SU is ranked No. 4 in the nation. We're coming off a shellacking of our rival, who was also ranked in the top ten at the time. Folks are bandying about one-seeds and Final Four nods. You know, it's probably a good time to take a step back and remember we've still got a loooooong way to go.
Mike Waters reminds Cuse fans to stay grounded today with his piece on how the players are trying to do the exact same thing.
With its 73-56 victory over Georgetown on Monday, the Syracuse Orange improved to 20-1 for just the third time in Jim Boeheim's 34-year coaching tenure.
That's the good news. Here's the bad.
The other two teams that shot out to 20-1 starts both failed to realize their promise.
Geez, way to bum everybody out, Mike.
He's got a point though. Along with the '79-'80 team that went 24-2 and lost in the Sweet 16 and the '04-'05 team that started so strong but faded down the stretch, I'm also reminded of the '99-'00 Orange. SU started the season 19-0 (we had t-shirts!) in my senior year. Finishing the regular season 24-4, they won the Big East regular season title. We were going to the Final Four. There was no doubt in my, or anyone else's mind. Alas, the team faltered late in the year, losing three of their last five games, including their first game of the BET and in the Sweet 16 against Michigan State. That was that.
Great, now I'VE bummed everybody out. It's contagious!
Anyway this isn't a time to be bummed any more than its a time to start booking tickets to Indianapolis...I think that's the point. Live in the now. Give 110%. Believe in God. You know...it's cliche time!
"We take it a game at a time, " Syracuse sophomore guard Scoop Jardine said. "I don't even know our record in the Big East.
"We still have a lot to work on, " Rautins said.
"Every game, every team is gunning for us because they know that can put them on top, " Syracuse center Arinze Onuaku said. "We gotta just keep taking it one game at a time, like we've been doing."
"When you start the game, it's 0-0, " Onuaku said. "Anybody can be beat, especially in the Big East. It's such a tough conference. You can't worry about the rankings or any of that stuff and just go out there and play."
Tim McGraw was right. Live like you were dying, Cuse Nation.