The Syracuse basketball team can win the National Championship this year. Here’s five reasons why that can happen via ITLH.
The lone criticism of Jim Boeheim during his tenure with the Syracuse basketball team is he doesn’t have ring(s). While most of us are aware it’s about more than just championships, the stigma remains.
Everything came together back in 2003 when NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony led the Orange to their lone National Championship. While no player on the Orange is on the ‘Melo level’ there are enough offensive stalwarts on the team to make a run at the title this year.
I know that sounds crazy for a team that barely made the tournament to begin with, but all you need is a seat at the dance. It doesn’t matter what seed you’re, that doesn’t guarantee you anything.
We just witnessed a No. 1 seed go down in the opening round for the first time in history. What did their magical regular season do for the Virginia Cavaliers? Absolutely nothing. It’s about the magic of March Madness. A single elimination tournament that perhaps doesn’t boast the best team as their National Champion when everything is said and done, but the one that finds a way through tough circumstances. No team has experienced more obstacles, than the Syracuse Orange this year.
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5. Everyone is mortal
Now this may be the most Captain Obvious statement of all-time, but it’s true. Look at the rest of the field. Where is the unstoppable team that SU can’t beat? I’ll save you some time. That team doesn’t exist.
The Virginia Cavaliers were the No. 1 overall seed and they didn’t make it outside of the first round. I feel like we’re in the Rocky franchise and Balboa is facing off against Drago and we see the Russian bleed and then we hear the phrase uttered, ‘he’s not a machine, he’s a man’!
It seems like the Orange possess that wherewithal in every game they play in. They don’t seem to be fazed by the moment and they never give up. SU has only been blown out in a handful of games this season and it was never due to a lack of effort.
Looking at the path for the Orange: they play against Duke on Friday, if they win that game they’d likely play Kansas. And then the best team in the tournament Villanova and that’d be a challenge. But SU would only play those teams if chalk ruled and let’s be honest, that hasn’t been the case this tournament.
4. SU is a chameleon
The Orange have won in every different way that you can this season. They’ve had the huge offensive explosions (it’s been a while), but they have the horses to do it occasionally. In an adapt or die tournament, SU has adapted better than anyone.
Consider this. SU only made one three against Michigan State, was outrebounded 51-30, and somehow someway beat one of the favorites to win the National Championship this season. They’ve had Marek Dolezaj who had been afraid to score all year step up when it matters most. Everything seems to be happening for the apparent team of destiny.
A team that can win when they’re not playing their best is an extremely dangerous team. Opposing teams have no idea what to do against the 2-3 zone. They have no idea who to try and stop offensively because this isn’t a one-man team, despite the limited depth.
With the ability to win in a variety of ways, the Orange are the perfect type of team to win a championship this year. Versatility pays dividends in this league. Although the true potential of this team could be unlocked if Matthew Moyer could provide anything for this team. Everyone else has contributed in a major way to this Sweet 16 run.
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3. SU’s backcourt could be the difference
What other backcourt has the length of Tyus Battle (6-foot-five) and Frank Howard (6-foot-six)? I’ll be waiting. That of course helps out defensively at the top of that 2-3 zone. Which is a major reason SU led the ACC in steals. When you have that length up top, that allows the frontcourt to cheat and be more aggressive.
But we all know how great SU is defensively (more on that later), what about the offense? Neither Howard or Battle would be considered offensive juggernauts, but both have the potential to make things happen. Howard is having the best year of his career and had a monumental leap from last year (five points per game) to this season (over 15 points per game).
While we all knew how talented Tyus Battle is. He’s SU’s best NBA prospect and while he may not be getting any love yet from NBA Mock Drafts, he will. If the Orange have to rely on someone at the end of games it’s Battle.
The clutch gene is flowing through his blood. He has shown a propensity to light it up from outside, but recently has been in a bit of a funk. There’s been questions thrown around about his ability to drive left and often he resorts to ‘hero ball’ and thus creates some bad possessions. But I don’t think there’s a Syracuse fan alive who wishes he was off the team. His energy is infectious and I can see him making a few tournament highlights in the near future.
2. Jim Boeheim
Without a doubt, Jim Boeheim is one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all-time. Many suggested that the Orange made a mistake letting Mike Hopkins walk. Many people also jump off bridges, doesn’t make that a good idea.
Here’s the thing, Hopkins is a great coach and a very personable guy. That will serve him well in recruiting, we’ve seen that here at Syracuse. But here’s the thing, Boeheim is a legend and a proven commodity. Hopkins was nothing more than an educated guess. Although he’s looking really good over there in Washington (won PAC-12 Coach of the Year in his rookie campaign), Boeheim staying was the only option.
The special thing about Boeheim is he’s unfazed by the moment. He never rides the emotional roller coaster. Whether it’s a huge win over Michigan State or a loss to an ACC bottom-dweller in Georgia Tech. SU has been all over the map this season, but Boeheim has been consistent.
The one constant has been their Hall of Fame head coach. He only has one championship ring to show for his 42-year tenure, his fingers are getting lonely, maybe it’s time to add some hardware to the collection. This isn’t SU’s best team, but it’s one of the Cuse’s most tight-knit and that may be enough for a championship run.
1. Defense
Defense wins championships folks. It’s a used and abused cliche, but it’s so damn true. Have you seen this Syracuse team offensively? It’s downright disturbing at times. This team struggles to score for long stretches.
You would’ve thought that could’ve eliminated SU in Dayton (it almost did), but what has kept this team in every game this season is their stifling defense. Sure it hasn’t been perfect, there’s been lapses and cracks in the armor. But for the majority of this season the 2-3 zone has confounded opponents every step of the way.
Especially in the March Madness tournament. In a span of five days, the Orange played three games against some of the best offenses in the country. They should’ve been fatigued with their limited depth and multiple games in such a short amount of time, but they weren’t. Or at least they were pretty good at hiding it.
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With the patented 2-3 zone, Syracuse can quite literally beat any team in the country. Although with their offensive struggles they also have the potential to lose to any team in the tournament. The bittersweet thing about this tournament and the limited amount of time between games is that teams don’t have time to prepare for 2-3 zone. Even if they had the time, they couldn’t crack the code. SU can win the whole thing this year, you better realize that sooner rather than later.