Syracuse ranks No. 1 in AP, ESPN polls
Syracuse is ranked No. 1 in the newest Associated Press and ESPN polls released Monday, marking the program’s first time its been ranked that high in the regular season since the 1989-90 season. After former-No. 1 Kansas, former-No. 2 Kentucky and former-No. 3 Purdue all fell this weekend, the Orange usurped all three teams from the four spot.
Syracuse received 1,618 points overall, including 59 first-place nods in the AP poll. The Orange (27-2, 14-2 Big East) edged out No. 2 Kansas with1, 550 points, including six first-place votes. Rounding out the top five in the AP Poll are Kentucky at No.3, Duke at No. 4 and Kansas State at No. 5.
The ESPN Poll was much closer, with Syracuse narrowly edging out Kansas, 766 to 741. The Orange did received 23 of 30 first-place votes. Kentucky, Duke and Kansas State also round out the top five in that poll.
The last time Syracuse was ever ranked no. 1 came at the conclusion of the 2003 season when the Orange won the national championship. The last time during a regular season, though, was the beginning of the 1989-90 season. Syracuse started that season ranked No. 1 and held the baton for 11 games, before dropping to No. 6 following a loss to unranked Villanova. Syracuse made it to the Sweet 16 that season.
This year’s team has taken the opposite approach. Instead of coming in ranked as the top squad, the Orange were unranked in the preseason before jumping into the Top 10 in the Nov. 23 poll following upsets of then No. 13 California and No. 6 North Carolina. Syracuse has not dropped out of the Top 10 since.
When broached about the possibility of being No. 1 following Saturday’s 95-77 win over Villanova, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim did not show any excitement.
‘It doesn’t matter at all in our game where you’re rated, it really doesn’t,’ Boeheim said. ‘It does not matter. If we were in football, I would be really happy right now. Just try to hold on for a couple more games and we’d be in the national championship.’
The players even said after Villanova that being No. 1 now is nice, but they’d rather have that ranking come April, just like the 2003 squad did.
‘I definitely agree (we should be No. 1) but we’ve been a team that’s not worried about numbers all year,’ Senior center Arinze Onuaku said. ‘Our goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the year and at the end of the season, when it’s all said and done, we want to be No.1. ‘
Published on February 28, 2010 at 12:00 pm
