Syracuse Basketball: Pre-season ACC power rankings aren't super high on the Orange

In super early pre-season Atlantic Coast Conference power rankings ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, Syracuse basketball is projected to finish precisely in the middle of the pack.

Granted, these sorts of way-too-early prognostications are subjective in nature and, well, super early. They're undeniably fun to debate, but I would take them at least a little bit with the proverbial grain of salt.

This week, 247Sports national writer Isaac Trotter put out his way-too-early ACC power rankings for the upcoming season, and he's got the Orange at No. 9 overall. The ACC, by the way, expands to 18 members in hoops this coming term, with the additions of California, Stanford and SMU.

Perennial league heavyweights Duke and North Carolina lead the way, at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. That's not a surprise. In 2023-24, the Blue Devils went to the Elite Eight, while the Tar Heels were a No. 1 seed and got to the Sweet 16.

Syracuse basketball is forecast at No. 9 in the ACC's pecking order for 2024-25.

Here is Trotter's full list of his ACC power rankings:
Duke
North Carolina
Miami
Louisville
Wake Forest
Clemson
Pittsburgh
Virginia
Syracuse
N.C. State
Notre Dame
Georgia Tech
SMU
Virginia Tech
California
Stanford
Boston College
Florida State

For some context, in 2023-24 under first-year head coach Adrian Autry, the 'Cuse went 20-12 overall, winning 20 regular-season games for the first time in a decade. The Orange, last year, was picked to finish at No. 10 in the ACC, and Syracuse basketball earned the No. 7 seed in this past ACC Tournament, falling in its first game to No. 10 seed N.C. State, which would go on a magical run to the Final Four of this spring's March Madness.

Looking ahead to 2024-25, seven Orange players from a season ago hit the transfer portal, while sophomore point guard Judah Mintz is heading to this summer's NBA Draft. Five players on the 2023-24 roster are expected to return, and the 'Cuse has a 2024 recruiting class that includes two high school seniors and three college transfers.

This means that the Syracuse basketball staff still has three open scholarships left for the upcoming campaign. We'll have to wait and see if the Orange adds any additional players prior to 2024-25 commencing.

To be fair, Trotter writes that the 'Cuse "has boatloads of talent." I agree with that statement.

He adds that "Syracuse is still trying to round out its roster with a few extra bodies for the backcourt, but the rotation looks like a team that should compete for a Big Dance bid." I agree with this as well.

On paper, I like the Orange's 2024-25 roster. I believe that the team could use more depth, perhaps at guard, out on the wing as far as 3-point shooting is concerned, and among the squad's power forwards/centers.

As the 2024-25 season inches closer, it won't surprise me if Syracuse basketball isn't high up in ACC power rankings, and it also won't surprise me if the Orange isn't included in super early bracketology projections for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, given that the 'Cuse has missed three straight Big Dances.

But the games are played on the court, and I'm excited to see what this significantly revamped Syracuse basketball roster can do in the upcoming season.