NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga falls, UNC rises in latest AP Top 25

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 16: Oshae Brissett #11 and teammate Tyus Battle #25 of the Syracuse Orange react after the conclusion of the first half of the game against Oregon Ducks during the 2k Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

3. Did Syracuse deserve to drop THAT far?

A week ago, the Syracuse Orange were part of the trio tied for the final spot in the AP Top 25.

One home loss to Old Dominion later, Syracuse isn’t just out of the rankings – they’re out of consideration altogether.

The Orange didn’t receive a single vote in the latest AP vote. Even NJIT received a single vote in the latest AP vote.

Perhaps that was an acknowledgement that the Orange didn’t deserve to be ranked in the first place. Outside of a win over Ohio State, Syracuse’s only win over a major conference opponent came on December 8, when they skated by a mediocre Georgetown team by a single point.

They now have losses to UConn, Oregon, and the Monarchs, none of whom are ranked at the moment (or even have a single vote among them).

The hype surrounding Syracuse and their returning roster at the beginning of the season has far exceeded the results on the court.

Syracuse still has enough talent on their roster to be dangerous come March. Tyus Battle, Oshae Brissett, and Frank Howard (who’s struggling post-injury) form a great trio for an NCAA Tournament team.

Right now, they deserve every vote they received in this week’s poll – none of them.