It wasn’t that long ago that Virginia vs Syracuse was one of the premier battles in the ACC. The Orange had been an elite program for decades upon joining the ACC, while the Cavaliers rose to power in the mid-2010s.
While Virginia has won 13 of the 16 games the two teams have played since Syracuse joined the ACC in 2013-14, some of their matchups have been very entertaining. In 2014, Virginia defeated the Orange to clinch its first outright ACC regular season crown since 1981. In 2016, the Orange rallied in the second half to defeat the Cavaliers in the Elite Eight to reach the Final Four. In 2017, Syracuse — led by 23 points apiece from forwards Tyus Battle and Andrew White III — upset No. 9 Virginia. In 2021, Virginia guard Reece Beekman buried a buzzer-beating three to eliminate the Orange in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.
In 2023, this game was on Big Monday at 7 p.m. In a battle that featured Isaac McKneely and Chris Bell — who are still at Virginia and Syracuse, respectively — the Cavs defeated the Orange by five. It was a great game between two of the predominant teams in the league.
For the better part of a decade, this matchup was a showdown between two conference stalwarts.
Syracuse and Virginia square off tonight at the JMA Wireless Dome at 8 p.m., but it feels more like a forgotten game than a matchup between two legendary programs. The Orange and Cavaliers struggled this season, as the Cavs have hovered around .500 all year while the Orange fought just to make the ACC Tournament. Instead of being a prime matchup on ESPN, this game has been regulated to the ACC Network and will start while most eyes are still on Duke-North Carolina.
Not only have both UVa and Syracuse not had great seasons, both programs find themselves in similar situations.
Both schools have not had the same level of success in recent years. The Orange haven’t been ranked since Dec. 2018 and, barring a surprising ACC Tournament run, will miss the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since winning the title in 2019.
Syracuse and Virginia have said goodbye to a legendary head coach in the last two years, as Jim Boeheim retired after the 2022-23 season and Tony Bennett suddenly retired in October. Both head coaches are the all-time wins leaders at their respective schools and won a national championship. Since their retirements, both schools have been led by an assistant of the legend — Adrian Autry at Syracuse and Ron Sanchez at Virginia — to mixed results. There are questions about the future of both coaches at their respective programs.
So, where do these programs go from here? It seems likely that the Cavaliers will move on from Sanchez after the season despite public support from players. VCU’s Ryan Odom and New Mexico’s Richard Pitino have been floated as possible choices for the next head coach in Charlottesville. Tonight’s game against Syracuse seems to be the final regular season game of the most successful era in program history.
While it’s been a down first two years for Autry, Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack said that he’ll get a third year at the helm of the Orange. Syracuse has one of the best recruiting classes in the country coming in the fall, headlined by Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White. If the Orange disappoint next year, there’s a chance Autry’s seat gets very hot.
Virginia vs Syracuse used to be a main event. Now, it feels like an afterthought. But there is hope for the future. All it takes is one year for a program to become relevant again. Anthony and White could usher in a new era for the Orange, while a new head coach and system might propel the Cavaliers back to the top of the ACC.
Both programs are at a crossroads, and it remains to be seen which path they go down.