Syracuse basketball to face UConn (as we all figured) in 2K Classic

When the headline teams for the 2018 2K Sports Classic were announced last fall, we had a feeling about how the matchups would shake out. The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team would face the former Big East rival UConn Huskies on one side, while the national power Iowa Hawkeyes would be paired with the Oregon Ducks.

On Friday, Fan Rag’s Jon Rothstein confirmed as much, with the field set for the Madison Square Garden matchups on November 15 and 16. The two winning teams will face one another on day two, and the losers will also face off in a consolation game.

This now makes the fourth straight year Syracuse and the Huskies will face one another, all on neutral courts. The Orange won 79-76 in the Battle 4 Atlantis back in 2015, then fell 52-50 in an ugly game at MSG the following season. SU got back in the win column this past season though, pushing past a bad Huskies squad, 72-63.

We’ve talked about the state of this rivalry and what it really means anymore -- to both fan bases. But if it’ll give us an MSG game every year, it’s probably fine we keep playing them.

The rest of your Syracuse-related links below:

Syracuse-UConn and Iowa-Oregon to headline 2018 2K Sports Classic (Fan Rag Sports)

Syracuse will play UConn and Iowa will face UConn in the first round of the 2018 2K Sports Classic at MSG, a source told FRS Sports on Friday. An official announcement is expected soon. The winners and losers of the first round matchups will play the very next day in the championship and consolation games.

In learning Syracuse rewarded AD after NCAA violations, we’re reminded that the adults in the room don’t really care (The Comeback)

There are a whole lot of adults involved in this scenario who are supposed to be responsible for the well-being of the teenagers who actually play the sport that generates the money that pays their salaries. From the NCAA to Syracuse University to Syracuse Athletics. And yet none of them bore much burden for whatever “crimes” were committed.

Syracuse Football: 2018 Orange Preview and Prediction (Athlon)

The Syracuse Orange appear close to a breakthrough in Dino Babers’ third season. Led by a high-powered offense, Syracuse should be in the mix for its first bowl bid since 2013. When healthy, quarterback Eric Dungey is among the best in the ACC. However, Dungey has struggled to stay in the lineup in each of the last three years.

Summer Top 25 Reset: How Draft Decisions Affect the 2018–19 Preseason Rankings (SI.com)

Tyus Battle’s decision to return to Syracuse was huge for the program, which can now look to build off last year’s surprising Sweet 16 run instead of rebuilding. Battle, Frank Howard and Oshae Brissett will make up the Orange’s core.

Former Syracuse basketball players in The Basketball Tournament but not on Boeheim’s Army (Syracuse.com)

Terrence Roberts and Darryl Watkins, who were Syracuse teammates from 2003 to 2007, will play for the Tim Thomas Playaz in this year’s TBT. Roberts played with Boeheim’s Army in 2015 and 2016. Watkins was on the Syracuse-flavored team in 2016. The Tim Thomas Playaz are a well-known New Jersey-based AAU team.

2018 Pennsylvania slot receiver James Cherry will join Syracuse as a preferred walk-on (Twitter)

SU details plan to hire 100 new faculty (Daily Orange)

A Syracuse institution finally takes the field (ESPN)

15 Theta Tau fraternity members suspended for up to 2 years following controversial videos (CNYCentral)

The Warriors’ Defensive Switching Strategy Is the Most Infuriating Thing About the Finals (The Ringer)