Not too long ago, some Syracuse basketball fans were pronouncing the 2021-22 campaign already over. They wanted head coach Jim Boeheim fired. They said this was the worst SU unit ever. I could list additional comments that I came across, however, this is a family-friendly Web site.
Now, I always respect my fellow Orange fans’ opinions and takes, even when I don’t agree with them. And I certainly understood the frustration.
The ‘Cuse had blown a 15-point lead at home and lost by 15 points to Colgate, the first time that the Raiders had bested the Orange in decades.
Then, in the Bahamas, Syracuse basketball was soundly defeated by VCU and top-25 Auburn. The ‘Cuse managed to beat Arizona State, but that’s not much of a success, as the Sun Devils are struggling.
What’s more, the Orange’s lack of athleticism and poor defensive play had been exposed in those encounters. Boeheim said the defense was really bad, and he acknowledged that the team’s performances in the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis were similarly bad.
So after the Thanksgiving weekend, the ‘Cuse (3-3 at the time) would then face undefeated Indiana on the Hill in the 2021 ACC-Big Ten Challenge, followed by a road conference clash at Florida State, a neutral-site battle versus top-10 Villanova in New York City, and another road duel at Georgetown. Yikes.
Syracuse basketball needed to win its last two games, and it did.
Thus, a contingent of fans, again understandably, was nervous that the Orange could end this stretch with a 3-7 mark, which would be devastating. But, my friends, that won’t be happening.
I don’t want to make overly grand proclamations about the ‘Cuse 2021-22 stanza with so many encounters left on the docket, but what Syracuse basketball was able to accomplish over the past week could prove big-time for the team’s confidence, as well as its potential March Madness resume.
By a combined five points, the Orange (5-3, 1-0) dispatched of the Hoosiers and the Seminoles. The Syracuse basketball defense wasn’t good in a 112-110, double-overtime victory against Indiana this past Tuesday night inside the Carrier Dome. But the Orange won.
Then, on Saturday in the late afternoon, the ‘Cuse offense struggled, but the team’s defense finally had a solid showing. The result was a 63-60, gut-check triumph for Syracuse basketball in Tallahassee, Fla., over a Florida State group that almost never falls on its own turf.
So now, in the coming week, the Orange will suit up with highly rated Villanova in the Big Apple on Tuesday evening and on Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C., versus those pesky Hoyas.
The Wildcats will be extremely tough to beat, but even if the ‘Cuse goes 1-1 this week, Syracuse basketball will sit at 6-4 overall, having made it through a brutal duration of games and still very much in contention for possible post-season consideration.
Not too shabby for a squad whose 2021-22 term some of my fellow fans declared unequivocally over immediately after the Bahamas tournament.