ST. LOUIS — No matter how Syracuse fares in the N.C.A.A. tournament, the only reason it is playing is because Syracuse administrators determined that last season’s team would not.
In February 2015, Syracuse, having seen the writing of an N.C.A.A. investigation on the wall, announced a self-imposed postseason ban, effective for that season.
That meant that in March, when the N.C.A.A. Committee on Infractions barred Syracuse from postseason play after finding multiple violations by the Syracuse men’s basketball program — including staff members doing homework for players and outsiders paying players to “volunteer” — the Orange’s absence from that season’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and, potentially, the N.