Syracuse basketball, this March, showed what it’s capable of doing

It just wasn’t in the cards for Syracuse basketball on Saturday night in the Sweet 16 against a feisty Houston team.

The Orange’s magical run to the regional semi-finals as a No. 11 seed unfortunately came to a close, as the Cougars swarming defense absolutely clamped down on the ‘Cuse.

There’s no shame in falling to a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance. This setback stings, because we all wanted Syracuse basketball to journey further in this NCAA tourney, however, Saturday evening’s 62-46 result shouldn’t take away from what the Orange has accomplished over the last few weeks.

Houston has one of the best defenses across college basketball, and that factoid was in full display in the Sweet 16. Junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim, a darling of this March Madness, struggled from the field.

But he wasn’t alone. The Cougars’ aggressive and assertive defense didn’t leave Boeheim and other ‘Cuse shooters with a lot of open looks. Additionally, when Syracuse basketball players tried to drive the lane, they had difficulty getting past Houston defenders and finishing around the rim.

Hey, it’s not like the Cougars lit up the scoreboard. They produced 62 points. But Houston’s offensive-rebounding prowess hurt the Orange, and the ‘Cuse, when it was on offense, simply couldn’t muster up enough points to prevail.

Syracuse basketball can build upon this March as it enters next season.

Despite the Orange’s exit from the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the ‘Cuse demonstrated a grit and toughness this March that provides Orange fans with a sense of optimism in looking ahead to the 2021-22 campaign.

At the beginning of this month, Syracuse basketball notched impressive home wins against Big Dance squads North Carolina and Clemson. That enabled the ‘Cuse to re-enter the conversation as a possible March Madness group.

Then, in the ACC Tournament, Syracuse basketball totally torched a red-hot N.C. State, and the Orange played No. 1 seed Virginia even until the final possession, losing on a heart-breaking, buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

The ‘Cuse avoided the First Four, claiming a No. 11 seed in the Big Dance. As has been the case in recent years, Syracuse basketball did some damage in the NCAA tourney as a double-digit seed.

The ‘Cuse smoked No. 6 seed San Diego State and then squeaked by No. 3 seed West Virginia, a team that fared well this term in the rugged Big 12 Conference.

Those are numerous encouraging performances by the Orange, regardless of the blow-out loss to Houston (27-3). Syracuse basketball finishes the 2020-21 stanza at 18-10, and I’m extremely proud of how the ‘Cuse fared toward the end of this season.