Syracuse basketball schedule features six of CBS Sports’ early top 25 teams

Rather than the usual popping off about the Syracuse Orange football schedule you see here, we’re talking about the basketball team’s schedule instead today.

According to Gary Parrish’s very early top 25 over on CBS Sports, this is going to be a very difficult slate for the Orange as they look to rebuild a bit without seniors Dajuan Coleman, John Gillon, Tyler Roberson and Andrew White III, as well as NBA-bound underclassman Tyler Lydon.

Parrish’s top 25 includes six different Syracuse opponents for the 2017-18 season: No. 1 Kansas, No. 4 North Carolina, No. 5 Louisville, No. 7 Duke, No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 14 Miami. While the first of those teams is a non-conference opponent, the other five are all ACC foes.

The Orange will face Kansas in the HoopHall Miami Invitational on December 2 (in Miami, naturally). They also face each of the five ACC foes during the regular season, as is always the case. Lucky for them, however, they’ll dodge doubling up on any of those teams. SU will host UNC and Notre Dame at the Carrier Dome, while going on the road against Duke, Louisville and Miami, respectively.

Last season, Syracuse went a combined 2-5 against those teams, picking up home victories over the Blue Devils and Hurricanes. SU last faced Kansas in 2008, an 89-81 neutral court win in Kansas City, Mo.

The Orange aren’t projected to be a top 25 team as of right now, and look to be outside the projected NCAA Tournament field as well. But with a long offseason ahead and Syracuse recruiting efforts (for freshman and transfers) still in full swing, there’s still plenty of time for this team to sort itself out.