Syracuse basketball given minuscule chance to win ACC Tournament

A lot of bracketologists and national pundits seem to believe that if Syracuse basketball knocks off N.C. State and then Virginia in the ACC Tournament, then the Orange has a pretty good shot at hearing its name called on Selection Sunday.

However, couldn’t the ‘Cuse just make life easier for all us Orange fanatics out there and win the ACC Tournament, which would obviously punch the team’s ticket to the Big Dance?

Well, if history is any indication, Syracuse basketball faces a massive challenge to claim the league’s post-season crown. Since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 2013-14 campaign, the Orange has struggled on a fairly consistent basis at the ACC Tournament, often leaving the event with only one win, or no wins at all.

In the 2021 ACC Tournament, the ‘Cuse (15-8, 9-7) is the No. 8 seed, and it will suit up versus No. 9 seed and scorching-hot N.C. State on Wednesday afternoon in the event’s second round from Greensboro, N.C.

Should Syracuse basketball get past the Wolfpack, which has a five-game success streak, the Orange would then go toe to toe with No. 1 seed UVA, the conference’s regular-season champion in 2020-21.

And that’s only a quarterfinal match-up, which means a stunning upset of the Cavaliers would still leave the ‘Cuse several wins shy of cutting down the nets in Greensboro.

What I’m getting at here is that Syracuse basketball would have to go on a ridiculous run to find itself the last ACC team standing this Saturday night.

Syracuse basketball is a big-time long shot to win the ACC Tournament.

According to a story from 247Sports news editor Sam Hellman, citing analytics from kenpom.com, the Orange has a paltry 3 percent chance to capture the ACC Tournament.

Additionally, the ‘Cuse possesses a 17.1 percent chance to advance to the semi-final round, as well as a 7.6 percent chance to make an appearance in the event’s final encounter.

Hey, I simply want Syracuse basketball to pick up the required number of triumphs to garner an invite to March Madness. Anything else is gravy, in my humble opinion.

If you’re wondering, the two league squads with the highest chances to win the ACC Tournament are, unsurprisingly, Florida State at 25.3 percent and Virginia at 24.8 percent.

All that matters is what the Orange does on the court, but it sure would prove sweet if the ‘Cuse could shock the college basketball world by notching its first-ever ACC Tournament title.