Syracuse basketball has started off the new year in a difficult way.
After wrapping up 2021 with consecutive home wins over Ivy League foes Brown and Cornell to move to 7-5, the Orange would commence 2022 with a January 1 date against Virginia on the Hill, followed by road encounters versus Miami and Wake Forest.
UVA isn’t stellar so far in the current term, but the Cavaliers have been one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s best squads in recent years, winning a national title in 2019. The Hurricanes and the Demon Deacons, meanwhile, have proven two of the ACC’s top teams at this juncture in the 2021-22 stanza.
Not an easy three-game stretch by any means. And the ‘Cuse hung tough in every one of these league encounters, but the Orange couldn’t muster any triumphs from this trio and has dropped below the .500 mark with about half of the 2021-22 regular season remaining.
Syracuse basketball is oh, so close in its recent ACC match-ups.
To recap, since January 1, the ‘Cuse (7-8, 1-3) has fallen at home to Virginia, and on the road to Miami and Wake Forest, by a combined nine points. Nine points. That stings.
On the Hill versus UVA, Syracuse basketball was tied with the Cavaliers at halftime but ended up losing by five points. Against the Hurricanes, the Orange had an 18-point, first-half edge, but fell by one point.
And on Saturday afternoon versus Wake Forest, Syracuse basketball was down by two points at the half, went up by eight points early in the second half, and ended up suffering a 77-74 setback in overtime.
Not many teams had a tougher week than Syracuse. Orange lost two games by a combined four points. Now 7-8 overall.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 8, 2022
Worth noting that Jim Boeheim --- who was hired in 1976 --- has never had a losing season.
My point here is that, particularly in the meetings with the Hurricanes and the Demon Deacons, it could have been easy for the Orange to wither away. The ‘Cuse blew a huge advantage at Miami but almost pulled out a triumph.
In a hostile environment against Wake Forest, after the Demon Deacons stormed back from an eight-point deficit, again, Syracuse basketball didn’t fold and had its chances to knock off this ACC foe.
Head coach Jim Boeheim, during his post-game press conference following the Wake Forest outcome, said that his players had done enough to beat both Miami and the Demon Deacons, but the Orange just couldn’t quite get it done.
Look, it’s unfortunate that the ‘Cuse is 7-8 at this juncture in the 2021-22 stanza. Orange fans are frustrated. I imagine that Syracuse basketball coaches and players are as well.
But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that the ‘Cuse is right there with a couple of the better squads in the ACC. And with some of these games away from Central New York, too. Heck, this past Saturday evening, Miami upset No. 2 Duke on the road. The ‘Canes are legit.
Maybe 2021-22 will be Boeheim’s first losing season at the helm on the Hill. Maybe it won’t. For me, though, I’m proud of my alma mater and the Syracuse basketball program.
Orange players are fighting as hard as they can, they’re not getting blown out, and now they get to host three ACC groups in a row.