12 Predictions For the Next 12 Months of Syracuse Athletics

1. Men's Basketball will ride a 10-game winning streak into the UNC game

At 16-4 and clicking on all cylinders, we'll start to feel a little more confident in this bunch. The Orange may even be on the edge of the top 25 once again before this game.

2. Men's Basketball will lose 7 out of its final 9 games to close the regular season

Despite the fast start to conference play, the wheels fall off against the top of the conference and the schedule at the end is not SU's friend. We're going to be sweating on Selection Sunday.

3. Men's Basketball will make the NCAA Tourney with a 21-13 record as an 11-seed and will make a surprise run to the Sweet 16

Thanks to two ACC Tourney wins, Syracuse makes its way into the tournament as a low seed. Finally playing underdog, SU upsets an overseeded Arkansas and then draws the three seeded Gonzaga in the second round, where the Orange pull another upset as neither team can handle the zone. But Arizona is too much in the Sweet 16 and the Cinderella run ends.

4. Women's Basketball will be seeded higher than the men but will lose in the first round as a five-seed

Because why not?

5. Warren Hill will be the starting goalie for men's lacrosse when the 2015 season opens

Who? If you haven't heard of the OCC transfer yet, read up. Two-time junior college All American. Two-time national champion. Put up a 17-save performance in the national title game. And if you're insane and watched the world lacrosse championships, you saw him put on a show for the Iroquois team. He's the real deal.

6. Men's Lacrosse will go 14-2 in the regular season and ACC Tourney and earn the #1 overall seed

For all the talk about what the Orange lost last year, they brought back one of the best attack units in the nation, a talented defense behind Brandon Mullins, who should be improved now more than a full year from his ACL injury, and a midfield unit that has an incredible amount of talent and now more experience.

7. Men's Lacrosse will win its 12th NCAA Championship and Kevin Rice will win the Tewaarton

Kevin Rice may be the most underrated player in the sport. Combining him with Randy Staats and Dylan Donahue once again will make him a surefire first team All American and SU will ride his leadership to the promised land once again. John Desko's job will be safe ... for another nine months.

8. Women's Lacrosse will get over the hump and win its first National Championship - SU will pull the first lacrosse double since Princeton in 1994

They're due. Gary Gait is a great coach and the program continues to grow. It's their time.

9. Field Hockey will get over the hump and win its first National Championship

They're due as well. Continued dominance like this from a perennial final four program has to eventually end in a title.

10. Football will be 2-0 and will only lose by 7 points to LSU at home

It will be one of the most thrilling games in SU history. Terrel Hunt will rush for two touchdowns in the first half as Syracuse takes a three point lead into the break. Having one final shot in the waning seconds though, Hunt throws a big interception and the Tigers run out the clock. But all over the region, the buzz begins that the Orange may actually be back.

11. Football will go 1-8 the rest of the way to finish 3-9 for the second-straight year, resulting in Scott Shafer's firing

Once again, the wheels fall off for the Orange. Turns out the LSU game was a bit of a mirage and Syracuse proves it can't compete in the ACC right now. The defense regresses in year three, and the offense fails to pick up the slack, leading to just one ugly win against Wake Forest.

12. Despite winning three national championships in 2015, Daryl Gross is firmly on the hot seat heading into 2016

It's probably not fair, but football matters more than anything else.