The Syracuse basketball schedule for the 2021-22 season is fully wrapped up, and it should prove a challenging and exciting one for the team and the Orange fan base.
A year ago, the ‘Cuse had a solid regular-stanza record and snuck into the Big Dance, where Syracuse basketball went on yet another magical run, this time to the Sweet 16.
Though the Orange fell to eventual Final Four participant Houston in the regional semifinals, the ‘Cuse ended its 2020-21 term on a high note, and with momentum heading into next season.
Of course, the NCAA’s new transfer policy that allows all student-athletes to transfer once and retain immediate eligibility has created a free-agency explosion in collegiate hoops.
And Syracuse basketball wasn’t immune to this over the off-season, with several guys leaving the program. Conversely, the Orange’s 2021-22 roster welcomes in several transfers as well.
The ‘Cuse also has a five-star forward making up its 2021 recruiting class, to go along with these transfers and an existing roster that includes numerous veterans, led by pre-season All-American candidate Buddy Boeheim, who is a senior shooting guard for the Orange.
Now, as pre-season prognostications from national pundits go, at this juncture Syracuse basketball isn’t getting a ton of love from these so-called experts, with the bevy of journalists and analysts not believing that the ‘Cuse will amount to a top-25 squad in 2021-22.
I’m good with that. Syracuse basketball often fares well when the expectations for the team are tempered (2002-03, anyone?). So it shouldn’t surprise us Orange fanatics out there if Syracuse basketballs enters 2021-22 not nationally ranked in the pre-season top-25 polls.
Honestly, who cares. It’s how the ‘Cuse finishes the season that matters to me. To that end, in recent months, some bracketologists have put out super early projections for the 2022 NCAA Tournament, and Syracuse basketball is either squarely on the bubble, or the Orange has been left out of the field of 68.
Now, to me, I have a feeling that the ‘Cuse is going to surprise some folks, in a good way, and that includes hearing its name called on Selection Sunday come next spring, even if we all have to sweat things out for a bit.
I also foresee the Orange completing its 2021-22 regular season as a top-six group in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. It won’t be easy, though.
Syracuse basketball boasts a daunting 2021-22 docket, both in the non-conference and for its ACC slate. In this piece, we’re taking a look at the top-10 games for the ‘Cuse in the upcoming term.
VCU
We start things off with an intriguing non-conference encounter in paradise. Syracuse basketball will participate in the 2021 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis, which has a loaded field for this year’s event.
Besides the Orange, others competing in this annual pre-season tournament are Arizona State, Auburn, Loyola Chicago, Michigan State, Connecticut, VCU and Baylor, which captured the 2021 national title.
The 12-game, three-day event will take place over the Thanksgiving holiday from November 24 to November 26 at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. I so wish that I could attend this year’s Battle 4 Atlantis, as it should prove a ton of fun.
Up first for the ‘Cuse in the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis is a date with VCU on Wednesday, Nov. 24. It’s an opportunity for the Orange to notch a solid neutral-site conquest, which is always good for the team’s NET rating and overall Big Dance resume.
The Rams, out of the Atlantic 10 Conference, are often one of the premier squads in their league, and they’ve reached the NCAA Tournament a bunch of times in recent stanzas, including a glorious run from the First Four to the Final Four as a double-digit seed in 2011.
All-time in their short series together, Syracuse basketball is 3-0 versus VCU, according to orangehoops.org. But these two squads haven’t played one another in nearly 30 years, with the Orange most recently beating the Rams, 94-81, at home on Dec. 5, 1992.
Given that, it will be cool to see these teams go toe to toe in the Bahamas. In the last campaign, VCU managed a 19-7 overall mark and was 10-4 in the Atlantic 10, good for second place.
The Rams qualified for the 2021 March Madness, but Covid-19 protocols kept them from actually playing a game. They were a No. 10 seed and would have faced No. 7 seed Oregon in the round of 64.
Colgate
I’m sure some of my fellow Orange fans out there are wondering why the heck I’ve included the Syracuse basketball game against Colgate among my top-10 contests for 2021-22.
Well, the Raiders are a really, really good squad. And the fact that Colgate’s Hamilton, N.Y., campus is only about 40 miles from the Hill is neat.
Plus, in the history of its storied program, Syracuse basketball has suited up versus the Raiders more than against any other opponent, with these teams having collided a whopping 172 times.
All-time, the Orange is a dominating 127-45 against Colgate, and the ‘Cuse has emerged victorious on 54-straight occasions versus the Raiders. To that end, legendary head coach Jim Boeheim has never lost to this Central New York neighbor.
Could Colgate take down the Orange in 2021-22? Probably not, but like I said earlier, the Raiders are exceptional.
In the upcoming term, Syracuse basketball and Colgate will square off inside the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Nov. 20. Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the ‘Cuse and the Raiders didn’t play during the 2020-21 stanza.
Last year, Colgate produced a wonderful 14-2 record amid an abbreviated season, and the Raiders went a stellar 11-1 in Patriot League competition.
This past spring, Colgate earned a No. 14 seed in the Big Dance, and it fell to No. 3 seed Arkansas, 85-68, in the round of 64. Arkansas would make it to the Elite Eight, by the way.
As far as the Orange and the Raiders are concerned, Syracuse basketball most recently defeated Colgate, 70-54, at home on Nov. 13, 2019.
According to cuse.com, the teams met for the first time way back in 1902, when Syracuse basketball prevailed, 33-8. That sounds like a football score to me!
The Raiders’ most-recent success against the Orange occurred in 1962 at the old Manley Field House, when Colgate snuck by the ‘Cuse, 67-63.
Head coach Matt Langel has done an admirable job leading the Raiders over the past decade, and I’m sure that he will have his boys ready to play when Colgate makes the short trip to clash with Syracuse basketball.
Indiana
The Hoosiers, one of the most acclaimed programs in the history of college basketball, fell on tough times a season ago. Indiana, playing in the rugged Big Ten Conference, went 12-15 overall, including a 7-12 record in league competition.
However, I think that the Hoosiers will trend in a much more positive direction during 2021-22. Most importantly, the team has a new boss in Mike Woodson, who previously served as an NBA head coach.
Syracuse basketball will welcome Indiana to town on Tuesday, Nov. 30, as part of the 2021 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Orange’s first foe in this event after joining the Atlantic Coast Conference from the Big East Conference was, in fact, Indiana.
The ‘Cuse dispatched of the Hoosiers, 69-52, back in December of 2013, although Syracuse basketball is a sub-par 3-5 overall in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
In the event, the ‘Cuse has taken care of Indiana, Ohio State and Maryland. On the flip side, Syracuse basketball has fallen to Michigan, Wisconsin twice, Iowa and, most recently, on the road to Rutgers.
All-time, the Orange is an impressive 5-1 versus Indiana. Those victories include when the ‘Cuse, as a No. 4 seed, upset No. 1 seed Indiana in the Sweet 16 of the 2013 Big Dance. Syracuse basketball would eventually advance to the Final Four in that NCAA tourney.
Despite its success against the Hoosiers over the years in their short series together, the majority of Syracuse basketball fans will never forget the heartache of Indiana besting the Orange in the waning seconds of the 1987 March Madness championship game to secure a national title.
I recognize that, in recent campaigns, both Syracuse basketball and the Hoosiers haven’t necessarily resided at the top of their respective conferences.
But Indiana and the Orange remain huge brands in college basketball, and they’re each in the top-10 all-time as it pertains to programs with the most wins ever.
The ‘Cuse has a national championship. Indiana has multiple NCAA titles. So for me, this is an enticing match-up.
I’m hopeful that the Orange can dismantle the Hoosiers later this year, so that Syracuse basketball can inch its way closer back to .500 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Georgetown
There aren’t many Orange fanatics out there who don’t despite the Hoyas. I’m one of them.
For one, while I am a graduate of Syracuse University, I’ve lived my whole adult life in and around Washington, D.C. I was even born at Georgetown University Hospital in the late 1970s.
So for me, I actually root for the Hoyas, except for when they’re playing my alma mater. If that disappoints you, I understand.
All kidding aside, this season Syracuse basketball and Georgetown will continue their non-conference battles that have transpired since the Orange bolted from the Big East for the ACC.
Since the ‘Cuse moved conferences, the series between the Orange and the Hoyas is tied at 3-3. All-time, though, Syracuse basketball is 52-44 against Georgetown, including a 74-69 conquest at the Dome in January of 2021.
The Hoyas represent one of the most frequent opponents for the ‘Cuse in Syracuse basketball history.
I truly hope that these old-school Big East adversaries keep on competing versus one another indefinitely. It’s a rivalry that needs to always be there.
This year, the Orange will make the trip to our nation’s capital on Saturday, Dec. 11, for a road tilt with the Hoyas. I adore it when Syracuse basketball plays Georgetown in D.C., because the city is flooded with my fellow ‘Cuse faithful.
In 2020-21, the Hoyas finished toward the bottom of the Big East standings, but they went on a glorious run to win the conference’s post-season tourney.
That catapulted head coach Patrick Ewing and his Georgetown players into March Madness. In the round of 64, the No. 12 seed Hoyas got crushed by No. 5 seed Colorado, 96-73.
Georgetown ended last season at 13-13 overall and 7-9 in Big East competition. Not an amazing performance, but the Hoyas sure did bring back memories of the 1980s when they won four Big East Tournament games in a row at the world-famous Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Hoyas may not be one of the best squads in the Big East in 2021-22, but I say throw the records out the window. This is Syracuse basketball and Georgetown. There’s nothing finer than that.
North Carolina
In 2020-21, the ‘Cuse played in one of the most exciting games of the team’s entire season when it hosted North Carolina in early March, as the regular season neared its conclusion.
The Orange was desperate for a resume-building win, as some bracketologists had Syracuse basketball on the wrong side of the proverbial bubble.
Inside the Dome, the ‘Cuse gutted out a 72-70 victory over UNC, fueled by a monster performance from junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim.
Without that win, I’m confident that, sadly, Syracuse basketball wouldn’t have made it into the NCAA Tournament field. But the Orange got it done.
Then, they defeated Clemson. And N.C. State in the ACC Tournament. And fell by only three points in heart-breaking fashion to top-seeded Virginia in the ACC tourney. All of this was enough to propel the ‘Cuse into March Madness, where it got to the regional semifinals.
This coming stanza, Syracuse basketball will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., on Monday, Feb. 28, to face off with UNC. Historically, the Orange has struggled on the road against the Tar Heels.
In fact, all-time, Syracuse basketball is just 6-14 versus North Carolina, and the Tar Heels have pretty much owned the Orange since the ‘Cuse joined the ACC in 2013-14.
Head coach Roy Williams, one of the GOATs who led UNC to three national titles, has retired. Replacing him is Hubert Davis, an assistant coach for the Tar Heels who also played for North Carolina, reaching a Final Four in 1991.
The Tar Heels went 18-11 a year ago, including a 10-6 ACC mark that had them tied for fifth place. As a No. 8 seed in the Big Dance, UNC got pasted by No. 9 seed Wisconsin in the round of 64, 85-62.
Despite Williams’ retirement and uncertainty as to how North Carolina will perform on the court under Davis, UNC’s new head coach is faring quite admirably on the recruiting trail.
And national pundits view the Tar Heels, at least in pre-season projections, as a top-four squad in the ACC, as well as a top-15 to a top-20 overall group.
When Syracuse basketball visits Chapel Hill, the Orange will have a prime opportunity to obtain a coveted road win over an elite league foe, although history says that this will prove a tough feat to transpire.
Virginia
Over the last eight years or so, one could make a case that Virginia has been the best team in the ACC, under the leadership of head coach Tony Bennett.
I’m not talking about NCAA Tournament success, per se, but in regular seasons, the Cavaliers have finished No. 1 or No. 2 in the league numerous times.
In recent terms, Duke won the Big Dance in 2015, North Carolina won in 2017 and Virginia won in 2019. So the ACC has done pretty darn good in March Madness of late.
Sure, UVA became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the round of 64, when UMBC smoked the Cavaliers in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
And of course, we can’t forget that our beloved Orange made a ridiculous comeback in the 2016 Elite Eight versus top-seeded Virginia, fueling the ‘Cuse to a surprising Final Four berth.
However, Bennett’s coaching in Charlottesville, Va., has been extraordinary. He doesn’t often get the five-star recruits that the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels do, and his teams are regularly among the best defensively across the country.
In 2021-22, Virginia will visit the Hill on Saturday, Jan. 1, for an exhilarating New Year’s Day contest. Syracuse basketball will look to exact revenge on the Cavaliers, a group that went 2-0 against the Orange in 2020-21.
One of those results was an 81-58 destruction that UVA put on the ‘Cuse in Charlottesville. The second outcome was in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, as the No. 1 seed Virginia hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to escape the No. 8 seed Orange.
The Cavaliers went 18-7 last season, including 13-4 in ACC play. As a No. 4 seed in March Madness, UVA was upset in the round of 64 by No. 13 seed Ohio, 62-58.
The early talk ahead of 2021-22 is that the Cavaliers are projected as a top-four ACC squad and a fringe top-25 team on a national scale.
All-time, Syracuse basketball is 6-10 against UVA. Let’s make that 7-10 as we turn the calendar year to 2022.
Florida State
A stanza ago, highly rated Florida State was supposed to visit the Dome, providing the Orange with a golden chance to pick up a marquee win for its post-season resume.
However, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, that game scheduled for early January was halted due to Covid-19 protocols.
The Seminoles, perhaps the premier ACC squad over the past two seasons, would finish with an 18–7 record in 2020-21, including an 11–4 mark in ACC competition that was good for second place in the league, behind Virginia.
In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, FSU would get to the Sweet 16, where it would lose to No. 1 seed Michigan. The Seminoles and Syracuse basketball, by the way, were the only ACC teams to advance to the regional semifinals this past spring.
The year prior, the pandemic forced the ACC Tournament and the Big Dance to get canceled, but Florida State went an excellent 26–5 overall, captured the league’s regular-season crown and was in a position to possibly earn a No. 1 seed in March Madness.
Head coach Leonard Hamilton has been exquisite of late in guiding FSU. He recruits well, and the coaching staff in Tallahassee, Fla., does an amazing job of developing players.
Hamilton seems to always have a deep bench, and he also recruits a lot of extremely tall and lengthy players. The Seminoles have sent numerous guys to the NBA in recent campaigns, and for my money, Hamilton is one of the most underrated head coaches nationwide at the collegiate level.
Syracuse basketball, which has fallen on three-consecutive occasions to Florida State, will host the Seminoles in 2021-22 on Saturday, Jan. 15.
All-time, the ‘Cuse is 7-5 versus FSU. The Dome should be rocking and rolling for this ACC bout. I could foresee Florida State seriously making a run at another conference regular-season prize, with perhaps Duke and North Carolina the other two main contenders.
National analysts and writers are prognosticating that the Seminoles are a pre-season top-20 team. If FSU comes to the Hill ranked that high, Syracuse basketball needs to take advantage of the home crowd and come away with a win.
Baylor
So this game for the ‘Cuse has an assumption associated with it, and I wanted to get that out of the way first.
As we already discussed in the section on VCU, Syracuse basketball is playing in the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis, with the field also including Arizona State, Auburn, Loyola Chicago, Michigan State, Connecticut, the aforementioned VCU and Baylor.
During this annual pre-season tournament, which takes place over the Thanksgiving holiday from November 24 to November 26 in the Bahamas, the Orange will face the Rams on Wednesday, Nov. 24.
On the same side of the bracket is a contest between Arizona State and Baylor. I’m assuming here that both Syracuse basketball and Baylor will prevail in their opening-round encounters.
I think the likelihood of that occurring is pretty good, so here we have a match-up of the Orange and the Bears, with the winner advancing to the title tilt of the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis.
Suiting up against Baylor on a neutral court presents a tremendous opportunity, and a tremendous challenge, for the ‘Cuse. For one, the Bears cut down the nets this past spring. Along with Kansas, Baylor is the premier basketball squad in the Big 12 Conference.
In 2020-21, from my perspective, it was Gonzaga and Baylor at the top, and then everybody else a bit further behind. The Bulldogs entered the 2021 NCAA Tournament championship game against the Bears undefeated.
But Baylor totally crushed Gonzaga to claim the national title. The Bears would finish 2020-21 at 28-2 overall and 13-1 in the Big 12.
Now, Baylor did lose some guys to the professional ranks, but the Bears are expected to be a pre-season top-10 group. Pundits seem to think that in the Big 12 race, the top-three teams will prove Baylor, Kansas and Texas.
If somehow, someway, Syracuse basketball could notch a neutral-site success over a top-10 squad, and the defending champs no less, that would be a ridiculously good score for its post-season resume.
Assuming that they do play one another, the Orange and the Bears will go head to head on Thursday, Nov. 25. All-time, Syracuse basketball is 2-1 versus Baylor.
Most recently, though, the Bears dispatched of the ‘Cuse, 78-69, in the 2019 Big Dance’s round of 64. That outcome was a bummer.
Villanova
Syracuse basketball. Villanova. Big East flavor. Madison Square Garden. New York City.
Can I just end it there?
On Tuesday, Dec. 7, the Orange and the Wildcats will rekindle their long-time Big East rivalry as part of the 2021 Jimmy V Classic at the famed MSG in the Big Apple. It doesn’t get much better than this.
I am the first to acknowledge that, historically speaking, the biggest rival for the ‘Cuse is Georgetown, not Villanova. However, in 2021-22, the Wildcats are expected to be at the top of the Big East standings, and this contest’s setting in Madison Square Garden is tantalizing.
For years, Syracuse basketball, Villanova, the Hoyas and the rest of the Big East suited up for the league’s post-season tournament at MSG.
The Orange, obviously, is now in the ACC, but what a battle this will prove between the ‘Cuse and the Wildcats.
Villanova is led by head coach Jay Wright, a Hall of Famer who won recent national championships in 2016 and 2018. During the 2016 Big Dance, of course, Syracuse basketball also made a run to the Final Four, before losing to North Carolina.
National prognosticators are viewing the Wildcats as a pre-season top-five squad ahead of 2021-22, in part because players such as point guard Collin Gillespie elected to return for another stanza.
A term ago, Villanova claimed yet another Big East regular-season crown, continuing its run of conference dominance in recent years. As a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats fell in the Sweet 16 to eventual champ and No. 1 seed Baylor, 62-51.
Villanova ended 2020-21 at 18-7, with an 11-4 record in Big East games.
All-time, Syracuse basketball is 39-33 against the Wildcats. In their most recent meeting, the Orange hung tough on the road, but Villanova prevailed, 82-77, in December of 2014.
There is another fun facet to this encounter. The ‘Cuse roster for 2021-22 includes senior forward Cole Swider, who transferred from the Wildcats to Syracuse basketball in the off-season.
So Swider and his new Orange colleagues may have even more incentive to knock off his former team. Like the Baylor game that we discussed not too long ago, the Villanova contest gives the Orange another chance to beat a highly ranked foe on a neutral court.
Duke
Did you honestly think I would put any other game at the top spot?
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Syracuse basketball boss Jim Boeheim are dear friends, and they’re also the two winningest coaches in the history of Division I men’s hoops.
Coach K is retiring after the 2021-22 campaign, so this entire season is deservingly a farewell tour for Krzyzewski, who by many is considered the greatest head coach in the history of the sport.
With the Blue Devils, Krzyzewski has captured five NCAA Tournament titles and reached an insane 12 Final Fours. To put that into perspective, Boeheim is a legend in his own right, and he has as many Final Four appearances – five – as Krzyzewski has championships.
All-time, the Orange is 6-11 against Duke. Since joining the ACC, though, Syracuse basketball has picked up a couple of big-time victories over the Blue Devils.
As we discussed in a column a few months back, these two programs have engaged in some epic encounters of late. Hopefully, Duke and the ‘Cuse have at least two more left in them during the Krzyzewski era.
In the upcoming term, Syracuse basketball will travel to Durham, N.C., on Saturday, Jan. 22. And then, on Saturday, Feb. 26, the Blue Devils will suit up versus the Orange on the Hill, in the final contest between Krzyzewski and Boeheim.
I can’t wait to see what the Syracuse athletics department does to honor Krzyzewski. Maybe give him a Syracuse basketball jersey that’s totally Orange, but with a hint of blue in it?
Even though the ‘Cuse and Duke play twice in the 2021-22 ACC regular season, this article is about the top individual games, so I’ll go with the February 26 home meeting as the No. 1 battle for Syracuse basketball during the upcoming stanza.
In recent years, the Orange has broken the single-contest attendance record for a college basketball encounter on several occasions, and this swan song for Coach K against the ‘Cuse could absolutely accomplish that feat once more.
In 2020-21, the Blue Devils surprisingly struggled, going 13-11 overall and 9-9 in conference competition. Duke won two games in the ACC Tournament as the No. 10 seed, before having to forfeit its quarterfinal duel versus No. 2 seed Florida State because of Covid-19 protocols.
The Blue Devils didn’t make the NCAA Tournament this past spring, which is a rarity. However, Duke has reloaded for 2021-22 with an elite recruiting class, and we all know that Krzyzewski will put forth a strong final performance.
According to pundits, the Blue Devils should contend for the ACC regular-season and post-season titles, while doing their usual damage in March Madness.
Assuming that Duke is a top-10 team throughout the course of the upcoming stanza, Syracuse basketball will grab a marquee contest if it could conquer the Blue Devils in at least one of their two scheduled games.
Congratulations on an unparalleled head-coaching career, Coach K.