Sometimes, it’s the hope that kills you.
Syracuse has endured one of its disappointing seasons in program history, and finished the regular season at 13-18, losing five of its last seven games. In ACC play, the Orange were 7-13 with a winning percentage of 35%, their worst mark ever.
Despite its poor play, Syracuse closed its regular season with an impressive 84-70 win over the Virginia Cavaliers, delivering one of its most complete performances all year. The Orange never trailed, shooting 60% from the field and 43% from deep despite its well-documented struggles from the three-point line this season.
It begs the question: can they replicate their performance against the Cavaliers in the first round of the ACC tournament?
For starters, Syracuse will be facing a better opponent than Virginia. The Orange snuck into the tournament as a 14th seed, which means they’ll play the 17-14 Florida State Seminoles in the first round. Syracuse suffered a blowout 90-74 loss against the Seminoles when the two matched up on Jan. 4, so they’ll need to rise to the occasion if the Orange want to make the necessary adjustments to win.
Another variable against the Orange is that they’ll be without forward Donnie Freeman, who posted 16 points and 10 rebounds against Florida State. That was the last time Freeman played this season, as he was shortly ruled out for the season with a foot injury. With no Freeman, Syracuse will hope big man Eddie Lampkin continues his recent strong play.
In Syracuse’s win over Virginia, Lampkin posted a monster double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds. If the Orange want to win, Lampkin must deliver a similar performance. They’ll also need lead guard J.J. Starling to break out of his slump, as he’s shot just 4-for-22 from the field over his last two games.
Outside of its two best players, Syracuse needs to win the three-point battle while crashing the glass. In their first matchup, the Orange hit 10 three-pointers at a 40% clip, but struggled to defend on the perimeter and allowed the Seminoles to shoot 39% from deep, negating their advantage. Against Virginia, the Orange defended the three-point line, and that’s what they’ll need to do against Florida State.
The Seminoles also outrebounded Syracuse 36-31, which can’t happen. The Orange had a 26-17 advantage on the glass against the Cavaliers, giving them the second-chance opportunities they’ll need to beat the Seminoles.
Even if the Orange win, they still have a mountain to climb to reach the NCAA tournament, but that won’t stop Syracuse fans from hoping it’ll happen. If the Orange can beat Florida State, it could be the start of something that could take the sting out of what’s been a bitter pill to swallow for a program with such a rich history of success.
