Syracuse Basketball vs. Notre Dame: 4 Keys to the Game
By David Stone
Continue the Outstanding Transition Defense
I’m going to give you one of the most impressive, jaw-dropping stats I’ve seen since I started watching SU basketball almost 30 years ago. In four consecutive games, Syracuse has not given up a single fast break point. Not one!
If you know much about basketball, you know that this is a feat that is nearly impossible. No team does this, especially when that stretch includes a game against Duke, who are known for fast-breaks.
It all starts with the guards. Early in the season, and even early in ACC play, the guards were very sluggish getting back on defense. There were even instances where SU would make a basket and still get beat down the court for a transition basket at the other end. How is that even possible you ask? I have no flipping clue, but it happened on several occasions as I screamed vehemently at my TV screen.
Then all of a sudden that changed. The guards began to hustle any time they turned it over. They sprinted back off of missed shots and always kept themselves in front of the opposing team. It was truly a monumental shift, and is one of the major reasons Syracuse has seen a vast improvement in it’s play of late.
A huge chunk of that credit has to go to Boeheim. I’m sure he saw the exact same things I saw while watching from home. Basically, the team was lazy defensively. Sure, Syracuse will never be a dominant interior defensive team with this lineup. But that is no excuse for players casually jogging back on defense. Boeheim lit a fire under his players, and they have responded in a way I never even thought possible.
They need to keep that up against Notre Dame. The Irish will certainly try and run. If Syracuse can keep them out of their transition offense, that is a huge win for us and just another nail in the coffin for them.