There’s plenty of hype surrounding tonight’s matchup between Syracuse and #7 Virginia. There aren’t many arguments to be made that the Orange will face a better team inside the Dome this season, and it would undeniably be a massive win for SU. But there would be a lot more to it than a season-defining Quad 1 victory. The broader implications of a win tonight should have fans feeling a lot better about the future.
On Saturday afternoon, we were jumping for joy after a recruiting lull that felt like it lasted forever finally came to an end. Elijah Moore’s commitment gave us something to smile about that day before the current roster did anything but. As great as Moore committing was, there’s still a fairly large elephant in the room. Syracuse has as many commits in the Class of 2023 right now as the Bills have Super Bowl appearances this year. Nobody in Central New York can be happy about that (either of those things to be honest).
Even if you’re down about SU’s lack of an incoming freshman class (and you have every right to be), remember that Judah Mintz didn’t commit to Syracuse until this past April, AKA seven months before his first collegiate game. So all hope is certainly not lost, and a win tonight would certainly give us more hope on that front. With the sketchiness of the transfer portal these days, anyone helps.
One other thing, this year has taught us that one top-tier recruit isn’t enough. Sure, the likes of Chris Bell, Justin Taylor, and Maliq Brown have had their moments, but Mintz has been carrying the load among the freshmen this season for the most part. In other words, Moore needs more. Even with a swing-and-a-miss on Elliot Cadeau, there are still plenty of other directions to go to get Moore some friends in his class. Boogie Fland’s name has been in rumors recently, that would be one heck of an addition. Or, and yes this is shooting for the stars a little bit, Bronny James? The point is, anyone and everyone would be a huge help to Moore. A win tonight increases the odds of more recruits coming to Central New York.
A huge win on the court as well as potential wins off the court are on the line for Syracuse tonight. It won’t be easy, but if SU wants to eventually vault back into college basketball’s elite class, not only do you need to secure big wins, you need the talent to do it. A victory tonight would go a long way toward securing said talent.
