Syracuse Basketball: Defensively, 4-star Chris Bunch is ‘built for 2-3 zone’

We’ve written a couple of columns lately about Syracuse basketball 2022 four-star commit Chris Bunch, with a focus on his offensive repertoire.

National recruiting analysts say that the 6-foot-7 wing, who can suit up at shooting guard, small forward and possibly even power forward, is a lethal threat from the perimeter.

Experts note that his ball-handling skills are pretty good for a prospect of his size, he passes well, and he is a solid rebounder. Bunch is also praised for his athleticism and positional versatility.

But what about Bunch’s defensive skills? Well, I came across one recent scouting report of late that speaks to how Bunch fares on this end of the floor.

Syracuse basketball four-star commit Chris Bunch is a good fit in the Orange system.

Jerry Meyer, a well-known national analyst with 247Sports, has provided some insights into Bunch’s game. For one, Meyer writes, “Man to man defending is not his forte, so the 2-3 zone provides him a greater opportunity to make a bigger impact earlier in his collegiate career.”

"Meyer adds that Bunch is “not known as a tough one on one defender but has great recovery speed and a feel for blocking shots on the move. Has potential as a rebounder.”"

My takeaway here is that Bunch can continue to enhance his defensive skill-sets, and also that he should settle in nicely within the ‘Cuse 2-3 zone.

Meyer’s comments echo what we outlined in a recent column about Bunch and another recent Syracuse basketball 2022 commit, three-star power forward Maliq Brown from Virginia.

In that piece, we provided some details from Rivals.com national analyst Dan McDonald on how he thinks that both Brown and Bunch are ideal prospects for the Orange program.

Bunch is a consensus top-100 player in the 2022 cycle, and he’s ranked within the top-60 overall by 247Sports. In late October, he gave a verbal commitment to the ‘Cuse, selecting Syracuse basketball over other finalists Washington, which is led by Mike Hopkins, and Rutgers.

Bunch is a senior at the powerhouse Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, which national experts foresee as a top-15 team across the country as the 2021-22 campaign gets underway.