Syracuse basketball, these days, is playing about as well as could be expected in the 2021-22 campaign.
The Orange (12-11, 6-6) is back above the .500 mark after destroying Louisville on the Hill this past Saturday afternoon. The ‘Cuse, a team that has captured three Atlantic Coast Conference clashes in a row, is performing at an exceptionally high level on offense, doing what it needs to get done on defense, and more than holding its own on the glass.
All in all, the Orange at present looks like a squad that could continue to pile up successes as the 2021-22 regular term begins to wind down over the next month or so.
I’m not in any way saying that Syracuse basketball is realistically going to enter the conversation for a Big Dance berth this spring, but if the ‘Cuse keeps on playing well and winning games, stranger things could happen.
Syracuse basketball, up next, is on the road for two ACC encounters.
Although the Orange is just 2-5 in true road contests so far in 2021-22, the ‘Cuse has a pair of ACC meetings over the next week that I believe are winnable affairs for Syracuse basketball.
First up, the Orange will travel to Boston College (9-12, 4-7) on Tuesday, Feb. 8, for an 8 pm tip-off from the Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Then, this Saturday, Feb. 12, at 6 pm, Syracuse basketball will make a trip to Blacksburg, Va., for an ACC showdown with Virginia Tech.
The Eagles, at the time of this writing, were rated No. 148 overall via KenPom. That sub-par ranking includes No. 168 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 154 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Additionally, Boston College checked in at No. 170 of the NET ratings. The Eagles, though, are a solid 8-3 on their own turf to date in the 2021-22 stanza.
After recently dispatching of Wake Forest, N.C. State and then Louisville, Syracuse basketball was tied with Florida State for No. 7 in the ACC standings following last weekend’s slate of contests.
If the ‘Cuse could take care of Boston College and Virginia Tech this coming week, that would push the Orange’s success streak to five overall, and Syracuse basketball would be two games above .500 in league competition.
The Eagles, by and large, have struggled this season. In early December, they did knock off Notre Dame, and the Fighting Irish of late has emerged as one of the ACC’s premier groups.
But besides that conquest and a two-point road victory over Clemson, Boston College’s schedule at this juncture in 2021-22 isn’t overly impressive. The Eagles have also gotten blown out in some of their setbacks.
Boston College isn’t a great shooting team, connecting on 41.1 percent from the field as a whole, 70.4 percent from the charity stripe, and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc.
It’s true that the Eagles’ defense allows roughly nine fewer points on average than the Orange has in 2021-22. However, Boston College scores a mere 65.1 points a game on offense.
Syracuse basketball, meanwhile, is averaging more than 90 points per encounter during its recent three-game winning streak. The ‘Cuse has found a nice groove, and the team should be able to best Boston College on Tuesday.