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The ACC Tournament is underway in Greensboro, and the Orange is in uncharted territory. SU has played the traditional powerhouses in Duke and UNC, as well as the conference champion Virginia, splitting four games against those three teams. So which one is the biggest challenge to SU?
Syracuse and UNC wouldn’t meet until a potential championship game, and the Orange handled the Tar Heels pretty easily back in mid-January. SU didn’t even play particularly well in that game, possibly a sign of things to come, shooting just 35 percent from the field, yet still winning by a dozen. Jerami Grant played a big role in his first game starting in place of DaJuan Coleman, putting up a double double in the victory. Of course, since then UNC has turned things around, winning 13 of its 15 games since the loss to SU, with the losses coming to Duke and Virginia. With the streak, the Tar Heels jumped all the way to number 15 in the final AP Poll. This is a different UNC team than the one Syracuse faced in the Dome in mid-January, but the Heels still may not be a big threat to the Orange. Of course, this is all assuming both teams can reach the finals to begin with. Threat Level: low.
Syracuse and Duke played two epic games this season; however in both cases the winner was the home team. Whether you want to point to Boeheim’s explosion in Cameron as a reason for an Orange loss, or questionable fouls in the Dome as a reason for a Duke loss, most college basketball fans probably agree they want to see a third matchup between the Orange and the Blue Devils. But this time, it would be on a neutral court, with the possibility of a seed change in the NCAA tournament on the line. This game could provide some closure on the season series that has produced multiple great moments in the college basketball season. And it would only be a semifinal. Since Syracuse has beaten Duke once this year, Threat Level: mild.
The trip to Virginia did not go well for the Orange. SU had a chance to put itself in the driver’s seat for a regular-season ACC title in its first year in the conference. Instead, Virginia won its first conference championship since 1982 with a blowout win over the Orange. Syracuse really let the game slip away late when Virginia seemingly couldn’t miss a shot and the Orange had no answer on offense. The Cavaliers were the better team in Charlottesville a couple of weeks ago, and would probably still be the better team if the two were to meet on a neutral court in the championship game of the ACC tournament. Threat Level: high.
What about the field? Really, those three teams are the only three teams that should be perceived as threats going into the ACC Tournament. Of course, the Orange has lost to Boston College and Georgia Tech already this year, but it’s unrealistic to expect the Orange to lose to either one, and for either GT or BC to get to the semifinals. The same goes for the other ACC teams, the Orange would still be large favorites over any of them likely with nothing to fear even after close calls in the regular season.
Posted by: Seth Goldberg 
10 responses to “Caution Ahead: The Biggest Threats to Syracuse in the ACC Tournament”
The biggest threats are foul trouble and injury because we only play 7 players.
You guys are nuts. UNC as “low”? Maybe in a one game scenario sure, but, as a third game in three days, UNC is a lot more than a low threat to beat SU. They’ll run it up on offense every time, even if it results in nothing but a brick, and that would take its toll in the last ten mins of the game, just like Louisville last year.
Kev
YAWN III!! On syracuse.com they are talking about spring football. Just thought I let you all know that!!
DO NOIT FORGET THE KIDS OF PSABUSEDU!! THE NCAA DID!!
Terry,
I’ll tell u what you tell me during football season. It’s basketball season!
Anyways the biggest threat is not being able to put the ball in the hoop. Also for the love of god please no1 get hurt!!
The Orange’s biggest opponent will be themselve.
@terry;
God!!, man have you read the article about Syracuse and LSU scheduling a home and home series for football? The game will be played in the “CARRIER DOME” and not at the MetLife Stadium in Jersey.
Tell me please,does anyone have doubts about Coach Shafer taking this program to the next level? ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!
Ron I hear frustration on no SUFB info!! Thanks for the support!! But at the same time I’m not comfortable talking bout SUFB on a site strongly affixed to SUBB!!
Typical Carlton!! Look SUBB is a constant subject when SUFB is on prime time. Sop the BS about what season it is. Its been way to long and tons of SUFB stories out there, but DA/Staff sit on their butts with NO SUFB coming from their side of things!!
Ron I’m not real happy about playing LSU at all. They are way above SU in ability and beating them will be next to impossible. I know that’s down the road, but still a team like Mississippi/KSU/Illinois/PSU or UCLA for example would be better in my book!! They are all over the area and maybe beatable! Also the real story coming out of this years spring game is the backup QB’s vs #10!! I still feel old #10 is not the man. We’ll see!!
Ron-HCSS is really trying compared to dougie!! So I think its improving at a slow pace. Again class in the low 50’s is better, but not top 50 as of yet!! But close!!
Damn its so good to talk about the nations # 1 college sport FOOTBALL. Many more SU CUSE stories out there its just this site is pro SUBB now. Yet just remember my whining when SUFB is prime time and DA sneaks a boring SUBB story in around August 2014!! Check it out it does HAPPEN!! But no sneaking in SUFB in here now!!
I couldn’t get on this website over the last two days because of maintence to the site being done.
I too have a hard time believing Terrell Hunt is the man to beat this spring.
We’re all going to have to wait to see what happens in practice.
For playing LSU,I’m all for it. Over the last 5-10 years the complaint has been the lack of big time programs coming into the dome. Well here we are trying to schedule them and look at what people are saying already. I get worked up Terry just thinking about LSU coming to the dome to play us. I can’t look 2-3 years down the road to see what the future is going to be or what either team will be like then. But for all of the fans that have complained about the games being played in MetLife Stadium instead of the Carrier Dome,kind of knocks the wind out of their sails on this argument,doen’t it?
I see the cry babies that don’t come to the games now changing their complaints to maybe I couldn’t go because it was raining out or couldn’t go because it was to warm out or a slight breeze was blowing and I didn’t want to have my hair messed up. They will find something new to complain about.
All I can say Terry is that I got real ezcited the other day when they announced a possible home and home deal with LSU almost finalized. Looking forward to watching them in the dome and it doesn’t matter when.
@terry;
I’m hoping that both schools sign a contract and agree to play a home and home series sometime in the future. I’d also love to see a long time deal struck with Penn St.
Your concerns about playing LSU are legitimate,but remember the past,we were heavy underdogs against Nebraska in 1984 and we didn’t have a chance against Auburn in the 1987 Sugar Bowl and we ended up winning both of those games.
Have faith bro,and remember we play the game for a reason and I believe that we have a chance to win.
Ron SUFB just needs a slow build!! After all SU isn’t a super power!!
Last I knew SU was behind 6 points to NCS!!