Buddy Boeheim and Syracuse Basketball looks to stay hot against Houston Cougars

When Syracuse Basketball lost on a heartbreaking three-pointer to Virginia in the ACC Tournament, it looked like a real possibility that they were going to miss out on the Big Dance. However, the Selection Committee spared them the fate of the NIT, giving them an 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Teams being double-digit seeds don’t usually have great odds of making runs in the NCAA Tournament. Yet you should never underestimate a Jim Boeheim-led team in March. The Orange started off the campaign against Mountain West Champs and 6 seed San Diego State, a game that ended up being lopsided from start to finish.

Syracuse gave up just 18 points in the first half to the Aztecs and thanks to 30 points from Buddy Boeheim, they pulled off the 78-62 upset. Joe Girard had 12 points and seven assists, while Marek Dolezaj chipped in with 11. The next game against former Big East rival West Virginia was also starting to look like a blowout, with the Orange hitting a barrage of three-pointers to start out the game.

But the Mountaineers came all the way back late in the second half to make it a tight contest at the end. Still, a late defensive play by Syracuse, along with 25 points from Boeheim, gave them another victory to make the Sweet 16.

The Orange has been part of a crazy NCAA Tournament so far, one of several double-digit seeds still remaining. But there are also some high seeds still left that will be very difficult to beat. One of them is the Houston Cougars, the 2 seed in the Midwest Region. They’re coming off of wins over Cleveland State and Rutgers, with the ladder being a comeback effort.

Can Syracuse beat Houston? Yes, they can. But this opponent represents an even tougher task than what San Diego State and West Virginia have offered. Here’s a look at what the Orange needs to do to win.