Syracuse Basketball: Tourney runs make up for regular-season struggles

From 2009 to 2014, in what I consider one of the golden eras of Syracuse basketball, the Orange put forth a bunch of campaigns where it fared well in both the regular season and in March Madness.

Since the Orange moved from the Big East Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2013-14 stanza, the ‘Cuse has performed at a somewhat sub-par level during numerous of its regular-season terms.

That has, understandably, left a lot of Orange fans feeling frustrated. At the same time, in recent years, Syracuse basketball went to the Final Four in 2016, the ‘Cuse made the Sweet 16 in 2018, and now the Orange is again in the regional semi-finals during the 2021 Big Dance.

As we all know by now, since it’s a constant talking point among national analysts and commentators, these three strong runs in the NCAA Tournament have occurred for Syracuse basketball while the team was a double-digit seed.

That is absolutely remarkable, in my humble opinion. But it also speaks to the theme that the ‘Cuse has resided on the proverbial bubble a bunch in recent stanzas. Selection Sunday has undeniably proved stressful for the Orange and its fan base of late.

Syracuse basketball is making up for so-so regular seasons with stellar tourney journeys.

In an ideal scenario, the ‘Cuse would revert back to its form of 2009 to 2014, and the Orange would roll through regular seasons, receive high seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and find itself suiting up deep in March Madness.

However, I don’t want to sound too greedy. So the question to consider here is whether it’s “better” for Syracuse basketball to win, say, 25 or more games in the regular stanza but then exit the Big Dance early.

Take, for example, the 2013-14 term. The Orange raced out to a 25-0 start, it was No. 1 in the national rankings, and the squad got a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But some cold shooting and a pesky Dayton crew led the ‘Cuse to get bounced in the round of 32.

Conversely, in the aforementioned 2016, 2018 and 2021 Big Dances, Syracuse basketball landed no better than a No. 10 seed in March Madness, but it went further in the NCAA Tournament.

I’m extremely curious as to what Orange fanatics think about this topic. For me, I’d love special regular seasons and post-seasons. But if I had to choose, I’d take a sensational Big Dance odyssey over a dominating regular campaign any day of the week.

Plus, it’s not like the ‘Cuse was awful in the ACC in 2020-21. The Orange did go 9-7 in league play, which is respectable. Frankly, there’s nothing quite like Syracuse basketball competing as March carries on into April, and the 2021 NCAA Tournament appropriately reflects that sentiment.