Syracuse Basketball: Are the Orange an NCAA Tournament team?

The annual discussion about Syracuse basketball’s status on the NCAA Tournament bubble has begun in earnest once again.

Almost every year, the Syracuse Orange find themselves on the NCAA Tournament bubble, with arguments to be made for both inclusion and exclusion. They find themselves in that position once again in 2018.

Last season, many believed the Orange deserved to be in the big dance. They went 18-13 during the regular season, including 10-8 in ACC play. They recorded three wins over teams ranked in the AP top-10 at the time. Yet, Syracuse went to the NIT.

So far, they are 15-6 this season, albeit with a less promising 4-4 ACC record. None of those ACC wins are against surefire tournament teams either, with two of them coming against Pitt, one against Boston College and one over Virginia Tech, another bubble team.

Holding their nonconference record up to a brighter light doesn’t look great for Syracuse either. Their best win in nonconference play was a nail-biter over Maryland. The only other victories over major conference foes came against Connecticut (imploding) and Georgetown (buoyed by their own weak nonconference record).

Their only challenge came against Kansas, where the team lost by 16 points. Syracuse’s conference losses have been competitive, with only one being a double-digit loss. They keep playing to other team’s strengths, though, losing a defensive battle against Virginia and a shootout against Florida State.

There are opportunities for Syracuse to improve their resume, with the biggest coming this week. No team is hotter than Virginia, so an upset in the Carrier Dome on Saturday could pay massive dividends. The Orange also have one game each remaining against North Carolina, Clemson, and Duke.

Next: A sad season in college basketball

At the moment, Syracuse’s record appears better than the actual quality of the team would suggest. Led by Tyus Battle, the Orange have three great players and a bunch of ensemble pieces still trying to find their part.

They were one of the last eight teams in our latest bracketology installment.