Syracuse Basketball: Sizing up the Orange’s full non-conference schedule

The non-conference docket for Syracuse basketball in the upcoming campaign is now complete. On paper, at least, it doesn’t appear as daunting as the team’s non-conference slate in the 2021-22 stanza, when the Orange finished at 16-17 overall.

I’ve gone on record in saying that I believe the ‘Cuse will benefit from a less brutal non-conference schedule in 2022-23, given that Syracuse basketball has a relatively young roster this coming term which includes a six-member recruiting class and other underclassmen.

The 11th and final non-conference foe for the Orange in 2022-23 is Colonial Athletic Association member Northeastern, as the Huskies will head to the JMA Wireless Dome on November 19, per SU Athletics.

All-time, Syracuse basketball is 8-0 against Northeastern. Their most recent encounter came in December of 2020, when the ‘Cuse squeaked by the Huskies in Central New York, 62-56.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the Syracuse basketball non-conference calendar this season.

With Northeastern on the table, by my count, the Orange’s non-conference schedule will include eight home games, two neutral-site contests and one road affair.

The team’s eight bouts on the Hill will be against Lehigh, Colgate, Northeastern, Bryant, Oakland, Georgetown, Monmouth and Cornell.

In November, Syracuse basketball will make a trip to New York City to compete in the 2022 Empire Classic, where it will suit up in two games versus three potential opponents in St. John’s, Temple or Richmond.

The only road match-up for the ‘Cuse in its non-conference slate is to Illinois as part of the 2022 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. My gut sense is that this duel with the Fighting Illini will prove the most challenging non-conference game for Syracuse basketball.

Given that we don’t know at this juncture which two foes the Orange will square off against in the 2022 Empire Classic, for now, the ‘Cuse has 12 possible overall opponents.

Just to provide a bit of context, a stanza ago, 9 of these 12 teams had records of .500 or better, while 3 of these squads fell under .500 in 2021-22.

Naturally, this doesn’t in any way signify how good – or not good – the Orange’s non-conference foes will end up in 2022-23. We’ll have to wait and see on that.

From my perspective, the ‘Cuse non-conference opponents this upcoming stanza are, as a whole, a solid group. But, for example, a term ago, Syracuse basketball faced both Auburn and Villanova in the non-conference.

The Tigers and the Wildcats were each a No. 2 seed in this spring’s NCAA Tournament, with Villanova reaching the Final Four.

Are there squads of this “caliber” on the Orange’s non-conference schedule in 2022-23? That remains to be seen, although personally, I would say no, there are not.

Here’s the full non-conference docket for Syracuse basketball in the upcoming campaign, and I included opponents’ records from a season ago.

November 7 vs. Lehigh (13-19 last year)
November 15 vs. Colgate (23-12 last year)
November 19 vs. Northeastern (9-22 last year)
November 21 vs. St. John’s, Temple or Richmond (2022 Empire Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y.)*
November 22 vs. St. John’s, Temple or Richmond (2022 Empire Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y.)*
November 26 vs. Bryant (22-10 last year)
November 29 at Illinois (2022 ACC-Big Ten Challenge); Illinois went 23-10 last year
December 6 vs. Oakland (20-12 last year)
December 10 vs. Georgetown (6-25 last year)
December 12 vs. Monmouth (21-13 last year)
December 17 vs. Cornell (15-11 last year)

*St. John’s, 17-15 last year
*Temple, 17-12 last year
*Richmond, 24-13 last year