Jim Boeheim says Syracuse basketball is a Big Dance team, and he’s right

After his No. 8 seed Orange fell in a gut-wrenching manner to No. 1 seed Virginia in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal match-up from Greensboro, N.C., on Thursday afternoon, Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim was asked in his Zoom call with media members if he thinks the ‘Cuse should get invited to the 2021 Big Dance.

While Boeheim obviously acknowledged that it’s not up to him whether or not the Orange lands an at-large March Madness berth, he was not shy in opining that he believes the ‘Cuse should make the field of 68.

Of course, there’s a difference between saying Syracuse basketball should get in, and the Orange will get in. The bracket, as selected by the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee, will get revealed this coming Sunday, March 14.

As a result, it will prove a nervous next few days for the ‘Cuse team and its fan base, myself included. Some other bubble bunches, like Louisville and Xavier, are already out of their conference tournaments. Duke, in a sad development, had to depart the ACC Tournament due to Covid-19 protocols.

But there is always the potential for bid stealers – squads that only will receive inclusion to the NCAA Tournament by capturing their leagues’ post-season tourneys. We’ll have to wait and see how everything shakes out, which has been the norm for the Orange in recent terms.

Syracuse basketball boss Jim Boeheim says his team could shine in March Madness.

In his virtual call following the ‘Cuse 72-69 setback to the Cavaliers on Thursday afternoon, Boeheim said that the Orange “should be” in the NCAA Tournament.

“We’ve done everything we can do,” he said, noting the recent strong performances by Syracuse basketball at the end of the 2020-21 regular stanza and in the ACC Tournament.

Not too long ago, after the ‘Cuse fell on the road to Duke and Georgia Tech, Orange fans and national pundits thought Syracuse basketball had little to no shot of going dancing later this month.

But over its past four contests, the ‘Cuse has defeated North Carolina and Clemson at home, the Orange destroyed N.C. State on Wednesday afternoon in the ACC Tournament’s second round, and Syracuse basketball played No. 16 UVA, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s regular-season champion, even until the last possession.

By the way, as of March 10, the Cavaliers (18-6) had a NET ranking of No. 14, so falling to them on a neutral floor is understandable. The Orange’s NET ranking of No. 39 as of March 10 will likely drop some, so that’s something to monitor.

On Thursday afternoon, Syracuse basketball (16-9) was barely in the projected field of 68, according to the Bracket Matrix Web site. The ‘Cuse appeared in 74 brackets, with an average seed of 11.86. Again, let’s see how this shifts for the Orange on Friday and over the weekend.

Syracuse basketball is lacking in quadrant-one victories, although it doesn’t have many bad losses, save for getting swept by Pittsburgh. Plus, the Orange had one or more possible quadrant-one opportunities erased in the 2020-21 regular season because of Covid-19 protocols.

Boeheim says that he thinks the ‘Cuse could do well if it suits up in the NCAA Tournament. Given how the team is playing of late, I wholeheartedly agree. First, though, Syracuse basketball has to get invited to the party.