Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange have been a perennial powerhouse in the Big East for many reasons: good talent, excellent coaching and quality defense. That defense has been stellar for so many years based on the fact that they play the 2-3 zone better than anyone in the country.
Those following college basketball betting at BetUs know that that 2-3 zone has been cracked this year.
Syracuse is still 20-6 on the season so nothing is lost but what has been lost is their last two contests. They’ve also lost six of their last eight games. The bigger concern is the amount of three-pointers that they are giving up.
In Syracuse’s latest loss to Louisville, the Cardinals nailed 13 three-pointers in a 73-69 victory. In previous Big East games, Villanova drilled 11 three’s, Cincinnati had the same, Seton Hall had 10 and Georgetown drained nine.
Simply put, the 2-3 zone is constructed to prevent perimeter shooting and clamp down on the interior players when the ball goes inside. The only way to beat this zone is to get hot from the outside, stretch it further and create room inside.
That’s exactly what has been happening to Syracuse this season – particularly in their losses – and it seems as though a weakness has been uncovered.
The Orange haven’t won a home game since January 15th, which is a big surprise considering who they are and the weight their stadium normally carries. They better tighten up the defense and correct their flaws quickly or they may slide all the way out of the NCAA Tournament.
