The Syracuse basketball program (ranked No. 11 in both college basketball polls) earned a No. 3 seed in East Region of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, announced Sunday night on the CBS Selection Show. The Orange (26-7) will play No. 14-seeded Indiana St. Sycamores (20-13) Friday in the second round of the 68-team tournament in Cleveland, OH. The time of the contest has yet to be announced. The winner of Syracuse and Indiana State will play a third-round contest between either No. 6-seeded Xavier Musketeers and No. 11 Marquette Golden Eagles on Sunday. The Orange could also play No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 and possibly No. 1-overall seed Ohio St. Buckeyes in the Elite Eight, both contests would be played in Newark, NJ. The NCAA Final Four will be held in Houston, TX., April 2-4.
This is the third year in a row that the Orange have made the NCAA Tournament. Last year, SU earned a No. 1 seed, but lost to Final Four member Bulter, 63-59, in the round of 16. In 2009, the Orange also made it past the first two rounds, but were downed by Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners, 84-71, in the Sweet 16.
This season, the Orange finished the regular season 25-6. SU defeated the St. John's Red Storm in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, but were downed by the 2011 champions, Connecticut Huskies, in the semifinals 76-71 in overtime.
-- Visit SB Nation New York's special NCAA Tournament page for complete coverage of the Syracuse Orange during March Madness.