Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Syracuse announces plans for August trip to Canada

Jim Boeheim

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim acknowledges the fans after his team defeated Rutgers 78-53 for his 903rd career victory passing Bobby Knight in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

AP

The 2013-14 season is one filled with new beginning for Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse basketball program.

There’s the move from the Big East to the ACC, but there’s also the need to account for the departures of guards Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche and forward James Southerland.

Luckily for Syracuse, which won 30 games and reached the Final Four last season, the NCAA allows programs to take one offseason trip every four years.

The Orange will take advantage of this rule by trekking to Canada in August, leaving the States on August 20 and returning on the 25th.

Syracuse will play four games during its stay in Canada: two in Montreal (August 21 vs. Bishops University and August 22 vs. McGill University) and two in Ottawa (August 23 vs. Carleton University and August 24 vs. Ottawa University).

The game against Carleton will be played at ScotiaBank Place, which is the home arena of the Ottawa Senators.

Four players with starting experience return for the Orange, most notably senior forward C.J. Fair. This offseason is an important one for both Fair and rising sophomore Jerami Grant, as both will be asked to do even more offensively given the production lost from last season’s team.

In addition to the returnees Boeheim can use the four games (and ten practices before leaving) to work in a highly-regarded recruiting class led by point guard Tyler Ennis. With both Carter-Williams and Triche gone, Syracuse will need the St. Benedict’s Prep product (and Toronto native) to hit the ground running in their debut season in the ACC.

Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.