Syracuse Basketball: Indiana win could change trajectory of SU’s season

It wasn’t always pretty, as Syracuse basketball coughed up an 18-point, second-half lead against Indiana on Tuesday night, and the Orange blew several opportunities to seal the deal at the end of regulation and into the extra sessions.

But the ‘Cuse hung tough and showed a lot of grit in squeaking out a 112-110, double-overtime triumph versus the Hoosiers in this year’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge from the Carrier Dome.

During the television broadcast, respected analyst Jimmy Dykes said on multiple occasions that the Orange really needed to come out on top in this non-conference battle.

Dykes also said several times that a ‘Cuse conquest could help change the trajectory of the 2021-22 campaign for Syracuse basketball. While the current stanza is still in its relative infancy, I wholeheartedly agree with Dykes, and I’ll explain why.

Syracuse basketball landed a big confidence booster in beating Indiana.

Heading into its showdown with the Hoosiers (6-1), the Orange had lost three of its past four games. Colgate stunned the ‘Cuse (4-3), and then Syracuse basketball fell to VCU and nationally ranked Auburn in the Bahamas, with a victory over Arizona State sandwiched in between.

Now, head coach Jim Boeheim has made it clear that his remade roster in 2021-22, which includes three transfers and one freshman, is a work in progress. The 2-3 zone defense isn’t all that good at this juncture.

With daunting duels in the near future versus Florida State, Villanova and Georgetown, the Indiana encounter appeared as sort of a must-win for the Orange, if you can make such a declaration this early in the season.

What’s more, Syracuse basketball cruised to a 16-point edge over the Hoosiers at halftime, stretching it to 18 points just as the second half got going.

But then Indiana went on a massive run, which I figured might occur. The Hoosiers figured out how to probe the zone with precision, and Indiana players began hitting their shots from the perimeter.

All of a sudden, Indiana was not only back in the game, but it actually took the lead. However, Orange players didn’t fold, and they kept their composure. I give them all the credit in the world for that.

But the ‘Cuse missed the front-end of a critical one-and-one from the charity stripe. Syracuse basketball was poor on transition defense at an inopportune time. And the lack of a box-out off a missed Hoosiers’ free-throw enabled Indiana to force overtime.

Still, despite multiple Orange starters fouling out, and young ‘Cuse big men having to play vital minutes down the stretch, Syracuse basketball was able to snatch a win against Indiana from the jaws of defeat.

We’ve got a long way to go, with two-dozen regular-season contests remaining, yet as Dykes opined, this outcome for the Orange could prove huge as 2021-22 carries onward.