March Madness is finally here! Although Syracuse didn’t make the Big Dance this year, everyone is still watching hoops. Don’t just pull for your brackets and bets, though. Here’s a list of teams to root for (and against) as a Syracuse fan this week.
Root Against: UConn
There are only three Big East teams in the NCAA Tournament this year, but two of them aren’t historic programs within the conference. Marquette and Creighton aren’t worth cheering against, but UConn certainly is.
The Huskies are one of the other powerhouses in the region. Any big tournament runs will continue to help their recruiting and national standing. UConn winning is bad for Syracuse, so root against them. Plus, UConn has had plenty of big wins against SU, and their fans love to brag, so giving them some humble pie would also be nice.
A loss for UConn is a win for America.
Root For: Every ACC Team
The public perception of the ACC has been declining for years. This year was a low point, and it got a whole lot worse when Virginia got absolutely embarrassed in its First Four game.
Now, the reputation of the ACC lies in the hands of North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, and NC State. If two of those teams can make the Sweet Sixteen and one of them can make the Final Four, then that should greatly help the conference’s reputation.
Root Against: Every Mountain West Team
For whatever reason, the big debate this year has been whether the ACC is stronger than the Mountain West. Six MW teams getting a tournament bid didn’t help the ACC’s case. Now, simply to help prove the point that Syracuse is part of a stronger conference, Orange fans should root against the Mountain West in March Madness.
Root For: Michigan State
This one might be a stretch, but Spartans head coach Tom Izzo is a part of the same era of coaches as Jim Boeheim. He’s one of the last remaining, with Coach K and Roy Williams retired. It would be nice to see an older guy win in an era of younger coaches.
