I’m a proud SU alumnus and an often staunch supporter of head coach Jim Boeheim, but it’s getting really hard to defend him, after what has transpired the past two years – and over the last four games – for Syracuse basketball.
On Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, the Orange put forth a really embarrassing performance in getting crushed by Georgia Tech, 96-76.
The ‘Cuse has now lost four straight Atlantic Coast Conference games, and all four of these setbacks have been by at least 17 points.
It’s one thing to fight tough and come up a few points short against quality foes. But the Orange looks simply dreadful these days, as the team heads toward the end of the 2022-23 regular season.
Syracuse basketball is in a bad, bad spot.
Forget any talk of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, unless the ‘Cuse goes on a miraculous run in the upcoming ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
Heck, Syracuse basketball (16-14, 9-10 in the ACC) isn’t even close to the conversation for an NIT invite. The Orange went 16-17 a stanza ago, the team’s first season with a losing record in Boeheim’s tenure.
If the ‘Cuse loses to Wake Forest on the Hill this coming Saturday in the regular-season finale, and then the Orange gets bounced in its first ACC Tournament contest, Syracuse basketball could wind up with a 16-16 mark in 2022-23.
Sorry, my friends, but that’s unacceptable. And this coming from someone who loves ‘Cuse hoops like it’s nobody’s business. I love Jim Boeheim equally as much.
However, this most recent four-game stretch is simply pathetic. Syracuse basketball has now fallen to Duke by 22 points, Clemson by 18 points, Pittsburgh by 17 points and Georgia Tech by 20 points.
The Orange defense has allowed at least 91 points in three consecutive encounters. That’s incredible, and not in a good way. Syracuse basketball can’t hold its own on the glass, and the ‘Cuse is absolutely dreadful defending the perimeter.
Case in point, the Yellow Jackets (13-17, 5-14) entered Tuesday evening’s ACC clash averaging 32.8 percent from beyond the arc to date in 2022-23.
On the road versus the Orange, Georgia Tech made a school record 18 shots from long range, and it connected on 45.0 percent from 3-point land.
The Yellow Jackets, in dismantling Syracuse basketball, also grabbed their first ACC road victory of the present stanza.
Georgia Tech led by nine points at halftime but really started to create separation from the ‘Cuse early on in the second half. And in that second half, Boeheim went to a man-to-man defense.
Analyst Mike Gminski, who was part of the broadcast team calling this game, made a comment that for Syracuse basketball to switch from its zone defense to a man defense, “something drastic” must have been occurring.
And Gminski is right. The Orange wasn’t just losing by a small margin to a sub-par opponent, although to Georgia Tech’s credit, it had gone 4-2 in its six most recent affairs prior to Tuesday night.
On Tuesday evening, candidly, the ‘Cuse got its collective butt kicked. For the fourth time in a row. I will always bleed Orange. I love Syracuse basketball. I love Boeheim.
But something has to change. This program, once proud and successful, and among the winningest squads in the history of Division I men’s basketball, has absolutely hit rock bottom.
As a proud 2000 graduate of Syracuse University, that makes me really, really sad.