Maybe that's just what Syracuse needed. At least, that's what I'm going with cause otherwise that was just ugly.
The Syracuse Orange just got their tails kicked.
Yes, there are plenty of legitimate reasons the Virginia Cavaliers wore down and beat up SU in a 75-56 butt-stomping.
- Jerami Grant left the game early with more back issues.
- Tyler Ennis earned four fouls, limiting his 2nd half playing time and impact.
- Syracuse stuck to its patented "don't grab any rebounds, no matter what" strategy.
- Virginia is just a damn good basketball team and damn good basketball teams win these games at home. Seriously, I refuse to believe they missed a shot in the second half. Refuse to believe it.
And plenty more…but it doesn't change the truth. Syracuse, which has been wobbling along for a month now, just watched the wheels come off.
Here's the good news...
Remember last year when Syracuse got blown out by Georgetown, 61-39? That was in the midst of a terrible stretch of basketball not unlike the one we've been witnessing. And that was followed up by a Final Four run.
I'm not saying…I'm just saying.
Lots of issues with this team right now. And that's without knowing what's to come with Grant's injury and Tyler Roberson's inexperience (Boeheim's insistence on not playing him doesn't look too good right now). But…despite how it might feel in this moment, there is a lot of basketball left to be played.
Ennis and C.J. Fair led the Orange with 13 points each, Trevor Cooney added 12 and…whatever. Who cares? Blech.
