This may be the least hope Syracuse Men’s Basketball has ever had entering the ACC Tournament. The Orange will almost certainly need to win the whole thing to get an NCAA Tournament bid, and everything that’s happened this season says that’s not happening. The run starts tonight against Florida State.
But anything can happen March. So what have the Orange done in past ACC tournaments? Let’s take a look.
2014
In Syracuse’s first year in the ACC, the Orange rolled to the #2 seed after a dominant 14-4 conference slate. This earned SU a double bye (hard to imagine that now). But Syracuse was on the wrong side of an upset. Seventh-seeded NC State bounced SU in the quarterfinals 63-66.
2015
Syracuse did not compete in the ACC tournament while serving its self-imposed postseason ban.
2016
After a .500 conference slate, Syracuse fell to the nine-seed, giving them the last first-round bye. Unfortunately, SU’s stay would once again be cut short, this time with a 72-71 loss to eighth-seeded Pittsburgh.
2017
Deja vu? Again Syracuse had an average conference season, getting the eight-seed and a first-round bye. And again, Syracuse lost in its first game, this time 62-57 to ninth-seeded Miami. A pattern is emerging.
2018
For the first time since 2014, Syracuse had to play in the first round after finishing the regular season as the 11-seed. But unlike years past, Syracuse overcame injury and took its opener 73-64 over 14-seed Wake Forest. But a run stopped in the second round 78-59 to six-seed North Carolina.
2019
In one of Syracuse’s best ACC tournaments, the Orange gained the six-seed and dominated Pittsburgh 73-59 in the second round. With high expectations headed into the quarterfinals, three-seed Duke was too much in an 84-72 loss.
2020
Syracuse won one game as the six-seed in the second round over North Carolina, but the rest of the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
Syracuse returned to the common 8-9 game as the eight-seed against NC State. In the second round matchup, SU dominated in an 89-69. Then, against top-seeded Virginia in the quarterfinals, SU took the Cavaliers down to the wire, but fell 72-69.
2022
If it feels like this is getting repetitive, it is. Syracuse again was in the 8-9 game, as the nine-seed against Florida State. It dominated in a 96-57 win, kept its quarterfinal with one-seed Duke close, but lost 88-79.
2023
Again the eighth-seed, this time SU’s faltered in its second round game, losing 77-74 to Wake Forest on a game-winning three with under a second left.
2024
And in the most recent matchup, Syracuse was the seven-seed against 10-seed NC State. SU got demolished 83-65 in the second round as the Wolfpack went on to win the whole thing.
Moral of the story…history is not on the side of the Orange. Syracuse has never made past the quarterfinals, but hasn’t won a game in the tournament since 2022, and has never won two games.
