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Boeheim questions how Wake Forest got in over Syracuse

Rich Barnes / USA TODAY Sports

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Though he admitted Syracuse didn't win enough games to guarantee itself a phone call on Selection Sunday, Jim Boeheim wondered how Wake Forest made the 68-team field and his squad didn't.

"We finished ahead of Wake Forest in our league," Boeheim said on ESPN following the bracket reveal, before noting the Orange also won their only head-to-head meeting with the Demon Deacons this season.

Syracuse was among the first four teams left out of the tournament bracket, while Wake Forest was among the last four teams in. Syracuse did end the season with a better conference record, though its overall mark of 18-14 was below that of 19-13 Wake Forest.

Boeheim also said he was confused with the selection committee's evaluation process of Syracuse, which notched three wins of the utmost quality.

"Nobody on the bubble had three top-10 wins," he added.

"Last year we had the same losses and the committee chose to go with the team that had the wins ... It's difficult to understand the change from one year to the next."

Boeheim added he thought the Orange would manage to squeak into the tournament, and that some of his players broke down in tears upon learning they didn't.

"We weren't a good team this year," he acknowledged. "I know that, I admit that."

Syracuse will now prepare for the NIT, where it'll be one of the top-seeded teams in the field.

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