Item: The two preseason games allowed Jim Boeheim to showcase his base eight-man rotation, shuffle a few players around at different positions to observe various looks at both ends of the floor, and provided a confirmation of the permanent casual attire the coaches in the ACC (and most leagues) will adorn on the sidelines following the impact of COVID-19 to the dress code last season.
As the regular season gets underway Tuesday night against Patriot League foe Lafayette (7:00 p.m. ET/Regional Sports Networks), we’ll take our annual crack at prognosticating how the 31 games followed by the ACC Tournament turn out (W/L), listing each game in chronological order.
- Nov. 9 Lafayette – Bill Smith’s school-mark 47 points vs. Lafayette goes back 50 years. (W)
- Nov. 14 Drexel – Cole Swider scores 31 in his second game in orange. Not bad. (W)
- Nov. 20 Colgate – What a job coach Matt Langel has done, now a decade in Hamilton. (W)
- Nov. 24 Virginia Commonwealth – Envious not to be in “Paradise” over the holiday. (W)
- Nov. 25 Baylor – Make sure you don’t fall asleep from all of that Thanksgiving food. (L)
- Nov. 26 Michigan State – Jim Boeheim is 5-1 all-time against HOF-mate Tom Izzo. (W)
- Nov. 30 Indiana – After 1987, SU is never allowed to lose to the Hoosiers again (5-0 since). (W)
- Dec. 4 at Florida State – Playing first true road game a tough way to open up in ACC play. (L)
- Dec. 7 Villanova – This date marks the sixth anniversary of the introduction of Dino Babers. (L)
- Dec. 11 at Georgetown – Best. Decision. Ever. Keeping the all-time Big East rivalry alive. (W)
- Dec. 18 Lehigh – Mountain Hawks are pre-season 8th of 10 teams in the Patriot League. (W)
- Dec. 21 Cornell – Like Swider to ‘Nova’s Jay Wright, Jimmy Boeheim to Big Red’s Brian Earl. (W)
- Dec. 29 Georgia Tech – It’s snowing threes which ‘Wrecks’ Tech in the ACC Dome opener. (W)
- Jan. 1 Virginia – Happy New Year! Whoops. As Tim Brando says, “the iron is not kind” to SU. (L)
- Jan. 5 at Miami – Jim Boeheim always loves a quick Florida winter break, even midweek. (W)
- Jan. 8 at Wake Forest – Watch UK import, guard Cameron Hlidreth, help immensely. (W)
- Jan. 11 Pittsburgh – A repeat of last year’s collapse in the Dome? No way says Benny W. (W)
- Jan. 15 Florida State – We can’t go this far into the season without mentioning Buddy. (W)
- Jan. 18 Clemson – We can’t go this far into the season without mentioning JGIII. (W)
- Jan. 22 at Duke – Frosh phenom Paolo Banchero plays all five positions on the floor fluidly. (L)
- Jan. 25 at Pittsburgh – A little adversity doesn’t hurt, there’s hiccups in a 31-game stretch. (L)
- Jan. 29 Wake Forest – The Deacs lead late but are done in by Orange foul shooting! (W)
- Feb. 2 at North Carolina State – Don’t you just hate those 9:00 (ET) tipoffs on a Wed. night? (L)
- Feb. 5 Louisville – Jesse Edwards and Frank Anselem battle against veteran Malik Williams. (W)
- Feb. 8 at Boston College – Speedy Symir Torrance causes chill at chilly Conte Forum. (W)
- Feb. 12 at Virginia Tech – Jim Boeheim, age 77, 3-3 all-time at Cassell Coliseum, age 60. (L)
- Feb. 19 Boston College – Two games in 11 days vs. the Eagles helps ACC Tourny seeding. (W)
- Feb. 22 at Notre Dame – Defense is the key holding the Irish to under 30% beyond the arc. (W)
- Feb. 26 Duke – Classic Dome record crowd setting roars with a goodbye to Coach K. (W)
- Feb. 28 at North Carolina – Lone all-time win in the building is against North Carolina…A&T. (L)
- Mar. 5 Miami – How loud will the ovation be for the Boeheim brothers and Dad? (W)
» Related: Breaking down Syracuse’s 2021-22 projected starting lineup
Regular Season: 22-9, 13-7 – 6th Seed ACC Tournament
- Mar. 9 Clemson – A three-point shooting clinic wows the crowd in Brooklyn. (W)
- Mar. 10 North Carolina – Armando Bacot’s crazy follow-up with 0:02 left stuns the ‘Cuse. (L)
NCAA Tournament: 7th Seed Midwest Regional (Chicago) – First/Second Round (Buffalo)
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