Syracuse Basketball: Honing 2-3 zone key to March Madness invitation

If Syracuse basketball wants to sniff a shot at March Madness, the Orange has to continue honing its 2-3 zone and perform like it did against BC.

Syracuse basketball, for the most part, has proven a team that lives and dies by the long ball during the 2019-20 campaign. It’s clear that the Orange has talent from deep, and that has propelled the ‘Cuse offense to a decent showing in a multitude of affairs throughout the current term.

But should Syracuse truly hope to make any kind of realistic run at an at-large invite to the 2020 NCAA Tournament, the Orange will have to keep working on its defense.

Happily, the ‘Cuse put forth another admirable effort in its trademark 2-3 zone on Wednesday night inside the Carrier Dome, as Syracuse suffocated a struggling Boston College crew on the way to a 76-50 triumph.

That result comes just a few days after the Orange (10-7, 3-3) allowed a mere 55 points in an overtime achievement at Virginia. Now, in all fairness, neither the Cavaliers nor the Eagles (9-8, 3-3) are prolific in scoring, so let’s pump the brakes before declaring the present ‘Cuse defense as anything particularly stout.

Still, my sense is that the Syracuse zone is moving forward in a positive direction, and that’s good news indeed. The Orange limited Boston College to an awful 32.8 percent shooting from the field, and a dreadful 20.0 percent from beyond the arc.

The Eagles certainly missed a bunch of makeable shots, but the ‘Cuse defense, from my perspective, also remained quite active. Syracuse players simply seem a tad more in sync, and that’s likely a product of this young roster beginning to gel better as a cohesive unit.

Other reassuring attributes in this encounter are that the Orange crushed Boston College on the glass and shot at a stellar clip from the field, 3-point land, and the charity stripe. Additionally, the ‘Cuse didn’t settle for 3-pointers, as guys attacked the rim with aggression and notched buckets in the paint.

A well-rounded production for Syracuse, save for committing way too many turnovers. Fortunately, it didn’t really matter in this lop-sided duel. Syracuse, thankfully, picked up its inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference conquest on the Hill.

Up next is a rematch with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg this Saturday, Jan. 18. The Hokies, losing by as many as nine points in the second half, escaped Central New York with a four-point win versus the Orange slightly more than a week ago. It’s payback time for the ‘Cuse.