Item: With a rare weekend off, not playing on a Saturday for the first time since November 30, the Syracuse basketball team (11-16, 5-11) can ponder what it must accomplish over the regular season’s final four games to ensure at least a small taste of postseason play.

Since finishing 9-16 in the 1968-69 season, in the subsequent nearly 60 years since, Syracuse basketball teams have failed to win a minimum of 20 games in a season only 11 times, with 2025 headed to be the 12th occurrence continuing an alarming trend.

Over the last 11 seasons dating back to 2014-15, SU has failed to win 20 games or more seven times.

With the NCAA (five wins in five days in Charlotte is not going to happen) and NIT out of the equation, the only post-season opportunity for this year’s squad begins with the ACC Tournament’s opening day tripleheader featuring seeds 10-15.

Going into this weekend’s games, the ‘Cuse sits at number 15 in the 18-team standings with a game at hand, ahead of N.C. State (3 league wins), B.C. (3) and Miami (2), and bunched with Cal and Notre Dame also with five ACC wins.

The Orange are seemingly in good shape to nab one of those tournament spots, but a win Wednesday in the Dome against the Wolfpack would go a long way to securing that. N.C. State hosts Wake Forest Saturday before facing SU, then at Georgia Tech, host Pitt, and go to Miami to close the season.

Syracuse’s next two games are on the road at Virginia Tech and SMU, and considering that this year’s conference road record is 2-6 (wins at B.C. and Cal) and historically the Orange are below .500 in ACC road play, that is a tall task. It also potentially makes the regular season finale in the Dome against Virginia March 8 a must-win situation to avoid a potential post-season tie-breaker.

With the uncharacteristic downhill trajectory of Syracuse basketball’s W/L record hitting this nearly 60-year low, many in Orange Nation are ready for a speedy end to the proceedings and to move on to next season. None-the-less at least one postseason game, no matter how inconsequential, would still avoid the embarrassment of not even qualifying for the ACCT in an 18-team conference.

----

Chat about this story and all things Syracuse and Syracuse recruiting on our premium message board, Cuse Classified!

Follow us on Twitter @TheJuiceOnline, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram @SUJuiceOnline and listen to our podcast.

Tips/questions/concerns? E-mail Recruiting Analyst Charles Kang here.

Not a subscriber to The Juice Online? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community.