It’s March, and that means Syracuse basketball is on the bubble like it has been nearly every season for the last ten years. But, I’m not talking about the men’s team, this year, the Orange on the bubble belongs to Felisha Legette-Jack’s squad, and it's been quite a memorable first year for Syracuse’s head coach.
From the season-opening win over Stony Brook, sweeping conference rivals like Boston College and Pittsburgh, plus a massive ranked win at home against North Carolina, there have been plenty of highs for SU. But, along with the highs, also come the lows, and the times the Orange couldn’t get over the hump to improve their bubble standing.
Despite that ranked win, it was the only one the Orange could secure all year, going 1-6 against the AP Top 25 throughout the course of the season, and never getting that second signature victory.
So right now, Syracuse is among the First Four Out in ESPN’s Bracketology. The man who put the Orange there, Charlie Creme, said last week that there isn’t much competition coming from behind SU, it’s just about if the Orange have already done enough to prove they belong in the dance.
“The good thing is that there’s not a lot of teams behind Syracuse that are there to move,” Creme said. “In reality, the Next Four Out aren’t particularly close. The gap between First Four Out and Next Four Out, it’s going to be hard to close at this juncture.”
So Syracuse is on the outside looking in and didn’t do much to improve its chances in Greensboro last week at the ACC Tournament. But, no matter what happens, Legette-Jack’s first year as head coach at her alma mater has rejuvenated a program that was at rock bottom and brought hope again.
“This was a long year,” the first-year head coach said. “We just really had no time to think about all you’ve been through until you sit here and there’s a possibility it can be over. It was so rewarding in so many ways, and so exciting seeing people transform into these amazing young people.”
Syracuse finds out its fate on Sunday night. But, regardless of what happens, Legette-Jack has created a culture within a program that should have many more tournament opportunities in the future.