Syracuse Basketball: The night Butler broke my heart

Syracuse Basketball in March is always a special ride. Sometimes that ride ends in heartbreak as it did against Butler in 2010.

As a lifelong Syracuse Basketball fan, March Madness became a month-long holiday for me. Imagine that is the way for so many of us who have trudged up to the Dome in the middle of a snowstorm, knowing we earned this celebration of spring arriving.

I was fortunate enough to grow into my love of basketball during one of the true best stretches in Syracuse’s program history. From 2009-through-2014, Syracuse made the tournament every year. They were a three seed three times, a one twice, and a four seed, the only to make a Final Four during this run.

My generation grew up learning of the greatness of John Wallace, Billy Owens, Derrick Coleman, and others all the way back to Coach Jim Boeheim and Dave Bing. At the same time, Gerry McNamara and Carmelo Anthony sealed our fandom with the team’s only National Championship. We hoped to return to that glory with some of our favorites Johnny Flynn, Wes Johnson, and Tyler Ennis.

In 2021 Syracuse is still looking for their second title. We still have the memories of the hope, triumphs, and heartbreaks of the teams that took us on that six-year Tournament run from 2009-to-2014.

While getting ready for another tournament and the days between the Selection Sunday and the First Round, all of those memories come storming back just as Syracuse did against  Virginia in 2016’s tournament.

Those memories are full of great times. Big wins in classic games, vs. Wisconsin 2012 Sweet 16, and heartbreak, vs. Butler 2010 Sweet 16. My goodness, the heartbreak.

Yes, I still smile thinking of Rakeem Christmas hugging Otto after the Orange punched their ticket to the Final Four or when Jordan Taylor’s shot came up short against the Badgers. Yet, I cannot also help to remember the pain the most sometimes.

When the expectations are so high, like earning a 1-seed for just the second time and first since 1980, this would be the year for the Orange. This was my personal favorite Syracuse team I grew up watching since 2003. You will never convince me that when fully healthy, this team was not the best in the country this year and extremely talented after the loss of Arinze Onuaku, one of my favorite Syracuse players ever.

So that Butler loss. It is one loss that will always stick with me. I did you all the favor and rewatched as much of that game I could stomach. Oh, the turnovers, so so many turnovers (12 of their 16 in the first half). I might have been naive, no in hindsight; I absolutely was naive, not even considering the possibility that Syracuse would lose this game.

Who was Butler? The Horizon League had a team that could unseat Syracuse, the best team in the country? NO WAY!

Well, that Butler team, as many know, had a coach named Brad Stevens. Stevens now coaches in a little city in Massachusetts called Boston for a team that some heard of, the Celtics. Their best player Gordon Hayward almost hit a halfcourt shot to beat Duke for the title, and he just signed a new contract worth $30-million a year by none other than Michael Jordan.  Of course, we cannot forget Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard, who help Butler and Stevens to a second National Championship game just a year later.

Syracuse fell behind this game 12-to-1 right out of the gate. Watching in 2021, I still find my jaw hitting the floor. That would have been crushing enough knowing Syracuse just got outplayed from the jump, but no, of course, it couldn’t be that merciful. The Orange had to make a run.

Down 10 at the half, the Orange came out of the under-16 minute timeout down only seven to then score the next eight that was capped off by a Wes Johnson three-pointer. Butler instantly answered, going back up five before the Orange took the lead once again 52-to-50, this time thanks to a deep ball from Andy Rautins.

The lead was 52-to-50 with 5:45 remaining and extended all the way to a minuscule four points, the Orange’s largest lead until the Bulldogs took their final lead of the game during an 11-to-zip run to ice the Orange and crushed 16-year-old me who couldn’t believe this team could lose.

This game is the one that always sticks with me. I remember everything I felt during that game more than the actual game itself before I rewatched it. I remember the chair I was sitting in, the dinner I had during, and who I watched with, and the sinking feeling in my stomach as Syracuse bowed out of the tournament.

Maybe it was my overall fondness for this team. Maybe it was me overlooking Butler. Maybe it was the expectations as a hole that causes me to be still so crushed over the outcome. It does give me a better perspective on some of the more recent Orange teams to make the Tournament.

More joy has come from seeing Syracuse upset team after team being a double-digit seed lately than their losses have hurt. That will be the silver lining I clutch to this year when the 11-seed Orange, who I have pretty openly underestimated all year, oops,  goes on another run, and I lie to everyone in earshot when I say I believed in them all along.