Syracuse Basketball: Ranking Orange’s non-conference games in 2021-22

Syracuse basketball has finalized its non-conference slate for the 2021-22 season, and it’s a challenging docket for sure.

The Orange athletics department recently announced that the ‘Cuse will host Central New York foe Cornell on Tuesday, Dec. 21, from the Carrier Dome.

All-time, Syracuse basketball is 94-31 against the Big Red, and the Orange has captured 39-straight contests in this series, per the cuse.com press release.

Cornell, out of the Ivy League, is the former team of current Syracuse basketball forward Jimmy Boeheim, who is a graduate student for the Orange.

With the Big Red on the schedule for the ‘Cuse, that gives Syracuse basketball the full 11 non-conference encounters for the upcoming term.

Let’s rank the Syracuse basketball non-conference games, with the toughest up first.

Villanova
The Orange and this former Big East Conference foe are reportedly set to collide on Tuesday, Dec. 7, in the 2021 Jimmy V Classic at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Wildcats, 18-7 and a Sweet 16 team a stanza ago, are likely to be a pre-season top-five group heading into the upcoming term. This is a massive neutral-site contest for the ‘Cuse.

Baylor
The Orange playing the Bears assumes that both teams win their first games in the 2021 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis. If that occurs, Syracuse basketball would square off with a 28-2 squad from last season that captured the NCAA championship.

The Big 12 Conference’s Baylor has lost some key players, but the Bears are still expected to be a pre-season top-10 to a top-15 group prior to 2021-22 commencing.

VCU
The ‘Cuse will initially compete against VCU in the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis. The Rams, out of the Atlantic 10 Conference, were 19-7 last season and made the Big Dance.

Covid-19 protocols, however, kept VCU from actually playing a game in the 2021 March Madness. This year’s Battle 4 Atlantis, by the way, runs from Nov. 24-26.

Third Battle 4 Atlantis Foe
We won’t know until this tournament actually transpires which squad the Orange will face for its third game. But the rest of the field includes high-quality teams in Michigan State, Loyola Chicago, Auburn, Connecticut and Arizona State.

Indiana
Syracuse basketball will host the Hoosiers on Tuesday, Nov. 30, as part of the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Big Ten’s Indiana went 12-15 last year but should be much improved this season.

Georgetown
The Hoyas, a long-time Big East adversary of the ‘Cuse, will welcome the Orange to Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Dec. 11. Georgetown only managed a 13-13 mark a season ago but made the NCAA Tournament after going on a surprising run to the Big East post-season tournament title.

Colgate
The Raiders, from the Patriot League, went 14-2 a term ago and made the Big Dance. Colgate comes to the Dome on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Drexel
The Dragons, from the Colonial Athletic Association, head to the Dome on Sunday, Nov. 14. Drexel had a 12-8 record in 2020-21 and earned a trip to the Big Dance.

Lafayette
The Leopards were 9-6 a campaign ago. A member of the Patriot League, Lafayette will travel to CNY on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks, out of the Patriot League, struggled in 2020-21, compiling a 4-11 record. They play at the Dome on Saturday, Dec. 18.

Cornell
As already mentioned, the Big Red goes to the Hill on Tuesday, Dec. 21. Cornell didn’t compete in 2020-21 due to Ivy League officials canceling winter sports amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Big Red was 7-20 in 2019-20.