Syracuse failed to make the NCAA Tournament, the first time SU has missed the field while being eligible in nine years. The Orange will find out its draw for the National Invitation Tournament later Sunday night.

SU, which finished the season 18-14 and 10-8 in conference play, got off to its worst start ever through 12 games (7-5) in Jim Boeheim’s 41 years as head coach. Syracuse suffered five nonconference losses, three of which came to St. John’s (by 33), Georgetown and Connecticut. All three of those teams finished outside the RPI Top 100.

The Orange began Atlantic Coast Conference play with a brutal 15-point loss at Boston College, one of only two wins for the Eagles in league play. The loss foreshadowed struggles to come away from the Carrier Dome – SU finished with a 2-11 record away from home, with its wins coming at North Carolina State and Clemson, two of the bottom four teams in the league.

After the Orange fell to Miami, 62-57, in the second round of the ACC tournament on Wednesday, Boeheim made his case for his team to be included in the field.

The crux of his argument: Syracuse had six wins against RPI Top 50 teams. The selection committee wants teams that can win, and the Orange proved it could against Tournament competition more than other bubble teams.

“Coach told me not to say this,” said point guard John Gillon, before hesitating a moment after SU’s loss to Miami, “but I don’t think a lot of teams that beat three Top 10 teams didn’t get in. It probably hasn’t happened before.”

In the end, those wins, against Florida State, Virginia and Duke didn’t help Syracuse enough. Last season, Boeheim said the Orange earned a No. 10 seed because of five Top 50 wins, two of which came on a neutral court in the Bahamas against Texas A&M and Connecticut.

This year, no such dice as a result of Syracuse’s top wins. The Orange will be playing in the consolation tournament for the first time in almost a decade.

Published on March 12, 2017 at 6:10 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman