Syracuse University's basketball teams learned their postseason fates Sunday night, and while one team is going dancing, the other is staying home.
After finishing the season with a 23-7 record, the SU women's basketball team earned a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team will travel to Storrs, CT where they'll play the winner of a play-in game between Arizona and Auburn. Tip time for the first-round matchup is set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
"To be at this dance is humbling and exciting, and we'll play anybody, anywhere at any time," said SU head coach Felicia Legette-Jack Sunday night.
If the Orange win their first-round matchup, they face a potential second-round matchup against the 3-seed UCONN Huskies, who will be playing on their home court.
Syracuse is 10-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and their first trip since 2021.
SU men decline NIT bid
The SU men's basketball team's season is over. After losing to N.C. State in the second round of the ACC Tournament, an NCAA tournament bid was unlikely, but the Orange was still expected to be picked for the NIT Tournament. Following the loss, head coach Adrian Autry was asked if the team would accept a bid to play in the NIT.
"I think any time you get the chance to make a postseason, you have to take it," he said, but added "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
When the NIT bracket was released late Sunday, Syracuse was left off. The university, in a statement, said the team declined an invite.
"We respect the NIT but our only postseason goal was to play in the NCAA Tournament. Therefore we communicated to the ACC we would not participate in the NIT," said a spokesman.
The SU Men finish their first season under Autry with a 20-12 record.
Orange Nation, thank you to the best fans in the country for your support throughout this season! 🧡
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) March 18, 2024
The 2024-25 season has already begun. 🍊📈#OrangeStandard pic.twitter.com/SppqE826Mc
Other CNY teams in the postseason
Several other teams from central New York are headed to postseason play. Colgate's men's basketball team made it into the NCAA tournament, earning an automatic bid after winning its conference tournament. The Raiders are a 14-seed and will take on the 3-seed Baylor at 12:40 p.m. Friday.
Cornell's Men's basketball team will play in the NIT tournament. The Big Red finished the season with a 22-7 record. They'll play the 2-seed Ohio State on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Le Moyne's women's basketball team is headed to the NIT tournament in their first year as a Division I school. The team finished the season with an 18-12 overall record, but had a 14-2 record in conference play. The Dolphins were a 2-seed in the NEC Tournament, but lost to top-seed Sacred Heart in the NEC championship game Sunday. Even if the Dolphins had won, they would have been ineligible to play in the NCAA Tournament. Under NCAA rules, any team must wait four years after joining Division I before being allowed to play in the NCAA Tournament. The full WNIT bracket will be released Monday.
