Despite being embroiled in the Bernie Fine sexual molestation scandal for much of the season, Syracuse is the new No. 1 team in the land.
But that is hardly the team’s ultimate goal.
So says senior point guard Scoop Jardine.
“It’s great to get recognition, but for us it doesn’t stop there,” Jardine told SNY.tv Monday. “It’s not our goal. Our goal is to win a championship.”
The undefeated Orange are the new No. 1 after previous No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Ohio State both lost on Saturday.
The Orange will visit N.C. State this coming Saturday in their first game as the new No. 1, and Jardine knows the Orange could meet the same fate as Kentucky — which lost, 73-72, on a last-second Christian Watford 3–pointer — if they’re not careful.
“It’s going to be harder being No. 1 knowing that we’re going to get every team’s best shot,” Jardine said. “We gotta focus on getting better every game.”
As he previously indicated to SNY.tv earlier this year, Jardine said the Fine scandal has motivated the team to perform despite the negative attention.
“For the most part we’re just really focusing on our season and we’re not gonna let nobody come between that,” he said.
“We’re just taking it as disrespecting [us] that we’ve been a Top 5 team and every time you hear ‘Syracuse’ it’s about the scandal. No disrespect to what’s going on because it’s serious.”
He added: “We’re trying to almost have a perfect season, having our ‘A’ game all the time. We’re motivated to win a championship.”