By Eugene Mulero
Contributing Columnist
Syracuse did it. That’s right. You probably heard by now the Orange are in the sweetest of all rounds, The Sweet 16.
This columnist, and probably a great many college basketball enthusiasts out there, should apologize to Coach Jim Boeheim, and his guys.
Let’s be honest. You know we picked them to do poorly in the ACC. And we didn’t think they’d make it to the tournament.
When they got the invite to the Dance, we dismissed their chances. We then picked them to lose in the first round; if not, in the second round. (If this doesn’t apply to you, congratulations.)
And, here we are. It’s March Madness, and ‘Cuse is still dancing in the round of 16 as a double-digit seed, just like in 2018 and 2016.
To get to this stage, the 11th seed squad first took out 6th seed San Diego State (78-62). The contest was marked by the Orange’s trademark suffocating defense, which kept the high-scoring Aztecs to a below-average output.
They then advanced to the second round of the tournament where they executed a near-brilliant defensive strategy to defeat 3rd seed West Virginia (75-72). For most of the first half, the Orange put on a clinic executing quick double-teams in the low-post against the Mountaineers. Syracuse’s guards many times limited the spacing in the passing lanes. They also contested a good deal of shots, and their transition footwork was just a step quicker than West Virginia’s drive in the fast-break. The bigs did quite well, too. They recorded eight blocks (that’s a lot, you guys).
On offense, Syracuse was stellar. Buddy Boeheim, Coach Boeheim’s son, led all scores with 25 points during 37 minutes of action. He shot 47% from the field, and 46% from beyond the arc. He also grabbed three rebounds and dished an assist. Ball movement was in full effect, with three of his teammates (Marek Dolezaj, Quincy Guerrier, and Joseph Girard) dropping 12 points each. Overall, the Orange shot slightly better than 50% from the field, as well as from the three-point range. Additionally, they were 84% from free-throws. The same type of shooting performance cannot be said about West Virginia. Although, credit must go to the Mountaineers for valiantly sticking around and keeping the game tight until the final buzzer.
To recap, we owe you an apology ‘Cuse. Next up for the Orange is 2nd seed Houston on March 27.
Another ACC team still in the tournament is 4th seed Florida State. The Seminoles meet 5th seed Colorado for a second-round matchup on March 22. This clash between 4/5 seeds is likely to go down to the final bucket. Both squads display relentless attacks on offense, and they clear the paint out well on defense. We could have a case of two teams evenly match, choosing to fight ‘til the end.
This columnist does give FSU the edge. They have triumphed against pressure-defenses throughout the season, and have been capable of withstanding severe assaults from rivals. However, the Buffaloes are formidable jump-shooters, and fluid in transition.
Eugene Mulero is a journalist based in Fairfax, Va. Reach him at cabrinilounge@gmail.com or @cabrinilounge.