Tourney Time?

According to ESPN.com, if the NCAA tournament started today Syracuse should be in. While they are not a lock, this line can't hurt them: 12-4 (2-1), RPI: 20. A disappointing 74-66 loss to Cincinatti is most recent in the minds of Cuse fans, and is something we all hope tomorrow's game at West Virginia can fix.

If the Orange can continue to play well in the absence of Eric Devendorf, then all will be well for the rest of this season. If they cannot, it's a different story. The Big East is a tough conference. As of today, four teams are in the AP Top 25: Georgetown (7), Marquette (15), Villanova (19), and Pitt (20). Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Louisville all received votes as well. It is not an easy road for Jim Boeheim and company. However, the win against Virginia will help them out come Selection Sunday.

This year's Big East play holds great potential. With all the strength of this conference, every win is a big one. Games to look forward to: Saturday afternoon games at the Carrier Dome. SU hosts Villanova (1/19), Georgetown (2/16), and Pitt (3/1). Chances are that each team will be ranked when they visit the hill. The Orange really needs to take care of its "Dome Court Advantage." Those three victories will be huge. Additionally, Boeheim and the boys take to the road January 21 for a Big-Monday contest vs. G-Town (flashback: last season, senior day, Big Monday, victory, storm the court, these phrases ring a bell??). Should be a great, and not to mention extremely challenging, matchup. Honestly, I can't pick a single game on this schedule that I'm not excited about.

This team is exciting to watch, and that will continue. If solid play becomes a staple, expect more Orange to receive individual Player of the Week honors as they did so frequently over the past month or so. The guys have stepped up without Devo; they understand how much they need to do for success.

I've basically been away from the team for the past month. Being from suburban Philadelphia, SU games aren't exactly in high demand on regional television. I'm glad to be back and able to judge the team live.

Prediction for this season: Syracuse loses in the second round to the Big East tournament but returns to the NCAAs and bows out early. Donte' Greene leads this team and is labeled a high draft prospect, so he bails for the big leagues. There's a reason why Jimmy B's top recruit for next year, Mookie Jones, is a forward.

Prediction for next season: Without Donte' Greene, the team can still go far. I don't consider them national championship-caliber, but I definitely consider them steady Top 25-caliber. Through 2008, the team will only play its non-conference schedule, which has yet to be released. Bet on a tournament to open the season and a mix of tough winnable games and obviously winnable ones.

What I WANT to happen: Syracuse gets a tourney bid (they aren't going to go far... so while I want them to...) and loses in the second round. Donte' Greene realizes that if he stays, when Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf come back the team will be awesome. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if they played defense, the team could contend for the title.