Incredulously, we saw the many tweets from media and fans following Syracuse’s first loss of the season against California last Thursday that the Orange will be NIT-bound come tournament time.
One day after Syracuse shot just 35 percent from the field and collected only nine assists against California, the Orange showed marked improvement against Iowa in a 66-63 win in the consolation game of the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Chris McCullough had 20 points and a critical steal in the final seconds that enabled No. 23 Syracuse to hold on for a 66-63 victory over Iowa in the 2K Classic third-place game.
McCullough had 20 points, nine rebounds and a key steal with 8.4 seconds left, and No. 23 Syracuse held off Iowa 66-63 on Friday night in the 2K Classic consolation game.
The Golden Bears stunned 23rd-ranked Syracuse 73-59 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden to advance to the championship game of the 2K Classic against 10th-ranked Texas.