Syracuse Basketball: 4 Signs Orange Are Ready to Run the Table

The Syracuse Orange enter the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2010, ending the regular season accomplishing a goal of sitting atop a corner of the bracket for postseason play.

Aside from losses at Notre Dame and in the Big East tournament to Cincinnati, the Orange completed a near perfect slate of conference play, and coupled with their unblemished non-conference slate, they finished with a 31-2 record.

Led by seniors Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine, Syracuse is hungry to win their first national title since Carmelo Anthony's 2003 squad that accomplished the task as the No. 3 seed.

Syracuse is my dark horse candidate to run the table, so as you glance across your bracket and pencil in the final selections, remember these four signs that the Orange might be the team to take with that last bit of writing on the paper (or click on the computer, if you're tech-savvy).

No.1 Seed Magic

Since 1979, 42.2 percent of No. 1 seeds have gone on to make the Final Four. In that same span, only three times (1980, 2006, 2011) have there been no No. 1 seeds represented in the last two games.

By comparison, only once (2008) did every No. 1 seed make it to the Final Four. There seems to be no trend for an all-or-nothing situation, and 42.2 percent gives good odds to at least one No. 1 seed making it through their region. 

I think Syracuse has the second-easiest path to New Orleans of the four No. 1 teams, behind the North Carolina Tar Heels. Cincinnati, Florida State and Ohio State all have a chance to make the Elite Eight, but on paper they will be favored in every matchup to that point.

While the seed hasn't always been kind to the Orange (see 2010 tournament), they have a chance to be in contention when it matters most. That's something Jim Boeheim will pound into the minds of his players as March Madness goes along.

Fab Melo's Emergence

Many feel second-year center Fab Melo is the key to Syracuse winning it all this year. His averages are up across the board, and until Syracuse lost to Cincinnati in the Big East tournament, their only loss (at Notre Dame) had been with him unable to participate.

His six rebounds and three blocks a game a part of the reason the 2-3 zone works for coach Jim Boeheim, and his offensive game is 10-fold better than it was during his freshman season, when he couldn't stay on the court in the second half.

This version of Melo is a far cry from the one that struggled so mightily in 2011, when critics wondered if he would ever live up to his potential as one of the top recruits in the entire class.

He has shown why he was such a highly touted prospect during his time on the court this season, and his NBA draft stock could fall or rise based on what version shows up in the tournament. Conversely, he'll be big in helping the Orange turn their recent tournament struggles around, or part of the reason for the continued pattern.

Talented, Experienced Underclassmen

Syracuse has the second-best set of underclassmen NBA-ready talent in the entire country (Kentucky in the lead, of course). Led by Fab Melo, Dion Waiters and C.J. Fair, these Orange boast a very impressive set of starters and reserves who will likely be playing in the NBA within the next two seasons.

Throw in three-year starting guard Brandon Triche, a junior who started on the last No. 1 seed team in 2010, and there's evidence to support Syracuse as the most experienced team in the bracket.

More importantly, the bulk of their rotation experienced the tournament last year in a fashion that should leave a poor taste in their mouths as they enter it this year. Losing to Marquette in the second round was a major upset for a program expected to contend, and those underclassmen that experienced it should never want to again.

This year, five of those underclassmen average more than 10 minutes per game, and those that contribute this year also played last year in the loss to Marquette.

Look for Fair and Waiters to ensure an early-round upset doesn't happen again, as their efforts on offense will likely spark the success Syracuse will have in the half-court set, while Melo has his sights set on protecting the rim and providing the necessary rebounding to turn the 2-3 zone into a team strength.

Hungry Senior Leadership

Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph have both been on campus for four years, and they've both returned to their lockers after ending their fiscal year without a feeling of satisfaction. This will be the last season they can change that, and the only remedy for the offseason blues is a championship.

Head coach Jim Boeheim leans on both for leadership, clutch scoring and knowledge of his system on both ends of the court. If they want to make a deep run, it will likely be fueled by their top point (Joseph) and assist (Jardine) men.

There are several seniors that will use their impending college end as a reason to play at the highest level. Purdue's Robbie Hummel, Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor, Missouri's Marcus Denmon and Michigan's State's Draymond Green come to mind.

Syracuse has two guys in that boat, and they should challenge each other to get better as March keeps rolling. If nothing else, being seniors and putting on the uniform for the last time should help push these two to play their best games ever in the orange and white.

'Cuse's title hopes depend on it.