Projecting the Field of 65: Syracuse Orange Crushed

Everything was going so well for Syracuse.

For the first 18:30 of the game, I watched from my work computer as my alma mater drained threes and forced turnovers to take a 28-19 lead in the first round of the Big East Tournament.

Then Villanova, which had been stone cold for the majority of the half, hit three quick buckets to close the first half on an 8-0 run, sending the 'Cuse to the locker room up by only one point.

As I drove over to Applebee's to watch the second half on my lunch break, I called my old college roommate Darren to discuss what had just happened.

"We totally outplayed them, so it's not good that we're only up one," I told him. "But we turned the ball over a lot too, so if we can cut down on those, we should be all right. We need to get the momentum back in the first four minutes now."

And Syracuse did. Before the bartender could even bring me my chicken fingers platter, the Orange extended its lead back to five.

"37-32, 17:04 left. Good start," I texted Darren, who was at his job as a gym teacher and could not watch any of the game.

Lucky him. That would be the last happy text I would send.

For the next 12 minutes of game time, the Wildcats didn't miss. Or that's what it seemed like, at least.

Villanova made eight of its first nine three-point attempts in the second half to turn a five-point deficit into a 16-point advantage.

"Season over," I texted.

The under-sized Villanova team did an excellent job fronting Syracuse center Arinze Onuaku, denying the Orange the chance to exploit its advantage on the interior. As a result, SU was forced to jack up three after three in a vain attempt to get back into the ballgame.

Coach Jim Boeheim once again refused to switch from his patented 2-3 zone to a man defense that may have denied the Cats some of the many open looks from deep. It was probably because he wanted to keep his guys fresh; the Orange bench isn't very deep.

But as I commiserated with the '81 Syracuse alum sitting next to me, I realized next year would be a different story.

With floor general Eric Devendorf and sharpshooter Andy Rautins returning from injury to join this year's outstanding freshmen and next season's crop of great recruits, the Orange won't have to worry about the bubble.

In fact, if everyone stays in school, the 'Cuse, which loses no scholarship seniors, will be thinking less about getting into the field and more about getting to the Final Four. Take a look at next year's projected starting lineup:

PG Jonny Flynn

SG Eric Devendorf

SF Paul Harris

PF Donte' Green

C Arinze Onuaku

And unlike this year, the team will sport a very deep bench:

SG Andy Rautins

PF Kristof Ongenaet

PG Scoop Jardine

PF Rick Jackson

F Mookie Jones (No. 40 recruit on rivals.com)

F Kris Joseph (No. 103 recruit on rivals.com)

But enough about me being a homer. How does this Syracuse loss impact the rest of the bubbles for the 2008 NCAA Tournament?

With the Orange's fall from the field, my next team-in-waiting, South Alabama, returns to the brackets. But maybe not for long.

If Villanova can upset top-seeded Georgetown tomorrow, I think the Wildcats grab the Jaguars' spot.

And how about Dayton sneaking out a very important one-point overtime win over St. Louis in the eight-against-nine game of the A-10 tourney? With wins over Louisville, Pitt, Temple and St. Joe's, I think the Fliers are safely in at this point, but a win over Xavier can't hurt.

West Virginia, meanwhile, better wake up. The 'Eers lead 12th seeded Providence by only one at the 4:33 mark of the second half. A loss to the lowly Friars could put WVU in a lot of trouble.

As for Syracuse...At least my chicken fingers were good.