Joey Spallina did not mince words when he was asked to compare how it felt after getting Syracuse to their second straight Final Four, versus one year ago after getting the Orange back to the Final Four for the first time in 12 years.
“I think we were just, we were fat and happy last year, to be honest. And I feel like there’s just a lot on the bone that’s still there”.
Sitting just a few feet down the table was Billy Dwan, who gently nodded his head up and down while staring out into space when he heard
Joey say those words.
There was an agreement between two of ‘Cuse’s senior captains. Last year, they were happy just to make it to the Final Four, to get SU back to the season’s final weekend for the first time in what felt like ages. They had conquered another step in their journey up the ladder, and they felt good about it. ‘Fat and happy’ as Joey put it.
That part of the journey did not end well, as Maryland went on an 8-0 first-half run and quickly turned their first Championship Weekend appearance in a long time into a laugher. Billy summed it up nicely when it was his turn to answer that same question on Saturday:
“I think last year, we were so fired up to get to Championship Weekend, I think when we got there we kind of laid an egg. I think this year, obviously, with the experience that we have from last year…I’m just mostly fired up to go to practice on Monday with the boys”.
This time, Billy confirmed it with more than just a nod. They were so excited just to get there in the first place, that when the moment came, it kind of overwhelmed them and they ‘laid an egg’ against a much more experienced opponent.
But he also alluded to the experience they gained from being there last year, and how it can serve them well in their second go-round.
It’s a much different scenario in 2026. It’s their second trip in as many years. They now have that initial experience with the sport’s biggest stage under their belts. They have the largest and best senior class in the country leading the way in what is their final week playing for Syracuse, and they’re eager to put on a better showing than last year’s short-lived appearance.
It was interesting to hear and see Joey and Billy be so open about their assessment of last year’s mentality, especially given what it was. But I think it’s a sign of maturity that they’re able to be so honest in their self-reflection about how they handled getting to the Final Four for the first time. And it’s also a sign that they feel they’re approaching it differently one year later.
There’s no longer a feeling of contentment with just getting there. Their singular, stated goal of a national championship is there for someone to take in a wide open season and a wide open final weekend.
It will certainly not be easy, starting with a Notre Dame team that beat them by five goals in the regular season. But self-reflection is always a great place to start, and based on what their captains had to say on Saturday, it seems like a new mindset is carrying ’Cuse into their second consecutive Final Four appearance.
