Syracuse Basketball: Huge quad-one chances loom in battles at blue-bloods Duke, UNC

Syracuse basketball finished out its challenging non-conference docket at 9-2 and is entering the heart of Atlantic Coast Conference competition for the remainder of the 2023-24 regular season.

This past Saturday afternoon, at the JMA Wireless Dome, the Orange picked up a solid conference conquest of long-time rival Pittsburgh, 81-73, after trailing by eight points at halftime.

Now, in the span of 12 days, the ‘Cuse will take on three ACC foes. Two of them are blue-blood programs Duke and North Carolina, who are both ranked in the top 20 of the major polls, and each of those ACC bruisers will take place on the road for Syracuse basketball.

That’s a daunting pair of tasks for the ‘Cuse. It’s also, at the same time, a tremendous opportunity for the Orange to notch one – or dare I say, potentially two? – coveted quadrant-one wins, which would prove huge for the team’s post-season resume.

Syracuse basketball has a brutal, but opportunistic, stretch coming up.

On Tuesday, Jan. 2, beginning at 9 pm inside the frenetic Cameron Indoor Stadium, the ‘Cuse will battle Duke (9-3, 0-1 in the ACC), which was No. 16 in last week’s Associated Press top-25 poll.

The Blue Devils are 15-6 overall against Syracuse basketball (10-3, 1-1 in the ACC), and Duke has claimed eight straight in this series. On the road, the Orange is 2-5 versus the Blue Devils, having won in the past 64-62 and 95-91 in overtime.

When I wrote this column on Monday, the ‘Cuse was No. 78 in the NCAA NET rankings, while Duke checked in at No. 21.

After its game at the Blue Devils, Syracuse basketball will host Boston College (9-3, 0-1 in the ACC) on Wednesday, Jan. 10, beginning at 9 pm and airing on the ACC Network. The Eagles were at No. 75 in the NET ratings.

Then, on Saturday, Jan. 13, commencing at noon on ESPN, the Orange will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face North Carolina (9-3, 1-0 in the ACC), which was No. 9 in last week’s AP top-25 poll.

At present, the Tar Heels are No. 20 in the NET rankings. UNC is 16-6 in its all-time series with the ‘Cuse, has won two in a row against the Orange, and has never fallen to Syracuse basketball in Chapel Hill.

Over at bracketmatrix.com, in mock fields of 68 for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, North Carolina is hovering around a No. 4 seed, while Duke is placed in the No. 6 seed range.

Undeniably, the ‘Cuse has extremely tall tasks ahead in trying to spring upsets over the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels. It’s a lot to ask for the Orange to go 2-0 versus blue-blood programs on the road, but if somehow Syracuse basketball can go 1-1, that would be monumental for its Big Dance resume.