MBB : SU slips to No. 17 in polls after 4 consecutive losses
Two weeks. Four losses. Fourteen spots down the polls.
In the latest Associated Press rankings released Monday, Syracuse (18-4, 5-4 Big East) dropped to No. 17, eight spots lower than its previous No. 9 rank last week. And it’s all part of a stunning turn to the Orange’s season, as it has fallen from the highs of the No. 3 rank in the nation only two weeks ago.
That’s what the first four-game losing streak in five seasons will do. SU stood near the top of the college basketball world two weeks ago, having rallied without leading scorer Kris Joseph the past Saturday to handily defeat Cincinnati.
But then the Orange hit the toughest portion of its schedule, starting two weeks ago at then-No. 5 Pittsburgh in a nationally televised, highly-anticipated matchup. Again, Syracuse was without Joseph. This time, it couldn’t prevail without his play, dropping its first game of the season.
Then came the free fall. At home in a sloppy loss to Villanova. And then at home in an even sloppier 22-point loss to Seton Hall. The second was the Orange’s worst home loss since 1998.
Finally, Syracuse fell this past weekend in Marquette for its fourth consecutive loss. The Orange has never lost five in a row in 35 seasons under Jim Boeheim.
And the voters took notice. Two voters dropped the Orange from the rankings altogether.
The Big East conference as a whole is still holding strong in the AP rankings. Seven other teams join Syracuse: No. 4 Pittsburgh, No. 6 Connecticut, No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 12 Villanova, No. 13 Georgetown and No. 15 Louisville. SU rounds out the conference at No. 17.
The Orange is also ranked No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. SU will travel to Storrs, Conn., to take on UConn Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Hartford’s XL Center.
Published on January 31, 2011 at 12:00 pm
