Like the men's team, the Syracuse Orange women's basketball team will also be competing again next season in the second annual ACC/SEC Challenge.
This time around, the Orange will likely be on the road. Syracuse beat Alabama 79-73 in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge last season, but who will the Orange face this time around?
We asked Nunez's team to predict which SEC opponents they'd like to see the Orange face, but first, a few things to note.
The obvious scenario is that Syracuse will face the Crimson Tide again, this time on the road — last year's game was the first time the two schools met — and Missouri likely won't be an option, given that Syracuse could face the Tigers next season in the inaugural Emerald Coast Classic tournament.
The remaining SEC teams should play at home in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Now, on to our choices:
Dom: Texas A&M Aggies
Given the depth of the ACC conference, Syracuse will already have a chance to pull out a NET win, and they were a clear favorite last year with a few Power 5 non-conference opponents in the mix who were on or near the borderline for NCAA Tournament appearances. Texas A&M is projected as such an opponent, and considering the Orange have only played the Aggies three times before, there's a good chance they'll be the right choice.
Kevin: South Carolina Gamecocks
Are the Orange ready to take on the best teams in the country? Probably not, but I think it's a challenge that Felisha Leggett-Jack can't run away from as she establishes her own culture at Syracuse. This team could benefit from some extra national attention, like they would get from playing South Carolina. Syracuse has earned a lot of respect for its run in Storrs in the NCAA Tournament, and they'll have another chance to do the same in Columbia.
Mike: Vanderbilt Commodores
There's a hidden history between the Orange and Vanderbilt head coach Thea Ralph, who was an assistant at her alma mater, the University of Connecticut, during its dynasty in the mid-2010s and played against Syracuse in the NCAA Championship. Program-wise, Vanderbilt is in a similar situation to Syracuse: good by conference standards but still a step or two away from winning a title. Another advantage is that the move to Nashville should be less taxing than some of the other schools on this list.
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Now it's your turn: Who would you like to watch the Orange play with?
