Syracuse Orange
Record: 27-5
Head coach: Jim Boeheim (38th season)
Season summary: For the greater part of the regular season, the Orange looked like this year’s team to beat. Head coach Jim Boeheim’s squad won their first 25 games, cruising—notwithstanding a close call against Duke—through opponents like a steak knife through butter. But everything seemed to come off the rails for Syracuse after a stunning upset at the hands of Boston College. Since then, the Orange are a meager 2-5 including losses at the hands of unranked Georgia Tech and N.C. State; the team’s offense has sputtered to a near-standstill and chinks have appeared in the armor of their trademark zone. The good news for Syracuse is that sophomore forward Jerami Grant seems to be finally on the mend from back issues. Hopefully the return of Grant (12.2 PPG) will provide some much-needed scoring help to standout senior guard C.J. Fair (16.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG) manage the team’s offensive workload.
How they make a run: Grant’s return invigorates the team on both ends of the floor, and the Syracuse of January returns in full force.
How they falter: The Orange’s offensive malaise coupled with their stubborn reliance on zone defense could be a recipe for disaster—falling even a few possessions behind at any point in the tournament could prove extremely dangerous.
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