tourney bracket set

Syracuse basketball will play for its Big Dance life at this week’s ACC Tournament, and the Orange’s first foe is one that the ‘Cuse will attempt to beat for a third time in a row during the 2020-21 campaign.

Bracketologists, at this juncture, are viewing the Orange as right around the proverbial cut line for the field of 68. The ‘Cuse likely played its way back onto the bubble by triumphing over North Carolina and Clemson last week in Central New York.

Some Syracuse basketball fans think that the Orange is already in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, but I am not in that camp. National pundits seem to believe that the ‘Cuse should feel comfortable on Selection Sunday if the team can capture two victories in the ACC Tournament, which will take place from March 9-13 in Greensboro, N.C.

Up first for Syracuse basketball (15-8, 9-7) in the ACC Tournament’s second round is N.C. State. The No. 8 seed Orange and No. 9 seed Wolfpack will go toe to toe on Wednesday, March 10, with tip-off slated for noon and television coverage on the ACC Network.

N.C. State is playing terrific basketball of late, although the ‘Cuse has already bested the Wolfpack twice in 2020-21. The Orange secured wins versus N.C. State both at home and on the road earlier in the current campaign.

Syracuse basketball continues to trend positively in bracketology projections.

The ‘Cuse and the Wolfpack (13-9, 9-8) will each enter this ACC Tournament clash on a roll. N.C. State has won five in a row, while the Orange has claimed two-straight encounters against strong competition.

If Syracuse basketball can get by the Wolfpack, the ‘Cuse would then square off with No. 1 seed Virginia, the conference’s regular-stanza champion. The Cavaliers will collide with either the Orange or N.C. State in a quarterfinal match-up on Thursday, March 11, with tip-off scheduled for noon.

Other teams on the same side of the ACC Tournament bracket with Syracuse basketball are No. 4 seed Georgia Tech and No. 5 seed Clemson.

The ‘Cuse split its duels with the Tigers in the regular season, while the Orange fell in its only game against the Yellow Jackets, which transpired in Atlanta.

The bubble situation for Syracuse basketball and other squads around the country is obviously quite fluid, but for now, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm and ESPN’s Joe Lunardi both have the ‘Cuse in their first four out categories. Lunardi previously placed Syracuse basketball in his next four out department.

On the Bracket Matrix Web site, the Orange is found in 17 projected fields of 68, as compared to 10 a day earlier, with an average seed of 11.82.

Finally, Syracuse basketball has improved by two positions, from No. 51 to No. 49, in the latest NET rankings. Undeniably, the ‘Cuse is on an encouraging path with all of these March Madness metrics, but what matters the most is Syracuse basketball notching several successes this week in Greensboro.