BUFFALO, N.Y. — When Syracuse took the floor for an open practice Wednesday, it did so to a round of applause.

The spacious First Niagara Center was largely empty, but Syracuse fans scattered the area near the court and watched No. 3-seed SU (27-5, 14-4 Atlantic Coast) prepare for its second-round NCAA Tournament matchup with No. 14-seed Western Michigan (23-9, 14-4 Mid-Atlantic Conference) on Thursday at 2:45 p.m.

The Syracuse-heavy crowd will return tomorrow for the Orange, which finds itself much closer to home this year after traveling to San Jose, Calif., for its second-round game in 2013.

“Having a big fan base to support you at the game is definitely exciting,” C.J. Fair said on Sunday. “We’ve just got to go out there and play and give the fans something to cheer for.”

For Western Michigan head coach Steve Hawkins, playing in New York is another element he has to deal with. He said he’s talked about it with his team, but hasn’t prepared any differently than he normally does in that regard.

Hawkins said Syracuse travels well regardless of the location, and that he understands the mystique and intrigue of the Carrier Dome. SU games are on TV all the time, and Hawkins knows his team is the underdog in every sense of the word.

“You certainly understand what their fan base is all about and then how well they travel,” Hawkins said.  “Basically, this will be a road game.”

Though he looks at it as a road game, Hawkins said he’s more concerned about the NCAA Tournament atmosphere. It’s the Broncos’ first trip to the Big Dance since 2004, and his players have never played on a national stage like the one they’ll experience Thursday.

Said Hawkins: “What’s at stake in the NCAA Tournament and everything that’s involved there, all of this, is what I’m more concerned about.”

Published on March 19, 2014 at 6:44 pm

Contact Trevor: [email protected] | @TrevorHass