Should we be surprised. Tell me if you have heard this story before.

Syracuse struggles through the first half of the season. They start winning big games late in the season to get in the bubble discussion. They get in as one of the last at-large teams in the field – with experts questioning the decision that the Selection Committee made. And then, Syracuse starts playing to prove the experts wrong.

Syracuse jumped out to a double digit lead early in the first half, and then held off every comeback bid that West Virginia tried. It seemed every time they would make a run, Buddy Boeheim would be there to hit a big three-pointer to regain the lead. Boeheim finished the game with 25 points to lead the Orange.

It wasn’t pretty at the end, with getting trapped in the corner and missing free throws. But they did just enough to hang on for a 75-72 victory to become the first double digit seed to make it to the Sweet 16.