Editor’s Note: The column below is republished column from The Daily Orange’s coverage of Syracuse’s Final Four run back in 1996. The Orange has made a similar run to the Final Four this year after many doubters questioned SU’s place in the Tournament to begin with.

For the first time in nine years, the Orangemen are playing in April.

They have a chance at winning their first national title.

They’ve given fans some of the best games of the NCAA Tournament. Despite all of this, some people want to put a negative spin on Syracuse’s march to the national championship game.

One national reporter even had the audacity to say, “I can’t believe this horsesh*t team is playing for the national championship.”

Syracuse in the Final Four has been like the Christmas in March to Syracuse fans, but to call this team horsesh*t is both unprofessional and idiotic.

The Orangemen have been criticized more for winning then they were for losing in the second round last year.

The attacks have come from all angles. The most notable criticism floating around the media circus is that the Orangemen haven’t played anybody to get to the championship game.

Don’t blame Jim Boeheim and the players for not playing tough opponents. You can only play the teams in your bracket.

The path has been cleared of the powerhouses, but that shouldn’t diminish the achievements of these players. There is only one criteria a team needs to satisfy in order to play in the national final – win five consecutive NCAA Tournament games. The NCAA doesn’t stipulate as to the talent, record or seed of these teams. You just have to beat them.

Those in the media have come up with other “brilliant” statements about this team. One says that Boeheim has done the best job of his coaching career this year.

That’s not a brilliant statement, that’s stupidity. Boeheim didn’t become a good coach this year. Boeheim is either a good coach or a bad coach, but this year isn’t the criteria on which to base that judgment. He was one missed shot away from winning a national title in 1987. The Orangemen had the game won, but a terrific shot took that all away.

If John Wallace wouldn’t have hit that shot against Georgia, the same people would probably say Boeheim can’t win the close ones. Everybody can have their opinions about Boeheim but they shouldn’t change because this team has gone to the Final Four.

If he was a bad coach before this year, well, he hasn’t changed his style and he’s still a bad coach.

If he is the present day John Wooden, well this year proves that point.

Now to the game at hand. “Yeah, but wait till Syracuse gets beat by 30 against Kentucky.”

That seems to be the motto here. Just another attempt to undermine Syracuse’s accomplishments. Big deal if the Orangemen get blown out, they’ve gone way above expectations. They won’t be the only team to get beaten badly by Rick Pitino and the Wildcats.

Stranger things have happened that the Orangemen winning the national title this season.

The ‘80s produced three incredible wins by underdogs, so it has been done before. If Danny Manning could lead Kansas to the title in 1988, maybe John Wallace can do the same in 1996.

If the Orangemen catch fire from the field and handle the Kentucky full court press, Syracuse could prove all the “Experts” wrong and actually compete with the Wildcats. And just think if the Orangemen win. This “horseshit” team may teach some sportswriters the meaning of respect but, most importantly, to keep their mouths shut and wait for the outcome of the game before they crown the winner.

Published on April 1, 2016 at 3:59 pm