- It started with the easy non-conference games. We win them every year. It was a good tune-up, but we still weren't sure what kind of team this was going to be.
- The Bernie Fine scandal hit, and it hit hard. ESPN, having missed out on breaking the Jerry Sandusky story, went all out trying to make Syracuse the biggest story in sports. Luckily for the program and the school, both Syracuse and the NCAA had followed protocol and investigated allegations that, until ESPN broke the story, were unsubstantiated. Chancellor Cantor, who I have never liked, did a fantastic job of guiding the school through this mess. On the court, Jim Boeheim guided the Orange to a strong early season tournament victory, including wins over Virginia Tech and Stanford. The team finished out the year beating future Sweet 16 team NC State in Carolina, and Elite Eight team Florida at home.
- 2012 and the Big East slate went off without a hitch, with 7 straight wins, and capturing the #1 ranking in the country. Then, the news of Fab Melo's first suspension hit, as did the team's first loss of the season at Notre Dame. While they bounced back, it became obvious that the team was more complete inside with Fab playing.
- After the Notre Dame loss, our Orange went on a tear, not losing another game in the regular season. They went to the semifinals of the Big East tournament before losing to the Cincinnati Bearcats, who couldn't miss a shot.
- After securing the #1 seed in the East, Cuse heard the bad news again: The 7 foot idiot was again suspended, this time for the rest of the season. Fab Melo's absence took its toll on the team, as it barely beat 16-seed UNC Asheville. But they bounced back with a strong win over Kansas State.
- The Sweet 16 game against Wisconsin will be looked upon as one of the best games Syracuse has played in a long time. A great opponent hit 14 three-pointers, but the team was able to rally and hang on for a 1 point win, and advance past the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003.
- A loss in the Elite 8 to a fully-stocked Ohio State team is nothing to hang our heads about. Fab's presence inside could have helped stop Jared Sullinger, but he wasn't there. Kris Joseph came up about as small as a senior could, but our younger guys proved they could keep us in games. We should be proud of the guys that played strong and carried us farther than we thought possible after than UNC-Asheville game.
So, what will next season hold? Will we be in the Big East, or will it be our first ACC season? Wherever Syracuse plays, we know we will have another great team. Kris and Scoop are graduating, and could be additions by subtraction. The assumption is that both Fab Melo and Dion Waiters, who turned into our best player this year, could both leave for the NBA as well.
But the Orange will still have Brandon Triche at the helm of the offense. James Southerland, CJ Fair, Rakeem Christmas, Baye Keita and Michael Carter-Williams all showed that they can play at a high level at different points in the season. Trevor Cooney, who redshirted this past year, can come in and be the three point threat we have seen in the likes of Gerry McNamera and Eric Devendorf.
The recruiting class already has Jerami Grant, who should be a better version of Kris Joseph, and DaJuan Coleman, a stronger, more athletic Arinze Onuaku. Finally, this year's Anthony Davis, named Nerlens Noel, has the Orange in his final three, with Kentucky and Georgetown. His presence in the middle of the zone would instantly make us a favorite to get back to the Sweet 16, at least.
So, there is no need to fret. No need to pout. The future is still bright for the Orange. What can we say, then, after the 2011-2012 season? Just this:
Thanks for playing, Syracuse.
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