What's Goin' Wrong for the Orange?

The first loss at Pitt was almost expected.  If anything, the Orange gained respect with the valor in which they faught their way back and almost knocked off Pitt at the Petersen Center.  The following weekend's second loss to Villanova is one you'd like to win at home - but not the end of the world.

As of the time of this writing Syracuse is down 19 with 7:00 to play, at home, against SETON HALL.

Looks like someone needs a hug!

This will be the 'Cuse third straight loss - and real cause for panic with trips to UConn and to Marquette coming up next.  Could a five-game losing streak really be a possibility??  It's hard to believe as good as Syracuse looked two weeks ago beating Notre Dame handily, then going on the road and taking down St. John's and Cincinnati - but that's exactly what the Orange are staring down.

Tonight's stunner, in the wake of a few other surprises (Notre Dame winning at Pitt, Providence beating Louisville) really shakes up the way the Big East race looks.  My personal take was a three-tier system at the top:  Pitt, Syracuse and Villanova in Tier #1, Notre Dame, UConn and Georgetown in Tier #2, and Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, West Virginia and St. John's in the third tier.  Seton Hall (3-5 with tonight's win) was nowhere on the radar.  Neither is Providence (1-6) who beat Louisville this weekend.

My faithful tiers are a mess, and so is the Big East.  For a league with eleven teams in contention for a bid (maybe twelve if you put any faith in a miracle Seton Hall run), in order for nine or even ten to get bids - the big boys HAVE to knock off the bottom feeders every single time.

Things are going to get REAL interesting the rest of the way.

Check back Thursday for the Maniac's Mid-Season Conference Review of the Big East - it's going to be an interesting one...