Syracuse Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Orange
Schedule Outlook
As no stranger to the “due to COVID-19…” narrative, Syracuse’s basketball schedule still remains somewhat undetermined. However, the ACC seems likely to move forward with a plan granting each team 20 in-conference games, with potentially seven non-conference games.
At this point, we know two games against Boston College, Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, and Pittsburgh all await the Orange, with their other ACC rivals set to fill in all the other game slots. As for their non-conference contests, Coach Boeheim mentioned some ongoing efforts by the team to set up a game against Georgetown, as well as a matchup against a Big Ten team, presumably one geographically close to Syracuse such as Rutgers.
Boeheim also revealed the program’s intentions to possibly host a multi-team event around halfway through the season, certainly putting the newly renovated Carrier Dome to good use.
Syracuse is attempting to host a three-team MTE early in the season, per Jim Boeheim. Orange also have a home game against Georgetown on the books as well as a game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 2, 2020
As perhaps the only thing similar to last year though, playing 20 games within the ACC remains an incredibly difficult task. Tough games include those matched up against Duke and Virginia, both with championship aspirations, as well as a Florida State, North Carolina, and Louisville, all just clipping at their heels.
However, it’s likely how the Orange fair against similar middle-pack teams such as Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and NC State that will determine their tournament chances. But if the Orange finds an alternative way to earn 20-19 wins, they need not worry also due to their schedule’s difficulty as an ACC team.