And we guess the ACC/SEC opponent
While we wait for the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball non-conference schedule, there are two looming questions that caused us to send up the TNIAAM Roundtable signal.
We know that Syracuse and Georgetown won’t play and that the Orange will have a game against a SEC opponent, so that leads us to two questions for this one?
Which team would you like to see replace Georgetown on next year’s schedule?
Kevin: Syracuse looks to have a tough enough schedule set up that I wouldn’t run to play St. John’s (might see them in Vegas) or Villanova, so what about a game against Providence? It’s not a huge rival, but both teams are looking for a bounce-back year and the Friars would be a solid addition to the non-conference slate.
Sam: Not only does Syracuse need a game for this season, but it should look to make it a home-and-home. This team should be an old Big East rival, and Villanova is the obvious choice for me. It’s a program that has been better than Syracuse recently (even at its worst), but has a tremendous amount of questions heading into year one for Kevin Willard. Whether the game is in Philadelphia or Syracuse, it would be a fine replacement for Georgetown.
Dom: If the desire is to get a projected bubble team that is nearby geographically, I’m definitely interested in getting a Big East team like Marquette or Providence. Villanova (I think) is a clear candidate for the reasons Sam mentioned above, but my pick would be West Virginia. There’s enough components that could drive interest for fans, including previously history in the Big East and geographic proximity for both sides. West Virginia also currently sits at No. 54 in Bart Torvik, so this could also be a possible resume booster.
Which SEC team do you think the Orange face in the ACC/SEC Challenge? (writer’s note from Sam: these are the SEC teams that had home games last year: Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Florida and Mississippi State)
Kevin: This season will mark the 30th anniversary of Syracuse’s 1995-96 Final Four team so how about a FF rematch with Mississippi State? Will it’s not the biggest-name opponent, you could use the occasion to honor that 1996 squad.
Sam: Georgia or Mississippi State seems most likely, and I’d lean Georgia. Mike White’s team made the NCAA Tournament last year, but lost much of its top talent. Watch out for sophomore Somto Cyril to break out, with Kanon Catchings being the swing piece alongside Blue Cain.
Dom: Because the ACC/SEC Challenge is so early in the year, the goal is to keep momentum early and build confidence and chemistry among the players. LSU would be an opponent the Orange recently played in the challenge, but projects as the caliber of team I’d rather see early in the year rather than a program like Tennessee or Texas A&M. Best-case scenario: Georgia. Worst-case scenario: Florida. My pick for who Syracuse actually faces: Oklahoma.
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Which game would you like to see Syracuse replace Georgetown with and what SEC opponent will the Orange face?