Syracuse basketball has to shoot way better, crash boards harder

Syracuse basketball proved woeful from deep and on the glass in Pitt loss.

Given that Syracuse basketball plays a 2-3 zone, that brand of defense is going to sometimes present struggles for the team in the rebounding arena.

Okay, fine, I get that. However, fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Pittsburgh came into the Carrier Dome on Wednesday night minus four of its players, including its top guy, who averages about 12 rebounds a game.

Even with a depleted roster, the Panthers’ physicality clearly had an impact on this conference clash, as Pitt outrebounded the Orange, 49 to 33 overall, and 20 to 9 on the offensive glass.

Case in point, while the ‘Cuse held a comfortable advantage for much of the encounter, Pittsburgh got its first lead with only a few seconds remaining, and it was the result of an offensive rebound and put-back around the rim. Pitt would prevail, 63-60.

Understandably, the absence of senior center Bourama Sidibe is making things more difficult for the Orange on the boards. And versus the Panthers, bruising sophomore forward Quincy Guerrier dealt with foul trouble.

But if Syracuse basketball doesn’t improve in the rebounding department, and with its 3-point shooting, I can’t see how the ‘Cuse is going to emerge victorious in many contests.

Here are some relatively grim ACC statistics, compiled by the league as of Jan. 7. In a 15-team conference, the Orange is No. 10 in rebounding margin, No. 11 in defensive rebounding percentage and No. 15 in rebounding defense. That’s a cause for concern.

Besides the boards, Syracuse basketball has to find its shooting rhythm.

In all fairness, the ‘Cuse has caught fire from downtown in several of its games to date in the 2020-21 campaign. Yet, of late, the team is really sub-par from beyond the arc.

Since it just came out of a second pause due to Covid-19 protocols, the Orange hasn’t practiced all that much, and if players’ conditioning isn’t at the highest level, that may help explain why Syracuse basketball couldn’t get many shots to fall in the second half versus the Panthers.

Head coach Jim Boeheim, in a Zoom call with media members following the Pittsburgh bout, said his guys had open looks but just couldn’t connect on a sufficient amount of them. The ‘Cuse went 12-of-38 from 3-point land against the Panthers.

Senior power forward/center Marek Dolezaj, in that same virtual call, said that perhaps the Orange should focus more on driving to the hoop, rather than relying so much on attempting 3-pointers.

I wholeheartedly agree with Dolezaj, as the ‘Cuse does seem to have success in the paint, and the team shoots well from the charity stripe, so heading to the rim with aggression and getting fouled could provide some additional scoring. Versus Pitt, for example, Syracuse basketball only got to the free-throw line five times, with four makes.

That being said, Boeheim said that his roster has good shooters, and “we’re not really drivers.”

If that’s the case, so be it. But as of Jan. 7, the Orange is hitting on 32.0 percent from deep, which is No. 12 in the ACC. For a Syracuse basketball line-up that heavily relies on making 3-pointers, such a percentage, if not improved upon, is going to be a problem moving forward.