Syracuse Orange's ACC Tournament Loss, Five-Year NCAA Absence

0:00On March 10, Syracuse Orange wrapped up their 2025-26 season with a tough first round loss in the ACC tournament. The 14th seeded Orange fell 86-69 against the 11 seeded SMU Mustangs on Tuesday. Syracuse finished 15-17 overall, 6-13 in conference, while SMU ended 2012, 9-10. The games they close in the first half, with both teams trading leads and Syracuse holding a slim one-point deficit at halftime. But SMU pulled away in the second, building a lead as large as 21 points, thanks to strong play inside and on the boards. Syracuse fought back late but couldn't close the gap. This loss means Syracuse misses the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year, capping a frustrating campaign. It's also the first time in more than 55 years, the program has posted back-to-back losing records, leaving fans and the team reflecting on a tough stretch. Syracuse got solid efforts from Nate King's with 25 points in Tyler Betsy adding 15, mostly from 3-point range.

1:05Their bench outscored SMU's 24-0 and they dominated transition 16-2. But SMU starters carried them, led by Booby Miller's 25 points and Jerome Pierre Jr's 21, plus double doubles from Jaden Tunes. And, cement Yigitaglu who crushed the offensive glass. Now the orange head into an offseason of big questions and key choices as they look to rebound next year.