Syracuse Basketball's Remaining Schedule & NET Rankings

How many quad one opportunities for the Orange moving forwar?

A breakdown of where SU currently sits in the NET rankings and their remaining schedule. Note, NET rankings listed are as of January 5, 2024. 

Here is your disclaimer that I will be a complete nerd in this article. If crunching the numbers isn’t your thing and you don’t really understand College Basketball’s NET Rankings, I have you covered! (Plus, next time one of your friends asks what a Quad 1 win is, you sound brilliant when you explain it to them).

However, regardless if you were good at Math in high school, Syracuse fans understand the product on the court. The Orange are winning the games they’re supposed to, but not coming out victorious against superior opponents that could result in Syracuse missing the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.

During the season’s first two months, Syracuse is 10-4 but ranked 77th in NET. Before we go deeper into SU’s schedule let’s break down what NET even is.

This is the sixth season the NCAA has used NET to evaluate programs instead of RPI. It’s a much more accurate depiction of how good a team actually is. NET looks at factors like opponent, location, and winner to determine a team’s value index score. These findings are shown in the quadrant system, which organizes those factors to provide a better look at the quality of wins and losses. That’s why teams who punch their ticket to March Madness maximize Quad 1 wins and limit Quad 3-4 losses.

Quadrant 1: Home NET 1-30, Neutral NET 1-50, NET Away 1-75

Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135

Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 136-240

Quadrant 4: Home 161-plus, Neutral 201-plus, Away 241-plus

When you apply the quadrant system to Syracuse this season, they are:

• 9-4 overall, 7-0 at home, 1-2 on the road, 1-2 at neutral sites
• Q1: 0-3 Tennessee* (6), @ Virginia (48), @ Duke (17)
• Q2: 2-1 Gonzaga* (54), Oregon* (64), Pitt (50)
• Q3: 7-0 UNH (153), Canisius (134), Colgate (138), LSU (131), Cornell (87), @ Georgetown (208)
• Q4: 1-0 Niagara (310)

(Note non-D1 teams like Chaminade don’t count toward your NET Ranking)

Previously played games can fluctuate between quadrants in the NET rankings until the end of the season. For example, when Syracuse lost to Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational, it was a Quad 1 loss but now is a Quad 2 game with the Zags’ current ranking. Syracuse is craving a statement victory as the program has lost its last 19 Q1 matchups. Their last win was during the 2021 season on the road against 73rd-ranked NC State. After the recent 20-point loss to Duke, Syracuse increased its point differential against Quad 1 opponents to -19.

Luckily for Cuse, they still have plenty of opportunities to snap the losing skid during conference play.

Again, as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith says for his weekly power ranking of NFL teams, “this list is fluid,” and these upcoming contests for Cuse can go up or down based on team performance.

Here’s the breakdown of the remaining games:

• Q1: 1/13 @ UNC (12), 1/16 @ Pitt (50), 2/3 @ Wake Forest (56), 2/10 Clemson (18), 2/13 UNC (12), 3/5 @ Clemson (18)

• Q2: 1/20 Miami (40), 1/27 NC State (73), 1/30 Boston College (82), 2/17 @ Georgia Tech (123), 2/20 @ NC State (73), 2/27 @ Virginia Tech (67)

• Q3: 1/10 Boston College (82), 1/23 Florida State (132)

• Q4: 2/7 Louisville (267), 2/24 Notre Dame (182), 3/2 @ Louisville (267)

Syracuse enters arguably its most important stretch of the season that could place the Orange as a bubble March Madness team. Having back-to-back road matchups against No. 8 UNC and Pitt directly into a home matchup against a final four team from last season, Miami. That game against the Hurricanes could easily turn into a Quad 1 game following Miami’s recent upset over No. 16 Clemson earlier this week.

Hosting the Tar Heels and Tigers in mid-February should have the JMA Wireless Dome rocking, but the ACC didn’t do any favors for Syracuse with their home schedule. Playing Louisville and Notre Dame are contests that are must-wins, but won’t boost the Orange’s resume. Difficult road stretches will test a young Cuse squad that wants to prove they deserve a spot in the big dance.

Step one in accomplishing that goal is bouncing back against Boston College next Wednesday. Tip-off against the Eagles is slated for 9 p.m. on ACC Network.

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