"What time does Syracuse play on Sunday?"

That's what the caller wanted to know Friday afternoon.

"Hey, don't they have to beat Vermont first," I asked.

Oops.

It could be worse, you could be a Kansas fan. Losing to the America East champion is one thing - losing to the Patriot League - now that's bad.

How long has it been since Syracuse lost a first-round NCAA game?

Six years ago, a 69-61 defeat to Oklahoma State. When you look at the teams that have eliminated the Orange in the NCAAs the last 15 years, it reads like a list of college basketball royalty.

Last year, Alabama (Hey, at least they play in a major conference); 2002 was the NIT, 2001, Kansas; 2000, eventual national champ Michigan State; 1998, Duke; 1997, NIT; 1996, Kentucky in the title game; 1995, Arkansas; 1994, Missouri, 1993, probation (remember that?); 1992, UMass (a team on the rise); 1991, Richmond.

Yes, the Spiders, the first No. 15 seed to upset a No. 2.

That's how this one felt.

Vermont?

SU lost to Vermont, a school that had never won a NCAA Tournament game - until Friday night.

A school whose entire basketball tradition is this one game.

So, who do you blame?

Blame the NCAA?

A four seed? You win the great Big East tourney and you're only a four?

Well, maybe the tourney committee looked at the Orange's 3-4 record over their last seven regular-season games.

Blame Boeheim?

Well, Jim has had better days, and you can always second guess (too long in the zone?) but this can't be blamed on coaching.

Blame the refs?

You can take shots at the refs for calling a loose game or that questionable technical foul on Terrence Roberts for hanging on the rim after his dunk.

But it never should have come to that. The Orange should have put the Catamounts away in the first half, but the turnovers allowed Vermont to stay in it and build confidence.

Look at it this way, any other game, there's no way T.J. Sorrentine's out-of-this zip code three was going in.

But when it's not your night....

To be honest, I thought Syracuse's poor free-throw shooting was going to cost them, instead, it was a season-high 24 turnovers.

Blame that.

It doesn't matter if you're Duke or Illinois, you turn the ball over 24 times, you're going to lose.

It's as simple as that.

Give Vermont a lot of credit; they didn't cave in at the first sight of trouble. They played tough and earned the win.

There were a lot of memorable moments, but some a SU fan wants to forget; such as Hakim Warrick elbowing that Vermont player into next week. Hakim first gave us the "Block" - he leaves us with the "Elbow."

Gerry McNamara dribbling the ball off his foot - this has been SU's biggest problem all season, McNamara is not a point guard, the banging he takes also affects his shooting.

Too bad Billy Edelin was MIA - again.

Have sympathy for Edelin and whatever his problem is, but it's time for Syracuse to release him from his scholarship and move on. The soap opera isn't worth it anymore.

You wonder if his absence and that of the two Wrights - Josh and Dayshawn were a distraction?

No, you can't pin this loss on the players that weren't in Worcester Friday night, the guys who suited up can take it.

SU won't be in the Final Four, like a lot of "experts" predicted, no happy sendoff for Hakim, Josh Pace and Craig Forth (did they play Friday night?), a new sad chapter to the legend of Gerry McNamara and a throwback to the days when Boeheim was "Coach One-And-Done."

And finally, to that caller, Vermont plays at 2:40 p.m. today.

Sciria, The Citizen's sports editor, can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 258 or citizensports@lee.net.