Now that the full 26-27 ACC Syracuse Men’s Basketball schedule is out, let’s get some thoughts from the TNIAAM staff.
What do you think about the overall schedule for Gerry McNamara’s first year?
Mike: It’s a bit absurd that the Orange don’t have a Saturday home game the entire month of February – I’m getting flashbacks to past Octobers in football. (Yes, lacrosse scheduling is probably a culprit, but that doesn’t make it any better.) Duke on a Tuesday during winter break is also an unfortunate draw, but that’s what happens when a series gets as lopsided as that one. All told, this slate is not a great pitch for the potential season ticket holders, but UNC’s placement and a Saturday senior day save it from being outright terrible.
Dom: An odd conference slate for sure given what Mike just pointed out. Seeing Stanford on the schedule as the “variable” partner is weird. In terms of “marquee game potential,” North Carolina on a Saturday after the winter semester is two weeks in is the only one that really catches my eye. In terms of the best chances at resume-building wins, I do like the even 50-50 split between your home and road opportunities. GMac and the Orange will certainly have their chances.
Kevin: A number of people talked about the ACC home games making up for any significant non-conference game in the Dome this year and I feel like this schedule is terrible from a ticket sales standpoint. Duke on a Tuesday during break means that push to make that the marquee game is going to fall flat. Instead of a Saturday crowd pushing 30k, you’re going to be downright giddy to draw 22-23 for this one.
This is what happens when you fall as a program like Syracuse has- you lose the coveted timeslots as ESPN would rather give them to Miam or Clemson. Not sure when ESPN will assign times to Louisville and UNC but the Orange need to start strong in November to make sure the biggest home weekend games get a good assignment. I’m going to say it again- there is more pressure on Gerry McNamara to win this year than Fran Brown.
Szuba: the schedule is front-loaded with Duke, Miami, Louisville and North Carolina all before February. Those will be some early tests and unfortunately leaves Syracuse — a first year led coaching regime with a new group — without late season chances for résumé-building wins. We’ll have to see how that affects things.
The overall conference draws doesn’t seem daunting, however with winnable road games and a manageable schedule. Can somebody tell me why we need two repeat opponents? Pittsburgh twice is fine as a “traditional rival” but I think most would all agree it’d be better to play NC State and Stanford once each instead of no NC State and Stanford twice.
What home game are you most looking forward to this season?
Mike: Louisville. A great upset opportunity right as students get back on campus (and what I suspect will be the Otto’s Army “Blizzard” game), and a subtle chance to remind the Cards who has the largest basketball crowds in the land.
Dom: If the UVA game was on a weekend, that would’ve been a prime option. For me, it’s between that and the UNC game.
Kevin: Louisville is my choice as well. It’s the end of the first week of classes against a team that’s trying to restore their glory. This is an opportunity to make a statement in the McNamERA.
Szuba: North Carolina. Syracuse gets the conference darling for a Saturday home game in which two first-year head coaches will look to establish themselves. While nobody will confuse North Carolina’s heritage with Syracuse’s success under Boeheim, you have two proud programs with historic success undergoing coaching transitions. Plenty of synchronous storylines for hopefully a competitive game.
Which stretch of the schedule will be the toughest for the Orange?
Mike: Duke, Miami, Pitt, Louisville. The Blue Devils are likely to be SU’s wake up call after a relatively soft start to conference play. Follow that up with road trips to two spots SU tends to struggle at and a matchup against the reigning ACC coach of the year. If the Orange can steal two of these four, they should be in excellent shape, but even one would be a huge part of keeping them in Tournament consideration.
Dom: Combining projected difficulty of opponents plus general logistics and flow of the season, I’ve got North Carolina, Stanford, Cal, Virginia, and Clemson. Three likely Q1 games sandwiched between a trip out West Coast with a pair of “trap games.” There’s only two homers in this stretch, and one of them is on a Wednesday (UVA). If this particular stretch doesn’t go well, say goodbye to the Orange’s NCAA Tournament chances.
Kevin: I like Mike’s pick for sure, but I’m going to go with the final four games: Pitt, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wake. With the expanded field, Syracuse should be in discussion at this point in the season and closing against four teams that are likely in the lower half of the ACC means it’s going to be critical not to have a late stumble.
Szuba: the first six games. Starting on the road at Florida State will be difficult with Loucks in year two. Then at the median, a return trip to Florida for Miami followed by Duke. That trip gets bookended with a road game to Pittsburgh and a return home for Louisville. Yikes! North Carolina and the California road trip to end the month make for a difficult January. Hopefully we’re talking about more than the team visiting warm-weather climates to start the new year.
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What are your thoughts on the ACC schedule? Which home game have you circled on the calendar?