Syracuse earned a #4 seed in the East region of the NCAA Tournament. This has earned them a trip out West to San Jose, California for a Thursday, March 21st, 1st round game. Tip-off time has yet to be announced. The Orange will be taking on the Montana Grizzlies of the Big Sky Conference and earned their way in by winning their own conference tournament defeating the always dangerous Weber State.
The Grizzlies went 25-6, 19-1 in conference while compiling a 14-1 home record, 10-5 on the road, and 1-0 on neutral courts. Syracuse went 26-9, 11-7 in conference while going 17-2 at home. Here’s the thing: 6-5 on the road, 3-2 neutral.
Knowing they will be refueled after a 4-day run in the Big East, all wisdom says the Orange should win this handily based on who they play, strength of schedule, all that jazz, right? I give you Vermont, Richmond, and that road record. It glares at you. Montana will be game, make no mistake about that part.
SU has size, speed, and so many more tangibles going for them. I say yes, they should win this game easily but we all know that most of these 1st round games have a tendency to make us all take note of some Big Sky team that no one saw play this year throwing the house at some team from a power conference like the Big East. Plus, they are a whole lot closer to home than Syracuse will be. But as Syracuse forward James Southerland said "We just have to make sure that we go have fun." Amen to that James.
All that thrown together? I say we will see the Cuse tip off on Saturday against the winner of UNLV/CAL after a good first rounder.
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