This would be a tough reward for a good year...
With two games left in the regular season, the Syracuse University women's basketball team has had a fantastic campaign to this point.
Picked to finish 13th in the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) polls, the Orange are now 21-6 and 11-5 inside league play. They've played excellent at home (14-3) and on the road (6-2) and they seem destined for another appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
However, according to the latest ESPN bracketology, the reward for this season will be a tough one.
The outlet has the Orange earning a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, pitting them against No. 8 Illinois in the first round. Should they win that one, they'd match up with No. 1 Connecticut, who is unbeaten and the heavy favorite for the national title.
The Huskies also won the title a year ago and they've been even more dominant in 2025-26.
Of course, if Syracuse is able to win its final two games down the stretch (@Notre Dame, vs Boston College) and play well in the ACC Tournament, perhaps they can play themselves off the 8/9 line and out of the UConn section of the bracket.
About the SU women's team
--Four different players are averaging in double-figures including Uche Izoje (14.7), Laila Phelia (13.6), Dominique Darius (13.2) and Sophie Burrows (11.1).
--Izoje is likely headed for ACC recognition as the Rookie of the Year in the league. In addition to her 14.7 points, she's also averaging 9.2 rebounds a game. She could end up on an All-America list in addition to a list for first-year players.
--The Orange have big wins over Stanford and a triple OT win over Cal on their resume. They also only lost to North Carolina by six in overtime.
Also on campus
--The Syracuse men's basketball team hasn't been so fortunate this season, and they'll enter Saturday's tilt with Wake Forest at 15-13 overall and just 6-9 inside league play. They are on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season and there are questions swirling about the future of head coach Adrian Autry.
Our own Brady Farkas recently wrote that if SU wants to help the program continue to move forward, they need to get Carmelo Anthony into the fold from more than just a donation standpoint.
Saturday's game against Wake will tip off at 3:45 p.m. ET.
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