I’m not saying Cuse is going to win a title in the near future. The odds are against the Orange. But there are reasons for optimism. Any talented team can win. You just have to want it. And get the right calls.
First of all, let’s face it; Notre Dame and North Carolina are great lacrosse teams this season, talented, experienced, and deep. No shame to losing to either on their home field.
He told me he had Hakim Warrick and Baye Moussa Keita on board before I was, so just hearing those two names and knowing that they played a significant part in Syracuse basketball is pretty exciting for me.
So, while a couple of the punishments are bad, in particular the scholarship loss, they are not be as bad as they seem at first glance or at least a workaround exists to manage the penalties.
It’s a critical year for Shafer to bring upward movement to the program with a new athletic director on the horizon, and that essentially means the minimal goal is a bowl game invitation.