Syracuse folded. They fell apart. Collapsed. Gave up. Whatever you want to call it. Syracuse was in a position to punch its own ticket to the NCAA Tournament against Villanova and fell apart. They ended up being blown out 82-63.
The Orange raced out to a strong start, but Villanova finished the half strong -- pulling to within 1 point before the half ended. It was tight for part of the second half, but Villanova began hitting more shots -- especially Stokes and Reynolds from outside. Rather than tighten up the defense, the Syracuse players began to hang their heads. They just began rushing shots, only trying to score.
Syracuse will miss the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year. It is only the second time under Jim Boeheim that they have missed the NCAA in consecutive years.
Villanova is close to getting in the NCAA Tournament. They aren't a lock. They don't necessarily need to beat Georgetown on Thursday, but they have to look competitive. A blowout loss, like the one they handed Syracuse would hurt their perception.
