Syracuse Basketball vs. St. Bonaventure: 6 Things to Watch
By David Stone
Nov 13, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Trevor Cooney (10) and Lehigh Mountain Hawks guard Kahron Ross (1) and Syracuse Orange forward Michael Gbinije (0) battle for a loose ball during the second half at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse defeated Lehigh 57-47. Photo Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Syracuse Guards Need to Get Into the Paint
Against Lehigh, the Syracuse basketball squad was little more than a perimeter team. I can count the number of times the guards penetrated into the lane on one hand. That’s not good.
With all the veteran leadership we have in the backcourt, we need Cooney and Gbinije to do more than just jack up nine threes each per game. We need them to break down the top of the defense and drive the ball to the hoop. Not only will it give us some higher percentage inside looks, it will also open up things for the kick out and corner passes to wide open shooters.
Against Lehigh, and probably St. Bonaventure as well, it won’t really matter all that much if Syracuse is shooting open threes. Even if played tightly, our guards are 4-5″ taller than theirs on average, meaning they should be able to elevate and get open looks at will. But against tougher competition, that won’t be the case.
Once we start facing guards that are equal in size and athleticism, those mildly contested shots will become closely contested, and our percentage from the outside will plummet. Without that threat of driving into the lane, defenders will just sit on the perimeter and take away our strength from the outside.
Look for the guards to be much more proactive with the ball. I’d expect to see a lot more ball screens at the top of the key and a lot more penetration. Gbinije proved last year that he’s a very capable driver of the basketball, and I think Kaleb Joseph has also shown a much improved ability to get to the rim.
Personally, I’d prefer that if Cooney is going to drive, he passes the ball. He has not proven that he can finish at the rim in traffic. He’s good at getting into the lane, but as soon as he gets to the rim he seems to wildly throw the ball up if there is a defender there. He needs to focus on drawing the defense, then kicking out to the open shooter, or to another teammate cutting down the lane. Or he can just pull up and take a jumper, something he did well, if infrequently, last year.