Well, this year sucks.
The Orange was a big, fat undefeated kind-of thing back in the good ol’ days of ’09.¬†Two days in this new calendar and already there’s a blemish on the schedule.
The 5th-ranked ‘Cuse has no one to blame but itself in¬†the 82-72 home loss at the hands of Pitt.
Jamie Dixon’s Panthers do what they normally do against the Orange: play stellar defense, force turnovers and play a frenetic tempo that’s impossible for SU to catch up to.
The Orange tossed up bad shots throughout the final thirty of game time, the prime culprits being Andy Rautins and Brandon Triche. The two combined for 1-11 shooting from beyond the arc. Hey guys, feel free to dish when you’re colder than a basement party on Ostrom.
Not all that surprising, though. Even the most optimistic (and delusional) pockets of Orange Nation couldn’t believe SU would remain unscathed for long in the rough-and-tumble Big East. Tough part is that the first loss happens at home. Would’ve liked to keep the Dome dominance alive until at least February.
Alas, silver linings are what we do. The best start ever for Syracuse and The Per’fesser? The ’99-’00 edition¬†which went 19-0.
That team ended up losing to the ever-annoying Flintstones and eventual National Champion Michigan State in the Sweet 16.
Here’s hoping this Orange squad has a pinch more pixie dust in March than the ’99-’00 team.
We’ll trade the losses now for a little luck then.
