Syracuse basketball is historically bad this year.
That phrase, or something similar to it, has been thrown around by many Syracuse media members, fans, and others this season, and the conversation has gotten louder with every game. It’s true, but to be honest, it’s not good enough to just leave it at that. Let’s put some pen to papers and apply some real numbers to the situation. It’s not fun, but it helps to show the situation that the program is in.
1969-70
Syracuse basketball is on pace to have its fewest wins since 1969-70. The Orange are 7-10, which would turn into 13-18 if they’re consistent going forward. SU has had two 16-win campaigns in the last 50 years, but this season could be even worse. The last time the ‘Cuse was this bad was in ’69-’70, when it won just 12 games.
24
That’s how many games Syracuse basketball played in that 12-win 1969-70 season, finishing with a 12-12 record. Nowadays, the Orange play 31 regular season games a year. That means a 13-win season this year would be far worse than a 12-win season back then. The last time Syracuse won 42% of its games, which is what 13-18 would be, is only a year earlier though, when the Orange went 9-16 (36%).
1972
That’s the last Syracuse University graduating class to not see one NCAA Tournament appearance in its entire four years of college. This year, the class of 2025 will likely have that happen to it as well. As a senior this year, that’s particularly disappointing for me. I’ve watched the Orange my whole life, growing up in town. It felt like a March Madness appearance wasn’t a barometer for success, it was the expectation. With a four-year drought looming, that simply is no longer the case.
