They said we didn’t deserve it. We only got in because our coach was out. It was a makeup for the sanctions. They said we would lose in the first round. And then when we made it to the second weekend it was because Michigan State lost. They said we would never beat Gonzaga. And yet we are still dancing.

Syracuse has proved a lot in the past four games — mainly that we deserved to make it into the tournament. We have proved it by beating three great basketball teams. Three teams that worked incredibly hard. Three teams that easily could have made it to the Elite 8. But they didn’t, Syracuse did and that’s rubbing a lot of people the wrong way.

As a Syracuse fan, you are pretty used to being disliked by non-Cuse fans. They don’t understand the powerhouse that is our zone. They could never understand why we love Boeheim so much. They are confused and perplexed by Syracuse basketball. Well, join the club. Syracuse fans don’t understand Syracuse basketball either.

On Selection Sunday, all the Syracuse fans were convinced that our team wouldn’t get into the tournament — hell, Boeheim was convinced we weren’t getting in. After it was announced that not only had we been given an at-large bid but that we were seeded at 10, the commentators said a team that lost to St. John’s didn’t belong in the big dance.

Syracuse was given the lowest seeding they have ever been given in a tournament and after losing the last five games, Syracuse went to the big dance with nothing but people saying we didn’t belong there. You can tell by the way that the team has been playing in the past few games that they are out to prove something – that they deserve this chance just as much as the other teams do.

Some may say Syracuse is the luckiest team in the NCAA right now. But you have to admit Syracuse making it to the Elite 8 does require a little bit of skill.

Sure our matchups haven’t been as "hard" as other teams and yeah maybe we aren’t the favorite to win it all (actually, I believe we are the most hated team in the NCAA right now). But nobody can say that we didn’t win the past three games. Nobody can say that Syracuse doesn’t belong in the Elite 8, because if we didn’t belong we wouldn’t be there.

We have one more game separating us from Houston. One more game that countless Syracuse fans will gather around TVs to watch. One more game to prove that we belong in this tournament. One more game for Syracuse fans to have their heart stop multiple times. One more game for the Orange fans everywhere to get dressed up and root for their team. One more game to make memories that will last forever.

This next game is more than just a basketball for the seniors on the Syracuse Men’s Basketball team. It is the last chance they can prove that they belong in the tournament. Nothing is guaranteed in the tournament.

Virginia is a strong basketball — the best in the nation. But one thing Virginia doesn’t have is the backing of the Syracuse fans. The best fans in the world that can shake a Dome from screaming so loud. The fans that will drive thousands of miles to see their team. And fans that will be cheering on both the men’s and the women’s basketball teams on Easter Sunday.