So this is why Syracuse usually doesn’t load up its non-conference slate with killer opponents. The Big East does it for ‘em.
The Orange was among the teams with the nastiest Big East conference schedules when the league released matchups Thursday. Home and homes with UConn, Louisville and Providence and road tests at Cincy, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s and Villanova. (Chalking up DePaul as a W, but that may be hasty.)
Top it off with home games vs. Georgetown, Marquette, Pitt, Seton Hall, USF and West Virginia and that’s schedule where double-digit victories isn’t a given. (An 11-5 mark should be attainable.) Marquette, Pitt and Cincy are in the same boat.
Also hosing the Orange, (or at least their fans)? Only one game against Georgetown. It’s at home, but the Hoyas-Orange rivalry is one of those that deserves home-and-home showdowns every season.
Contrast that with UConn’s manageable schedule:
- Home: Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, West Virginia
- Away: Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, Villanova
I figure that’s 13 wins, or the most favorable schedule of the bunch (if there is such a thing in the Big East).
The one aspect that could help Syracuse and possibly hurt UConn is no dates have been announced yet. If UConn’s toughest games are grouped together in one batch with a semi-daunting road game thrown in (such as Rutgers) and things could balance out a bit.
Then again, St. John’s more than survived its brutal stretch last season. ‘Cuse could surely do the same and probably should given that the Orange will be one of the teams to beat next season.
2011-12 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Schedule Breakdown
CINCINNATI
Home: DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova
Away: Connecticut, Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova, West Virginia
CONNECTICUT
Home: Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, West Virginia
Away: Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, Villanova
DE PAUL
Home: Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia
GEORGETOWN
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova
Away: DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, West Virginia
LOUISVILLE
Home: Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse, Villanova
Away: Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, West Virginia
MARQUETTE
Home: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
NOTRE DAME
Home: Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia
PITTSBURGH
Home: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia
PROVIDENCE
Home: Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, Villanova
RUTGERS
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia
ST. JOHN’S
Home:Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Providence, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF
SETON HALL
Home: Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse, Villanova
USF
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia
Away: DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Syracuse, Villanova
SYRACUSE
Home: Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia
Away: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Villanova
VILLANOVA
Home: Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse
Away: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, West Virginia
WEST VIRGINIA
Home: Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Villanova
Away: Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse
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