Syracuse Looks To Right Previous NCAA Tournament Wrongs

We are weeks away from Selection Sunday and it’s a virtual certainty that Syracuse will be dancing and it’s pretty much locked in that they will be a 2-6 seed.  The Orange will be looking to have their season not end with the same disappointments that have come the past few years.

Last year, Syracuse made their fans sweat a 1-16 matchup with UNC Asheville who was winning for the majority of the game before the Orange woke up.  It took James Southerland and Dion Waiters coming off the bench to save things.  Then they moved on dispatching Kansas State before nipping Wisconsin in a close game from start to finish.  Ask most Orange fans and if Fab Melo was playing, they beat Ohio State in the Elite 8.  Instead they lost a tough contest 77-70 ending the season in disappointment.

2011 was a rough year as well as the Cuse beat Indiana State before falling to Marquette in round number two.  The Orange ended up going 0-for-3 against their Big East rivals.  The team blew a 19-9 lead early on before falling to the Golden Eagles. Brandon Triche missed most of the second half due to a bruised tailbone.

2010 was the year that Syracuse got sweet revenge on Vermont in the first round before beating a good Gonzaga team 87-65.  Things were looking good until they ran into Cinderella Butler who made sure that the number one seeded Orange wasn’t going to go any farther.  The Bulldogs won despite shooting only 25% from long range.  Butler had a 10 point halftime lead on their way to a victory.

Syracuse is looking at a three seed potentially this year.  They’ve had that five times in the past including the year they took the championship in 2003.  Other then that, it hasn’t been as fruitful as you’d expect from a team with that seed.  The Orange have won 10 of their 15 games as a four seed including a run to the title game in 1996 coming up short to Kentucky. We’ll see how the 2013 Syracuse team does with their seed.