Syracuse Basketball: Ranking the Biggest Games Left on Orange's Schedule

The Syracuse Orange basketball team used a furious late-game run to come back against Virginia Tech on Tuesday and get a 72-70 victory. Michael Gbinije scored the last six points for the Orange, including the game-winner with one-tenth of a second left.

However, the exciting win was overshadowed when the university announced a self-imposed postseason ban for this season. That means no ACC tournament, no NCAA tournament and no NIT or any other postseason tournament. After the Orange play North Carolina State on March 7, the season is over.

While Syracuse doesn't have much of an NCAA tournament resume to speak of, it's still unfortunate the team won't even have a chance to get into the Big Dance. It's especially a shame for senior Rakeem Christmas, who is one of the country's most improved players but will now be unable to finish his career with postseason play.

Despite the fact that Syracuse won't be in anyone's tournament bracket, there is still plenty to play for this season. The players still have an opportunity to get better and earn some big wins against rivals and highly ranked teams.

With that in mind, let's look at the five biggest games remaining on Syracuse's schedule. We'll rank each one based on how tough the game will be and how big the rivalry is.

No. 5: Syracuse vs. Louisville 2/18/15

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We will kick off the list with a team that Syracuse already has an established rivalry with. The Orange and the Louisville Cardinals already know each other from their time in the Big East, but this will be the first meeting between the teams as members of the ACC.

These two teams are similar this year in that both squads lack depth. Louisville has four players who average over 30 minutes per game but no others who even average 20. Despite that, the Cardinals sit at 18-3 and are ranked ninth in the AP Top 25 and eighth in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

In addition, this game is noteworthy because it could be Rakeem Christmas' biggest challenge of the season. Montrezl Harrell is a certified beast in the middle averaging 15.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game on the year.

Harrell is one of the few players in the ACC who can handle Christmas one-on-one. His strength will allow him to push Christmas up the lane and not allow the Syracuse center to catch the ball close to the basket. Christmas will have to bring his A-game when Harrell and the Cardinals come to town.

No. 4: Syracuse at Notre Dame 2/24/15

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Edging out the home game with Louisville is a road game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mike Brey's players will be looking for redemption after Trevor Cooney dropped 33 on them last year and almost single-handedly willed the Orange to victory.

This year's iteration of the Fighting Irish is one of the best teams Brey has had. Jerian Grant (brother of Jerami) is back for the Irish this year and is one of the best guards in the ACC. The Irish also have experience in senior Pat Connaughton and junior Zach Auguste, who combine to form a dangerous inside-out combo.

Not only will this game be tough because Notre Dame is good (ranked 10th in both polls), but the Irish are also especially formidable at home. Notre Dame is 15-1 at Purcell Pavilion, with the only loss coming to Virginia. 

As another former Big East foe, Notre Dame has experience attacking the Syracuse zone. If Auguste is able to operate in the middle and kick to Connaughton while Grant makes plays off the dribble, it could end up being a long night for the Orange.

No. 3: Syracuse at Duke 2/28/15

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Ah, yes, the rematch of the game that made Jim Boeheim Internet famous. You can bet the Cameron Crazies will be having some fun at Boeheim's expense when he returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium this year.

Facing Duke on the road will be a much tougher task this year than it was a year ago. This year's Syracuse team isn't nearly as good, and based on the way Kaleb Joseph has played lately, he could get rattled by the insane crowd right on top of the court.

But either way, the matchup of Rakeem Christmas and Jahlil Okafor will be worth the price of admission on its own. The two big men have to be on the short list for ACC Player of the Year, and their two head-to-head matchups could go a long way in deciding which player takes home the award.

There's also the matter of two legendary coaches (No. 1 and No. 2 in all-time Division I wins) squaring off. Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski are great friends off the court, but they will be rivals when their teams are on the court. If you add it all up, this one is definitely appointment television.

No. 2: Syracuse vs. Virginia 2/2/15

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The penultimate entry on this list is a matchup against the top team in the ACC. Syracuse played Virginia at John Paul Jones (not the one who played bass for Led Zeppelin) Arena last year, so this year the Cavaliers travel to the Carrier Dome.

Virginia currently ranks third in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. That makes the Cavs the highest-ranked team remaining on Syracuse's schedule. That could change by the time this game rolls around, but either way, Virginia is one of the best teams Syracuse will play.

Even though they will have the advantage of playing at home, the Orange will have their work cut out for them. Virginia currently leads the nation in scoring defense, surrendering only 50.8 points per game. This Syracuse squad struggles to score against less stout defensive teams, so you can imagine how hard it will be for the Orange to fill it up against the Cavs.

Getting a win won't be easy, but if Syracuse is able to knock off Virginia, it can give the Orange plenty of confidence moving forward, especially on offense.

No. 1: Syracuse vs. Duke 2/14/15

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After last year's home game against Duke, it's hard to pick a bigger game than the rematch this year. Last year, 35,446 fans (an on-campus record) packed the Carrier Dome for Syracuse's 91-89 overtime win. This year's game has been nearly sold out since November.

It remains to be seen whether Orange fans will challenge the attendance record again. That's especially questionable if some fans decide not to go because of Syracuse's postseason ban. But this is still the biggest remaining game for many of the same reasons why the road game came in at No. 3.

It's a matchup of the two winningest Division I men's coaches. Jahlil Okafor, the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, will be in the building along with other potential lottery picks in Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow. And fans will simply want to see if this year's game can even approach the excitement of last year's.

This immediately became a legitimate rivalry after last year's game stole the show from the Super Bowl. You can rest assured that the Orange players and fans will be juiced up for this one.