Syracuse women’s basketball: 2017 Paradise Jam matchups announced

The dust only recently settled on the Syracuse Orange women’s basketball season, and subsequently, the WNBA Draft. But focus has already shifted to the upcoming campaign.

Specifically, the opponents SU will be up against with a much younger team than they had last year.

On Tuesday, the 2017 Paradise Jam schedule was announced, and the event will feature Syracuse. The Paradise Jam takes place in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands at the University of the Virgin Islands.

SU tips things off on November 23 vs. the Wisconsin Badgers in the teams’ first matchup ever. The Badgers finished just 9-22 last season, losing in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

On November 24, Syracuse takes on the Vanderbilt Commodores, who they’ve never beaten in three tries. Vandy was 14-16 last year, falling to Alabama in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

The final matchup is a repeat from 2016-17, as SU faces George Washington on November 25. Syracuse beat the Colonials in the Gulf Coast Showcase last year, but lost the previous two matchups with GW. George Washington (20-10) suffered an early loss in the Atlantic 10 Tournament this spring, then fell to Navy in the first round of the Women’s NIT.

This won’t be the Orange’s first trip to the Paradise Jam. They actually won the Reef Division championship back in 2013, after beating Texas, Memphis and Texas A&M.

Syracuse brought in a lauded recruiting class last year, which should help pick up the slack for some of the departed seniors. However, the early parts of the season should be interesting as we watch the program adjust to life without Alexis Peterson, Brittney Sykes and Briana Day.