Syracuse Orange men's basketball

History

Early history

Basketball started at Syracuse in February 1898 and Athletic Director John A. R. Scott served as the first coach. Syracuse fielded its first varsity basketball team in 1916–17. The program rose to national prominence early in its history, retroactively being recognized by the Helms Athletic Foundation as a national champion for 1918 (under Coach Edmund Dollard) and 1926. While the NCAA lists the historical Helms selections for reference, neither the Helms nor the Premo-Porretta Power Poll titles are officially recognized as NCAA national championships. The program made National Invitation Tournament appearances in 1946 and 1950, won the 1951 National Campus Tournament, and made its first NCAA men's basketball tournament appearance in 1957. Notable early era players included Hall of Famer Vic Hanson and racial pioneer Wilmeth Sidat-Singh.

National emergence

The modern era of Syracuse basketball began with the arrival of future Hall of Famer Dave Bing. As a sophomore in 1964, Bing led the team to an NIT appearance and as a senior in 1966, he led the team to its second NCAA tournament appearance, where it reached the regional final. Bing's backcourt partner on these teams was future Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

Syracuse remained competitive after Bing's departure, with NIT appearances in 1967, 1971, and 1972. Under coach Roy Danforth, in 1973, the team began a string of consecutive NCAA appearances highlighted by a Final Four appearance in 1975. The 1975 squad featured guard Jim Lee and forward Rudy Hackett and was affectionately known as "Roy's Runts."

Big East era (1979–2013)

Following the 1976 season, Danforth was hired away by Tulane University and the university turned to young assistant Jim Boeheim (a native of Lyons, New York) to assume the helm. Boeheim extended the string of NCAA appearances to nine, with bids in each of his first four seasons, a period in which his teams won 100 games. These teams featured star forward Louis Orr and center Roosevelt Bouie, and were sometimes referred to as the "Louie and Bouie Show."

Syracuse was a founding member of the Big East Conference in 1979, along with UConn, Georgetown University, St. John's University and Providence College. Syracuse and Georgetown were each ranked in the top ten in 1980, and a new and major rivalry blossomed when Georgetown snapped Syracuse's 57-game home winning streak in the final men's basketball game played at Manley Field House. Over the next ten seasons, these two schools met eight times in the Big East tournament, four times in the finals, and met numerous times on national television during the regular season.

Syracuse won the Big East tournament in 1981, but was passed over by the NCAA Tournament. The team, featuring Danny Schayes and Leo Rautins, finished runner-up in the NIT. The team returned to the NIT in 1982, before beginning another extended streak of NCAA appearances in 1983.

In 1983, heralded high school phenomenon Dwayne "Pearl" Washington joined the team, and led the school to NCAA appearances in 1984, 1985, and 1986, before leaving school early for the NBA draft.

Washington grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, where he acquired his nickname as an eight-year-old in a taunting comparison to Earl "the Pearl" Monroe. He was a playground phenomenon from Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, and was rated as the number one overall high school player in the United States 1983. He brought his flashy play to Syracuse University and the Carrier Dome. "The Pearl" was the master of the "shake and bake" and the "cross-over" moves.

It is believed that Pearl Washington brought Syracuse basketball to national prominence and helped usher the Big East into the national spotlight in the mid-1980s. In the Carrier Dome's first three years, Syracuse's highest attendance mark was a mere 20,401 in the 1982–83. In 1983, Pearl's freshman year, Syracuse's attendance increased to 22,380 per game. As a sophomore, Syracuse led the nation in attendance for the first time in school history. Syracuse would be the NCAA's attendance leader for the next ten years. By the time Washington was a junior, Syracuse's average attendance had jumped to 26,225. Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, who has long said that there would be no Syracuse basketball program as we know it without Pearl, once said:He's the only guy who could just overnight fill the place like that. He had an unbelievable effect on our program. Everybody says that Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin made the Big East, but I think Pearl made the league. They were the best players, but Pearl was the player that people turned out to see and turned on their TVs to watch. We had the highest-rated games every year that Pearl was here. He was a guy who everybody wanted to see play. He not only helped make our program, he helped make the Big East and he helped college basketball.

Atlantic Coast Conference era (2013 – present)

On July 1, 2013, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In its first season in the conference, Syracuse started 25–0 before losing six of its last nine games. The team featured two Second Team All Americans, point guard Tyler Ennis and forward C.J. Fair, and finished second in the ACC regular season standings.

The Orange underperformed 2014–15 expectations with an 18–13 record behind First Team All-ACC center Rakeem Christmas. Though the team was not eligible for the NCAA tournament due to the self-imposed post-season ban by the university, this would change in the following 2015–16 season as the Orange made the Final Four as a 10-seed by defeating Dayton, Middle Tennessee, Gonzaga, and Virginia.

The following season Syracuse started ranked 19th in the AP Poll, but failed to make the NCAA tournament. In the 2017–18 season Syracuse would return to the NCAA tournament despite going 8–10 in conference play. In the tournament Syracuse upset 3-seeded Michigan State before losing to Duke in the Sweet 16. The next year saw the Orange make back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time since the 2013–14 season. They lost to Baylor in the opening round. On January 14, 2019, Syracuse upset Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium, marking the first time that the Blue Devils had lost to an unranked team at home as the AP ranked number one team. They would lose to Baylor in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Syracuse started the 2019–20 season slow, losing 48–34 to Virginia, the lowest amount ever scored by a team in Boeheim's career. SU would win its final game of the season in the ACC tournament beating North Carolina 81–53 and defeating the Tar Heels for the first time since 2014. This would be the last game played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2020–21 season SU would once again upset its way to the Sweet 16 beating 3-seeded West Virginia before losing to eventual Final Four participant Houston.

Syracuse University Athletics scandal

The NCAA's investigation into violations by Syracuse athletics date back to May 2007, following an initial report by the university to the NCAA, after the university learned that local YMCA employees paid some football and men's basketball student-athletes; Syracuse claims "the NCAA’s investigation of Syracuse has taken longer than any other investigation in NCAA history."

In March 2015, the NCAA released its infractions report which found that Syracuse had possibly violated rules. As a result, 101 wins were vacated by the NCAA in the 2004–2005, 2006–2007, 2010–2011, and 2011–2012 seasons.

The NCAA's ruling was confirmed by David Worlock, the NCAA's director of media coordination and statistics. Worlock is not part of the NCAA's Infractions or Enforcement offices. As the director of media coordination and statistics, he is working to update records based on the Committee on Infractions' sanctions. He said the COI's report on Syracuse differed from other investigations into violations at other schools in that it did not require the removal of championship trophies or banners signifying NCAA tournament appearances.

As a result, Syracuse retained the banner for its 2012 team's run to the NCAA Elite 8 and 2011 advancement to the third round of the NCAA tournament. Also, a Big East Conference official confirmed that the conference's updated media guide continues to list Syracuse as its 2005 and 2006 tournament champion.

Coaches

† including 101 victories vacated by NCAA

Facilities

Archbold Gymnasium

Syracuse home games in the early years were played at Archbold Gymnasium, an on-campus gym that is still used for various university activities. It was built in 1908 with money donated by John Dustin Archbold, a major benefactor of the university, who also funded the building of Archbold Stadium, just to the west of the gymnasium (now the site of the Carrier Dome). After a 1947 fire, most home games were played at Syracuse's state fairgrounds' Coliseum and other local venues from 1947 to 1949.

Manley Field House

In 1962, home games moved to the newly constructed Manley Field House which finally gave the team a powerful home court advantage. At one time, the arena held 9,500 people for home games. The team became so fond of the space that its coaches objected to moving to the Carrier Dome when it was opened in 1980.

On February 13, 1980, the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team upset #2 ranked Syracuse 52–50 in the final planned, regular season game at Manley Field House, where the Orange boasted a 57-game home winning streak. Georgetown head coach John Thompson Jr. would declare after the victory during the news conference that "Manley Field House is officially closed". The game gave birth to a rivalry, not just between schools but between two contrasting future Hall of Fame coaches.

Manley Field House hosted the ECAC Upstate Region tournament organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in 1976 as well as a semifinal game of the 1977 ECAC South Region tournament.

Melo Center

The Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center is the home of Syracuse basketball. The $19 million facility officially opened in September 2009. The facility includes two NCAA regulation-size practice courts, a weight room, training room, equipment room, locker rooms and coaches offices for both men's and women's basketball programs. In addition, fans can relive some of the greatest moments in Syracuse basketball history in the building's Hall of Fame Wing. The name comes from NBA star forward Carmelo Anthony, who was the major benefactor to the project.

Home court

The JMA Wireless Dome

Because the Carrier Dome could not survive on a schedule of just 6 home football games a year, Syracuse Orange basketball team moved to their new home arena. In its setup for basketball, the Carrier Dome can hold crowds of more than 30,000 for its biggest games.

The Carrier Dome is the largest arena in NCAA DI basketball with a maximum capacity of 35,642. Syracuse's home court total attendance has led the nation 28 times, and its per-game average attendance has been ranked first 17 times since the opening of the Carrier Dome in 1980. Also, Syracuse has set and broken the NCAA on campus single game attendance record at the Carrier Dome 16 times. The most recent record-breaking game was against Duke in 2019 with a sellout crowd of 35,642 people.

In May 2018, the university announced a major renovation to the Carrier Dome as the central portion of a larger campus update. The renovation, estimated to cost $120 million, is expected to be completed in 2022. The most significant changes will be the replacement of the current air-supported roof with a fixed roof, two-thirds of which will be translucent, the installation of air conditioning and the largest centerhung videoboard in college sports. The upgrade will also include a new lighting and sound systems, Wi-Fi improvements, accessibility upgrades, improved restrooms, and new concession spaces.

Madison Square Garden

The Orange have been playing at Madison Square Garden since an encounter with Manhattan on February 1, 1939. The 2018–19 season marked the 37th consecutive campaign that Syracuse played at least once in the facility. The latest streak began in 1983–84.

* record stands as of December 18, 2018, and does not reflect wins vacated by the NCAA from 2004 to 2007 and 2010 to 2012.

Rivalries

The original Big East was founded by seven charter schools in 1979 (Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Connecticut, and Boston College). Villanova joined the following year, followed by Pittsburgh in 1982. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, and Syracuse were the primary powers in the conference with UConn joining them in the 1990s. In less than a decade after its inception, the Big East became the most successful college basketball league in America. The documentary 30 for 30: Requiem For The Big East by ESPN Films chronicles well the meteoric ascension of the Big East conference.

Syracuse and Georgetown rivalry

Syracuse and Georgetown rivalry — Syracuse's biggest rival is Georgetown. The two schools have been playing each other since 1930, but their rivalry was solidified in the 1980s as the respective programs were the leading powers during the infancy of the newly formed Big East conference. On February 13, 1980, the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team upset #2 ranked Syracuse 52–50 in the final planned, regular season game at Manley Field House, where the Orange boasted a 57-game home winning streak. Georgetown head coach John Thompson Jr. would declare after the victory during the news conference that "Manley Field House is officially closed". The game gave birth to a rivalry, not just between schools but between two contrasting future Hall of Fame coaches.

The Georgetown–Syracuse rivalry has included incidents such as Michael Graham's punch during the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City; Pearl Washington's buzzer-beating shot against the defending national champion and top-ranked team in the country at the Carrier Dome; and coach Thompson's three technical fouls and subsequent ejection during the controversial Orange victory.

The animosity between the programs was further extended when Syracuse announced their decision to leave the Big East effective in 2013 to join the ACC. Georgetown and Syracuse have continued to play each other in the next years following their exit from the conference.

The Georgetown–Syracuse rivalry is regarded as one of college basketball's greatest rivalries between two storied programs.

Syracuse and Connecticut rivalry

The first game played between the two schools took place on January 27, 1956, while the rivalry was at its height from 1979 to 2013 when both teams were members of the Big East Conference. The rivalry featured two Hall of Fame coaches, Jim Boeheim and Jim Calhoun. One of the highlights was the historic Big East tournament quarterfinal game in 2009, which took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Syracuse won 127–117 in a game that went to six overtimes, ending at 1:22 AM.

Syracuse and Villanova rivalry

Syracuse and Villanova rivalry — Both schools have strong basketball traditions and are former Big East rivals. The strength of the basketball rivalry is evidenced by the fact that Syracuse v. Villanova games have attracted some of the biggest college basketball crowds ever, breaking the NCAA on campus basketball attendance record twice, including one game with a crowd of 34,616 people in 2010. However, this rivalry has an uncertain future because of the schools' recent separation (Syracuse in the ACC, and Villanova in the new Big East).

The Orange lead all-time series with each of their rivals.

Updated December 18, 2022

Championships

NCAA tournament seeding

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

* played in the "First Four" round

Complete NCAA tournament results

The Orange have appeared in the NCAA tournament 41 times. Their combined record is 70–41.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NCAA tournament was cancelled.

NIT results

The Orange have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 13 times.

* – all wins in 2007 NIT were vacated as a result of the 2015 investigation of its athletics department.

National Campus Basketball Tournament results

The Orange appeared in the only National Campus Basketball Tournament where they were champions with a record of 3–0.

Conference tournament titles

Since its beginnings in 1898, Syracuse had been independent program until it joined the Big East Conference in 1979. From 1975 to 1982, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) organized annual regional end-of-season men's basketball tournaments for independent Division I ECAC member colleges and universities in the Northeastern United States. The winner of each regional tournament was declared the ECAC regional champion for the season and received an automatic bid in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. In 2013, Syracuse joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.

† – Indicates season for which the school's overall and/or conference record has been later adjusted by penalty, however the titles are claimed by the university

Conference regular-season champions

Syracuse had been independent program until it joined the Big East Conference in 1979. In 2013, Syracuse joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.

† – Indicates season for which the school's overall and/or conference record has been later adjusted by penalty, but the titles are claimed by the university

National polls

Syracuse has finished in the Final Top 25 rankings 30 times in the AP Poll. Syracuse teams have spent a total of 17 weeks ranked number 1, most recently in 2014.

† The Associated Press began compiling a ranking of the top 20 college men's basketball teams during the 1948–1949 season. It has issued the poll continuously since the 1950–1951 season. Beginning with the 1989–1990 season, the poll expanded to 25 teams.

^ Final ballot of The Coaches Poll. (The second oldest poll still in use after the AP Poll).

Notable players and coaches

Retired jerseys

Syracuse University honors jersey/uniform numbers of its athletes, but the numbers are not officially "retired" and remain active. Historically, Syracuse University has restricted the men's basketball team from wearing such numbers, but there have also been exceptions to this custom. An example of the former is Carmelo Anthony, who wore #22 in high school, but since the number was already "retired" at Syracuse, Anthony chose #15 as an alternate upon his arrival. Similarly, Gerry McNamara wore #31 in high school, also "retired" by Syracuse University (McNamara chose #3 instead).

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

The award is given annually to an individual who has found the game of basketball to be a contributing aspect to their personal growth and accomplishment, a place to develop an understanding of others, and an avenue that helped shape that individual's growth into a recognized visionary and leader.

The Basketball Hall of Fame's media award was established by the board of trustees to single out members of the electronic and print media for outstanding contributions to basketball.

The NBA 75th Anniversary Team

The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. Similar to the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, a panel of media members, current and former players, coaches, general managers, and team executives selected the greatest players in league history.

College Basketball All-America selections

Syracuse basketball players have earned All-America honors over 70 times. Below are the consensus All-American recognitions, 12 of which are Consensus First-Team All-Americans.

Atlantic Coast Conference awards

† co-winner

ACC All-Conference selections

Syracuse basketball players in All-ACC teams since 2013–14 season.

ACC All-Defensive Team selections

Syracuse basketball players in ACC All-Defensive teams since 2013–14 season.

ACC All-Tournament Team selections

Syracuse basketball players in ACC All-Tournament teams since 2013–14 season.

Year-by-year results

Since playing its first official season in 1898–99, Syracuse ranks fifth in total victories among all NCAA Division I programs and seventh in all-time win percentage among programs with at least 50 years in Division I, with an all-time win–loss record of 2042–931(.687) as of March 30, 2021(vacated wins included).

* - Indicates season for which the school's overall and/or conference record has been later adjusted by penalty

† - From 1975 to 1982, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) organized annual regional end-of-season men's basketball tournaments for independent Division I ECAC member colleges and universities in the Northeastern United States. The winner of each regional tournament was declared the ECAC regional champion for the season and received an automatic bid in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

Players currently in the NBA

Jerami Grant, forward for the Portland Trail Blazers

Players currently playing professionally around the world

Oshae Brissett, shooting guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv

Rakeem Christmas, forward

Marek Dolezaj, forward for Ternopil

Tyler Ennis, point guard for Hapoel Tel Aviv

C. J. Fair, forward for the Windy City Bulls

Michael Gbinije, guard for the Cape Town Tigers

Cole Swider, forward for Efes

Andrew White III, forward for Afyon Belediye