Syracuse basketball 2-3 zone will be thoroughly tested by Aztecs shooters

The Syracuse basketball 2-3 zone, by design, entices opponents to hoist up a lot of contested attempts from 3-point land. If Orange foes take, and miss, a lot of shots from deep, naturally that is a good thing for the ‘Cuse.

However, one of the biggest potential daggers to the Orange’s zone defense, and really any zone defense, is when an opponent is hitting at a high clip from beyond the arc.

That could prove an issue for Syracuse basketball as it prepares to face off against San Diego State in a round of 64 match-up in the 2021 Big Dance’s Midwest Region.

It’s absolutely true that the No. 11 seed ‘Cuse is faring much better of late on defense after struggling through inconsistent performances on that end of the floor throughout the 2020-21 campaign.

In a Zoom call with media members on Sunday night after Syracuse basketball learned that it had landed an invite to March Madness, junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim noted that the team’s defensive intensity is stronger.

Additionally, Boeheim said, the Orange’s players are rebounding and covering shooters more effectively than earlier in this term, and the ‘Cuse is also making adjustments well on the defensive end.

All of those positive developments are going to come in handy and prove imperative if the Orange hopes to upset the Aztecs, a squad that won both the Mountain West Conference regular-stanza title as well as that league’s post-season tournament prize.

The Syracuse basketball perimeter defense has to be laser-focused versus San Diego State.

As a collective unit, the Aztecs connect on 37.5 percent from 3-point range, which is No. 33 across the country, according to the NCAA’s Web site. San Diego State (23-4) makes about 8.5 shots from beyond the arc per game.

Multiple guys on the Aztecs’ roster hit on at least 40 percent from deep, and ‘Cuse head coach Jim Boeheim acknowledges that San Diego State is one of the best 3-point shooting teams that Syracuse basketball will have seen throughout the entire 2020-21 stanza.

Aztecs senior guard Jordan Schakel, a member of the All-Mountain West second squad, connects on a ridiculous 46.7 percent from 3-point land. Another San Diego State senior guard, Terrell Gomez, makes 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

And let’s not forget that the Aztecs’ line-up also features the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year in senior forward Matt Mitchell, who tallies 15.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest.

In his own virtual call on Sunday evening, Syracuse basketball sophomore forward Quincy Guerrier said that the team’s defense has greatly improved, because Orange players are communicating more, moving their feet better, and acting as one cohesive group in the 2-3 zone.

The ‘Cuse will need to continue on with those encouraging attributes on defense if Syracuse basketball wants to stun the higher-seeded San Diego State this Friday night.