Get your brackets out because it’s time to pick ‚Äòem. Yes, Syracuse is not competing in this year‚Äôs Big Dance and the recent NCAA sanctions against the program still sting.
Good news for Orange Nation, when the Carrier Dome hosts the East Region Finals at the end of March, it will be easy to cheer against the favorites.
If the top seeds from the East were to take care of business and make it to Syracuse next Friday March 27th, the Dome would welcome Villanova, Virginia, Oklahoma and Louisville.
Piece of cake, right? You’ve got a former Big East rival in Villanova squeezing into the tournament as a No. 1 seed. Many are writing off the Wildcats early in this tournament, but Syracuse fans certainly would not mind attending a heckling session for Nova if it indeed advances.
Although Virginia isn’t necessarily a “rival,” the Cavs did beat up on SU at the Dome at the start of the month. The Wahoos have a solid advantage if they return to the Dome in a few weeks. Ideally the ACC would expect Syracuse to support the rest of its conference foes. Well, Tony Bennett’s squad beat SU handedly and Orange fans have yet to see SU actually beat UVA as a member of the ACC. Therefore, easy to cheer against Virginia.
With what was just said, Oklahoma is the simple pick for Syracuse fans to come out of the East region. Bank on lots of “Let’s Go Sooners” chants in the Loudhouse. When filling out a bracket with your heart as opposed to your head, Oklahoma is your team!
And last, and arguably least, Louisville is the No. 4 seed. How crazy would an East Region matchup of Villanova and Louisville in Syracuse be? Words cannot describe the potential environment. The Orange did beat the Cards for its first win against a ranked opponent this season. So there’s no need for revenge, but hard to cheer for either side here.
All said and done, I’d think Oklahoma-Villanova would be the best case scenario for Syracuse fans in attendance. It gives the crowd more chances to boo the Wildcats and see their championship hopes crumble. No matter what, Syracuse supporters would love to see both Louisville and Villanova go down in the Sweet 16/Elite 8 Rounds.
Posted:  Brendan Glasheen
