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It's a day later than usual, but Syracuse fans finally get to hear the Orange's tournament fate tonight. The NCAA will announce its 64-team bracket for the women's basketball tournament.
The Orange looks to be a lock to reach its third straight NCAA Tournament. The latest ESPN polls project the Orange as a No. 7 seed in Knoxville, Tenn -- the same host site where Syracuse was eliminated in 2013.
Syracuse completed the regular season with a 21-9 record (11-5 ACC), including a top 25 upset over No. 13/11 North Carolina.
The usual powerhouses of UConn, Notre Dame and Maryland are the favorites for the No. 1 seeds, while a new team (South Carolina) should also get one. The No. 3 Gamecocks were the top-ranked team in the nation when they narrowly beat the Orange in a 67-63 final.
We don't know how the Orange will be seeded or who its opponent will be, but the first round match will likely be outside the northeast. In ESPN's bracket, the only (relatively) nearby host sites are in Storrs and College Park.
But that would mean the Orange would fall to the eight seed, even after being ranked almost all of the season.
Prediction
Syracuse returns to Knoxville, but this time as a seven. The Orange falls just short of its third straight six seed and, probably, for good reason.
Coach Q's bunch doesn't have as many wins as either of the past two regular seasons and only one victory against a ranked team. His team wasn't able to solidify itself as a bona fide five or six seed by finishing the season strong, either. The Orange were bumped out of the ACC Tournament in its first game against Wake Forest, who had just two regular season conference wins.
Syracuse, however, managed to beat almost every unranked team on its schedule and its gaffe against Wake stands as the only bad loss on the resume.
How to Watch
Date and Time: Monday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
For a full prognosis on the NCAAW Tournament, check out all of the coverage over at Swish Appeal.
And to get caught up on Syracuse's season, make sure to head over to TNIAAM's new women's basketball section.