This is not your father’s Syracuse Orangeman squad. Those Jim Boeheim teams from the 1980s and 1990s are a thing of the past thanks to the 2010 squad. Those past teams were remembered for going into major funks, losing silly games and not living up to their talent levels. This 2010 team is different.
Boeheim Steers Syracuse Back To #1 Rank
When you look back at some of the great Syracuse teams, most fans look fondly back at the Derrick Coleman, Rony Seikaly and Sherman Douglas years. Unquestionably the most talented Syracuse squads ever with three solid NBA starters that each had 10+ year professional careers. Despite all that talent, they became the face of the struggles of Syracuse Basketball. They will be forever remembered for their NCAA Finals loss to Indiana and Keith Smart’s buzzer-beater.
Very good, but for some reason couldn’t put it all together.
That was personified during the 1987-88 season. After the surprising run the previous season, Syracuse had their three main cogs back and expectations were high. The were christened with the Preseason #1 ranking. The bloom quickly came of the rose, as Syracuse dropped the top ranking after just one week and didn’t deliver as expected.
This 2010 squad is the antithesis of that ‘87-’88 squad. This team came in with zero expectations, picked to finish mid-pack in the Big East and be scrambling to make the NCAA tourney. They are the example as to why you play the games. And the game played on Saturday night just vaulted them back to the top ranking after crushing Villanova.
Syracuse today will garner its first regular season top-ranking since January 2, 1990. Led by Coleman, Billy Owens and Stevie Thompson, Syracuse held the top ranking for 6 weeks before crumbling and getting knocked out of the NCAA tournament during the Sweet 16. Those four seasons between 1986 to 1990 have stuck to Syracuse like glue and have forever labeled Syracuse as the team that couldn’t get it done. Everyone one of those teams found a way to lose.
This year’s squad is different. There are no stars, just players. They are led by a scrappy shooter named Andy Rautins who has no NBA dreams. These final games are his swan song and he plans to be the motor on this team. His play drove the blowout victory over Villanova, as he pushed they ball inside and Syracuse dominated in the paint.
That selfless play is what makes this Syracuse team different.
Boeheim, while a great X and O coach has always struggled to manage his stars. Even during their NCAA Championship run, Syracuse ended the season ranked 13th and were stamped by the sports media as just another team that will disappoint. They just didn’t account for the greatness of Carmelo Anthony that even Boeheim could not interrupt.
Since that championship, Boeheim’s coaching style has changed, due much in part to his national presence on world basketball squads where he has been brought in to teach the pros how to play the 2-3 zone. The experience of rubbing shoulders with other top coaches has helped Boeheim figure out how to get the most out of his players.
This year’s Syracuse team is without question the most complete team in the NCAA and will provide headaches for every team come tournament time. They have no weakness. They can beat you inside or outside. They can push the ball up on offense and can slow you down on defense. There is no one guy who the offense goes through, so they can rely on others when someone is having an off night. And most importantly, they have seven players that can start on pretty much any team in the country.
Its time to get that monkey of the Orangemen’s back as they look to close down the season strong and gain a top-seed in the NCAA tournament.
