Syracuse basketball woeful defense to collide with highly efficient offense

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim, earlier this week, said that the Orange’s struggles on defense are resulting in the team’s losses, and he takes responsibility for the zone not performing well.

The ‘Cuse (7-6, 1-1) allowed 74 points in a five-point setback this past weekend to Virginia, a squad that hasn’t proven all too stellar on offense to date in the 2021-22 campaign.

Now Syracuse basketball is set to travel to red-hot Miami on Wednesday night, and the Hurricanes (11-3, 3-0) are a pleasant surprise so far in this season’s unpredictable Atlantic Coast Conference.

From my perspective, the Orange has absolutely played a tougher schedule in 2021-22 than Miami has, but the Hurricanes have also compiled a much better record this term. They enter this contest on a seven-game success streak.

Syracuse basketball and Miami have a lot in common.

When the ‘Cuse invades the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla., on Wednesday evening, the Orange will battle a Hurricanes group that also shines on offense and is sub-par on defense.

Per ESPN statistics, Syracuse basketball is averaging 78.2 points a game and giving up 75.6 points. Miami, meanwhile, is scoring 76.4 points per encounter and allowing 72.8 points.

At the time of this writing, kenpom.com had the Orange at No. 188 nationally in adjusted-defensive efficiency, while the Hurricanes were even worse, at No. 202.

On offense, though, both squads are great. The ‘Cuse is No. 19 across the country in adjusted-offensive efficiency, according to kenpom.com, and Miami is No. 25.

First to 90 points wins? All kidding aside, the Hurricanes connect on 47.6 percent from the field, 74.6 percent from the charity stripe and 35.2 percent from beyond the arc. They also don’t turn over the ball a lot, only committing 9.8 miscues per affair.

Where I think Syracuse basketball can, hopefully, capitalize is on the glass. Miami only grabs 31.2 rebounds per meeting. If Orange shooters are missing from the perimeter, the team’s big men have to pound the boards and notch second-chance opportunities.

The ‘Cuse zone has to hone in on sixth-year redshirt senior guard Kameron McGusty, who is tallying 18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists a game, while hitting on 50.3 percent from the field.

Miami, which all-time is just 9-20 versus Syracuse basketball, has one of the premier records at this point in the ACC. But the Hurricanes’ NET ranking isn’t all that amazing, at No. 95 when I penned this column.

In 2021-22, Miami has fallen to UCF, Dayton and Alabama. The Hurricanes have defeated the likes of Penn State, Clemson, N.C. State and Wake Forest, among others.