From Last In to Sweet 16, Syracuse is Enjoying NCAA Tournament

CHARLOTTE, N.C.– Syracuse has gone from a team that no one thought belonged in the NCAA tournament to a spot in the Midwest Region Sweet 16 in Omaha.

The Orange (23-13) finished with an 8-10 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference and were 1-5 against ranked competition. They were eliminated by North Carolina, 78-59l, in the second round of the ACC tournament in their backyard of Brooklyn

But here they are still standing after winning their third game in five days.

The 11th-seed Orange, who were the last team selected for the field of 68 and were forced to play in the First Four Wednesday in Dayton, followed up wins over Arizona State and sixth seed Texas Christian with a 55-53 upset of third seed Michigan State, 53-52, in the second round in Detroit. Syracuse will play second seeded conference rival Duke Friday after disposing of the Big Ten Spartans, who self destructed when the game was on the line, missing their last 13 shots against coach Jim Boeheim’s confounding 2-3 zone and scoring just five points on free throws over the last 5:41.

Junior guard Tyus Battle led Syracuse with 17 points and 6-8 freshman forward Oshae Brissett had 15, but this was hardly an artistic masterpiece.

Syracuse won this rock fight, shooting 35.7 percent and 12.5 percent from the three. Michigan State (30-50) lost shooting just 25 percent and 21 percent from the three, making just 8 of 37 attempts from beyond the arc. The Spartans, who managed to stay in the game by out rebounding the Orange, 50-32, still had a chance to win the game on their last possession after 7-0 center Paschal Chukwu made just one of two free throws with 2.4 seconds left but point guard Cassius Winston, a hometown hero, missed a desperation 45-foot shot just before the buzzer.

This is not a vintage Boeheim team. Syracuse has been playing with just five healthy players for months and the offense is just three players deep, Battle, Brissett and guard Frank Howard, on most nights. And all three have been forced to play non-stop. The ‘Cuse played the final minutes against Michigan State without Frank Howard, who fouled out and was replaced by Braedon Bayer, a former walk on.

But their suffocating defense won the day. Michigan State was the third straight tournament opponent to enter the game averaging 80 points per game. But the Orange defense held Arizona State and its efficient offense to 56 points and TCU managed only 52 points in a muddy first round victory. And Syracuse’s weary zone limited a Michigan State that is loaded with NBA draft picks, to just 25 points in the first half.

Jarren Jackson, Michigan State’s 6-11 freshman who should be high lottery pick if he declares for the draft, managed only two points in 15 minutes.  And 6-8 sophomore forward Miles Bridge, the Spartans’ biggest star, scored just 11 points on 4 for 18 shooting and missed two potential game tying jumpers in the final minute.

We’re seen Boeheim’s genius at work before in this tournament.

In 2016, the Orange came out of nowhere to advance to the Final Four, holding Dayton, Middle Tennessee, Gonzaga and Virginia to 62 points or less. In the Cuse’s 2013 Final Four run, they limited Montana and Marquette to fewer than 40 points, Cal and Indiana to 60 and 50. Even in their national semi-final loss to Michigan, they held the Wolverines to 61 points. But those teams were experienced and healthy.

This is a brave new world for Boeheim and his players.

“They battle. I’m really proud of them,” he said. “They just don’t let things get away.”

The ‘Cuse will finally get some rest before Duke and Boeheim expects his players to be fully rejuvenated by then before the next part of this marathon. “They’ll be fine,” he said. “They get four days off. Shoot, they’ll be fresh and ready to go.”