gpikeWhat has happened to Syracuse?
January 30th 2011 00:46
After starting the season at 18-0 and jumping to as high as third ranking, Syracuse has lost four in a row. What has happened to coach Jim Boehim's team? Heightened expectations after the great start? Easy non-conference schedule? Lets take a look.
The four game losing streak began when the Orangemen faced off against Pittsburgh on Martin Luther King Day. Pitt defeated Syracuse 74-66 due to hitting key shots down the stretch in a very close game. Next up the Orangemen faced Villanova, another top-10 team. Thanks to an barrage of three-pointers, total of 11, the Wildcats added another loss to Syracuse's total.
The most disapointing of the losses by far, came last Tuesday. Syracuse hosting Seton Hall, a team with only eight wins on the year, whipped the home team by 22 points. This was the worst loss from Syracuse at home since 1998. Then today, the Orangemen traveled to play at Marquette. Marquette nearly lead the whole way and won 76-70, raising their record to 14-8 on the season.
The Orangemen wins came versus mostly sub-par competition. Wins over Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame, jump out at you. Though both Michigan schools are struggling now, after being highly thought of before the season. Notre Dame is on the verge of entering the top-10 and taking over Syracuse's spot after defeating Pitt last week. The Orangemen are a good team, one that will be a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, just not a top 2 seed. This losing streak brings the Orangemen back down to where they should be, not an top-10 team.
Many ranked teams went down today including: seventh-ranked Villanova, fifth-ranked Connecticut, ninth-ranked BYU, 11th-ranked Texas A&M, 15th-ranked Wisconsin, 18th-ranked Minnesota. Some of these teams went down to fellow ranked squads, others to opponents outside of the top-25. Games are still to be played and few more will likely fall. Top-ranked Ohio State is in a dogfight right now with Northwestern.
The four game losing streak began when the Orangemen faced off against Pittsburgh on Martin Luther King Day. Pitt defeated Syracuse 74-66 due to hitting key shots down the stretch in a very close game. Next up the Orangemen faced Villanova, another top-10 team. Thanks to an barrage of three-pointers, total of 11, the Wildcats added another loss to Syracuse's total.
The most disapointing of the losses by far, came last Tuesday. Syracuse hosting Seton Hall, a team with only eight wins on the year, whipped the home team by 22 points. This was the worst loss from Syracuse at home since 1998. Then today, the Orangemen traveled to play at Marquette. Marquette nearly lead the whole way and won 76-70, raising their record to 14-8 on the season.
The Orangemen wins came versus mostly sub-par competition. Wins over Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame, jump out at you. Though both Michigan schools are struggling now, after being highly thought of before the season. Notre Dame is on the verge of entering the top-10 and taking over Syracuse's spot after defeating Pitt last week. The Orangemen are a good team, one that will be a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, just not a top 2 seed. This losing streak brings the Orangemen back down to where they should be, not an top-10 team.
Many ranked teams went down today including: seventh-ranked Villanova, fifth-ranked Connecticut, ninth-ranked BYU, 11th-ranked Texas A&M, 15th-ranked Wisconsin, 18th-ranked Minnesota. Some of these teams went down to fellow ranked squads, others to opponents outside of the top-25. Games are still to be played and few more will likely fall. Top-ranked Ohio State is in a dogfight right now with Northwestern.
| 40 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Joe Soriano
Pro Sports Wrap
Orble Sport Blog
Comment by Gabe Lock
LopsidedSports