BOSTON — If you want to know the difference between a team and a program, we give you Syracuse as People’s Exhibit “A.”
The Orange’s remarkable 34-win season came to an end Saturday, one game too short, in TD Garden with a 77-70 loss to Ohio State in the East Region final of the NCAA tournament. Next year’s Syracuse team should be pretty darn good, too.
The Orange will lose seniors Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph. Their leadership and experience can’t be overstated.
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“Well, they’ve been great,’’ Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said after the loss. “They’ve won more games in these four years than anybody in a senior class we’ve ever had.’
“These last two years, they’ve been great starting and they’ve been good leaders,’’ he added. “They’ve really done everything you could ask from them, really. There’s nothing you could ask out of those guys.’’
The seniors won’t be the only losses. Fab Melo, the 7-foot sophomore center, who was declared ineligible on the eve of the tournament, has entered the NBA Draft.
Mercurial guard Dion Waiters was expected to do so as soon as he grabbed his luggage off the baggage carousel.
But in 36 seasons in Syracuse, Boeheim has built one of the nation’s perennial power programs, not a “once-in-every-few-years-we’ll make a run” programs.
Brandon Triche will return for his senior season and will be counted on to fill some of the leadership void left by Joseph and Jardine.
Rakeem “Rock” Christmas and Baye Keita, who played his best basketball of the season in the NCAA tournament, gives Syracuse the best center tandem in the nation.
They could face stiff competition. DaJuan Coleman, a 6-foot-8 power forward/center from upstate power Jamesville-DeWitt High School, who received McDonald’s All-America honors, has committed to Syracuse.
Jerami Grant a 6-foot-8 swing forward from legendary power DeMatha Catholic (Md.) High School, chose the Orange over Rutgers and Notre Dame.
And 6-foot-10 Nerlens Noel, the No. 1 college basketball recruit for the class of 2012, recently narrowed his choices to Syracuse, Kentucky and Georgetown. If he chooses Syracuse, the Orange’s back line could be the most imposing in Boeheim’s career.
C.J. Fair and James Southerland of Queens give Boeheim a pair of athletic wings. Southerland should emerge as one of the best 3-point shooters in the country, though he’ll get stiff competition from redshirt freshman Trevor Cooney.
Michael Carter-Williams is ready to take the point guard baton. In the Orange’s win over Connecticut in the Big East Conference tournament, Carter-Williams came off the bench to contribute three points and two assists in seven minutes.
Once again the Orange will be one of the deepest teams in the nation. Another 34-win season is folly. But another Big East regular season title? Don’t bet against it.