Struggles sometimes set people up for a major comeback.
That is exactly what the Syracuse basketball program will experience next season. After this season, which has featured injuries and postseason bans, the program is setting itself up for a major comeback.
The Orange will have freshman Chris McCullough back, a more experienced Kaleb Joseph, and a more talented Michael Gbinije. On top of those, Tyler Roberson will return as a major factor in the defensive column being one of the go-to guys who can really step up in the loss of Rakeem Christmas.
Syracuse also has one of the best recruiting classes. This team is hungry to rebound and find a way to make a name for itself again. Syracuse has been unranked for the majority of the season and even before the ban, it was flirting with an early exit from whatever tournament it would play in.
Two recent games show the hunger of this team to bounce back next year. The loss against Duke made this team frustrated and pushing to get better and better to be even better next season. The Louisville win was a confidence booster heading into the rest of the season. It helped this year’s team realize they can still compete at a high level and stay in close games with the top teams in the nation.
What does this mean?
They will be more experienced, talented, rested, and calm heading into next season. Unlike the football program where it was time to give up early, it is not time to give up on the basketball program. Sure it is not going to play in the postseason this year, but they learn and become more and more motivated to make a bigger splash last year.
Posted: Austin Pollack
