The Syracuse Orange enter their last Big East tournament as a slight underdog, as the top four teams in the conference all got byes to start, while the team must face off against Seton Hall on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

The number 19-ranked Orange went 11-7 in the conference this season and enters the game after a tough loss to Georgetown that saw the team blown out in their final rivalry game 61-39. The team has also been struggling this month and towards the end of February, losing four out of the last five games, including two to the Hoyas.

Syracuse has gone 23-8 this season and will have a chance to rebound against the number 12 seed in the tournament in Seton Hall. The Orange has had a tough time with the top teams in the Big East, losing to No. 4 Louisville, No. 5 Georgetown and No. 12 Marquette.

"It's a sad time. I've seen it from beginning to end," said Jim Boeheim, who has coached Syracuse for 37 seasons. "There's been great memories and great heartbreaks. That's what makes it so great.

"We've won more than our fair share of games in the league, and we've had more than our fair share of success."

Syracuse was awful in their last game against the Hoyas, barely hitting over 30 percent of their shots on the road, which was their worst percentage since 2009 and the fewest points they scored since back in 1962.

"It is a blip on the radar," said Boeheim, whose team finished second in the Big East in scoring at 72.3 points per game.

Syracuse is playing in their final Big East tournament, but they have a successful history to look back on for motivation, considering they have won the title five times previously. The Orange have a seemingly easy contest with Seton Hall, but the Pirates enter the game after winning their final game of the regular season against South Florida in overtime and have the momentum heading into MSG.

"These guys have battled all year long," said coach Kevin Willard, whose team overcame a late eight-point deficit. "Offensively, we were struggling a little bit, but I was proud the way they gave themselves opportunities to stay in the game."

Both teams will face a tough test in the next round depending on who wins, as Pittsburgh awaits the winner of the matchup. The Pirates have some success to look back on as well, although they lost to Syracuse the last time they played, with senior Brandon Triche leading the way with 29 points.

"We played Syracuse a month ago, so we know their players. We know they're going to play zone," Willard said. "We have to go over our offense and then just kind of figure out what we did wrong in the first game, see if we can correct that."

Syracuse has done well historically against the Pirates, winning 13 of the past 16 games, including a conference tournament win in 2009. The Orange will look back on their success, including when Jerry McNamara shot the lights out while leading the team to a title.

Prediction: Syracuse 61, Seton Hall 52. The game stays close in stretches, but the Orange are simply better and will pull away in the second half. The team will need a strong game from junior C.J. Fair, who is leading the team in scoring and rebounding this season. Although Syracuse has lost four of their last five games, the team knows this is their final tournament before moving to the ACC and they will want to make it count. They also would love to put that Georgetown loss behind them.