Syracuse Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Orange

Season Outlook

Even with some solid talent and depth at hand, Syracuse’s unavoidably difficult schedule unfortunately still leaves the team and its tournament chances highly questionable. Likely to sweat out another Selection Sunday, the Orange will take any win they can muster.

However, a scenario involving Syracuse stealing a few games and improving their postseason odds feels just as likely as one which depicts the team failing to make the tournament at all. Trusting that both Anselem and Richmond live up to their hype as freshmen behind each returning player’s consistent contributions, I expect the Orange to give their more noteworthy ACC rivals some serious trouble, even walking away with wins against Louisville and North Carolina.

Defense ultimately seems likely to make or break things for the Orange though, as it essentially dug them into an inescapable hole last year. If things continue to go south especially along the perimeter, we might even see Jim Boeheim end his 45-year relationship with the 2-3 defense given how much it hurt the team a year ago.

Furthermore, playing without fans at the Carrier Dome and its effects remains something to keep an eye on as well. Very few teams gain a greater advantage while surrounded by their fanbases at home than Syracuse, consequently leaving the team at a more sizeable disadvantage for this season, which remains a factor that I see affecting the team more than one might initially expect.

Regardless, the fact alone that the NCAA allowed the Orange to play basketball this season remains a victory in its own right. But with that noted, a potential season casting the team outside tournament contention still feels like a surefire disappointment for college basketball’s sixth most winningest franchise.

As an admirable, yet reachable target destination, making the big dance stands as the team’s ultimate goal for 2020-21, one which I expect them to accomplish as well.