You might want to say that everything from here on out is gray for Syracuse basketball, but you won't be saying that once the game starts.
Expectations and perception. They drive how we consume sports more than we realize. They're both fluid, they both change constantly based on results, and they both define how we measure success.
The Syracuse Orange basketball program is in a never-ending struggle against our expectations and perceptions. We expect national rankings and Final Fours and greatness. We don't usually get all of those things. That affects our perception of where the program is in comparison to others.