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Prepare the Syracuse Orange basketball program for Ludicrous Rank. Fasten all campus shuttle seat belts, seal all Carrier Dome entrances and exits, close all shops in DestinyUSA! Cancel the Jim Boeheim press conference circus! Secure all animals in Gifford Zoo!
The Orange entered this week No. 4 in the nation and they might possibly enter next week at No. 1.
As these things usually happen, it has less to do with what SU did and more to do with what everyone in front of them is doing.
First, the No. 1 Michigan St. Spartans lost to our new buddies, the North Carolina Tar Heels, on Wednesday. UNC has cache but they've also lost some weird games this year, meaning that a loss to them doesn't carry as much weight as it used to.
Last night, the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats lost to the Baylor Bears, 67-62. First, that Baylor win, if it counted, looks even better for Syracuse. But of course, for myriad reasons (neutral site, technical "home" game, SU played zone, etc.), it doesn't count. Alas.
That basically leaves the No. 3 Arizona Wildcats as the only thing standing in the way of the Orange and the No. 1 ranking. The Cats take on pesky UNLV (3-3) in a 5:15 Eastern matchup today. If the Rebs can pull off the upset, then you can probably pencil in the Orange for the top spot. If not, No. 2 seems like a formality.
Of course, the Orange have to win their game against Binghamton tonight. But, you know...
