Syracuse basketball has dipped a bit since joining the ACC. Will this 2019 recruiting class pull the Orange to the top of the conference?
Under the leadership of head coach Jim Boeheim, Syracuse basketball has been one of the most consistently successful programs in the nation for the past 43 years. That’s right, he has been the leader of the program for that long and has remained one of the best coaches in the game. With that said, though, the program has struggled a bit since moving to the ACC. Although they have averaged 10 conference wins per season and have reached four NCAA Tournaments (six total years), this definitely been a dip from their dominant stretch in the Big East.
As a result of these struggles, the Orange have fallen out of the national spotlight. Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia have emerged as the top-tier teams in the ACC over the past few years and Syracuse will need to put together a few nice regular season finishes before rejoining that crew. Due to Coach Boeheim’s incredible zone defensive scheme, the Orange are always dangerous in the postseason but might need to show more regular-season prowess.
After reaching the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, Syracuse looks as though it might be back on the rise. In order for continued improvement to occur as a program, the Orange will need to see immediate contributions from their incoming recruiting class. This group, which is ranked at No. 31 in the nation, features five commits. There are high expectations surrounding many of these players and it will be intriguing to see their development within the program.
Even though the 2019-20 season is still several months away, let’s take an early look at what each member of Syracuse’s recruiting class might be able to bring to the table.