Syracuse a 3 Seed in the East Region

The 2011 NCAA Tournament field has been announced. It may be a surprise to some, but the Orange are the No. 3 team in the East Region. They will begin playing Friday in Cleveland against No. 14 Indiana State.

Should Syracuse win its first two games, the team will go on to Newark for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. And if they win the regional, the Final Four in Houston awaits.

So, what are Syracuse's chances of dancing from March into April? Let's see:

Best case scenario: The Orange handle the Sycamores easily, and get revenge against No. 11 Marquette, which beat Syracuse in January. In the Sweet 16, Jim Boeheim beats Roy Williams like he did the '03 title game as Syracuse downs No. 2 North Carolina to advance to the Elite Eight. The Orange punch their ticket to Houston by beating another storied program, No. 4 Kentucky, fresh off an upset win over No. 1 Ohio State.

We could see a finish like Hakim Warrick's sophomore season... (Stephen D. Cannerelli/The Post-Standard)

Worst case scenario: The Orange fail to get out Cleveland as the Ghost of Larry Bird wills Indiana State to victory and Syracuse loses to a 14 seed once again. Either that, or they fall to the Golden Eagles in the next round.

...or like Warrick's senior season (Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard)

Somewhere in the middle: Syracuse gets to Newark to face the UNC. The teams are evenly matched but the Orange catch a few bad breaks and can't hit free throws, falling to coach Williams and the Heels in the Sweet 16.