[March 18, 2011] #14 Indiana State (20-13) vs. #3 Syracuse (26-7)

[Teamwork]

Play-By_Play:

Gus Johnson & Len Elmore
TruTV ............ Gus Johnson is good but Len Elmore is a typical BCS prick.

Quote:

" I'm torn on the draw that Gus Johnson got. On the one hand, Marquette-Xavier and George Mason-Villanova should be exciting games, and there is nothing better than a March game with Gus Jeezy on the call. That said, the other two games are Syracuse-Indiana State and Ohio State against the Alabama State-UT-San Antonio winner. If anything, Buckeye and Orange fans best be worried. Having Gus Johnson on the call is an upset waiting to happen."

 

[Callmedoc]

Odum's mid-range jumper is much better recently...he did win a game for us with it lol...I expect him getting to the middle of the zone someone collapsing or coming up to meet him and then us getting some open looks.

 

[scotty91]

Odum's mid-range jumper is much better recently...he did win a game for us with it lol...I expect him getting to the middle of the zone someone collapsing or coming up to meet him and then us getting some open looks.

For sure, but I mean this will be a little different than making the occasional shot. If the zone holds up and three point shooting becomes an issue for ISU, he'll be a guy that's going to need to consistently make some big shots because he's a guy that can create on his own.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

For sure, but I mean this will be a little different than making the occasional shot. If the zone holds up and three point shooting becomes an issue for ISU, he'll be a guy that's going to need to consistently make some big shots because he's a guy that can create on his own.

Agreed. Reality of the situation is that we'll need at least 3 guards shooting lights out on Friday to have a chance to win. Printy and Carter especially will need to have the green light all night and will need to both hit for at least 15, if not more. Printy will need to be very aggressive.

Defensively will be where we hang our hat though. I'm a bit worried about Walker and his run of luck staying out of foul trouble. Considering how many bigs Syracuse has, I'm hoping he can stay out of trouble. Jackson is a double-double machine and will be a load for our bigs.

 

[Jason Svoboda]

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

That's Indiana State folks. Yes, Syracuse should stomp us on paper. Yes, we have no business being in the NCAA Tournament on paper. Hell, Missouri State, Wichita State and 3-4 other Valley teams should have made quick work of us on paper. But if there ever was a cliche that rings true for this team, it's the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Our game may be "statistically boring" and we may not blow anyone away on paper, but I will go out on a limb and say we will be one of the best teams Syracuse will have played all year. Individually, we don't have any single player that will really amaze you, but our guys play hard, they play together and they play for each other. Our whole is greater than the sum of our parts.

It's interesting to see pundits talk about how we shouldn't be in the tournament and that we're a bid stealer but the fact of the matter is we earned this berth. We went to Saint Louis and played defense for 40 minutes in every game. We got down and didn't quit. This team is gritty, unrelentless and will grind it out until the final horn sounds. Historically, grinders typically do pretty decent in the NCAA tournament and here's to this year being no exception. I don't believe in teams "overlooking" opponents because that's a cheap excuse when you get beat -- if we beat Syracuse, it will be because we did the same things that put us in this position to begin with. To the players that read the board, I think I can speak on behalf of everyone that we're beyond proud of your efforts this year. Give 'em hell in Cleveland!

 

[xfactor9600]

It's one game at a time from here on out. It's a test of who can play the better game on Friday night. Everybody is basically 0-0.

 

[BrokerZ]

I don't think we can just be content with jacking up a bunch of 3's and expect to win. Syracuse doesn't just play a soft 2-3 zone...they play an aggressive match-up 2-3 zone.

I found this stat interesting from the Trib Star today:

"According to NCAA statistics, only six teams in the NCAA have allowed more 3-point attempts than the Orange opponents’ total of 726 — or 22 per game. While Syracuse allows many attempts from the 3, Boeheim’s squad ranks 31st in the NCAA in 3-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 31.4 percent."

The way you beat a 2-3 zone is with an effective high-low post game. You have to work the ball into the high post, and that breaks down the zone. Only when you get the ball in the high post can you find open shooters on the outside. We have to force the zone to collapse inside or we'll be settling for a ton of contested 3's at the shot clock expiration.

Carl Richard, and his ability to control the game from the elbow/high-post, will be vital in this game. Odum's ability to dribble-drive and breakdown the 2-3 will be very important, as well. If those two things happen, and Printy and AC can hit a few from outside...we have a great chance of winning this game.

If those things don't happen, and we don't defend like we are capable of doing, we will lose by 25+.

 

[Callmedoc]

Yeah exactly...I was once a member of a great team very similar in which we didnt have any one player that stuck out which is what made us unstoppable...

 

[Callmedoc]

May I say on screens I think it may be more effective to have carl out there...against this two three it's regular to be able to get into those pick and pop scenarios and it may give us some good looks... i really dont think we need a hot shooting from more than one of our guards...a decent shooting night from Carter/printy will be ok...first one to 60 wins.

 

[Sycamore624]

When tourny time comes stats, what conference you play in and everything else goes out the window. It becomes heart and blood and who wants it more that night. A little luck also helps out from time to time.

 

[egc1985]

jim boeheim is a 2-3 guru. thats why coach k had him on his staff for team usa to teach the zone to the professionals.

 

[musiccitybulldog]

Good luck to the Sycamores. Looking for one of those "Hoosier" momments. You guys can pull it off as well as anyone! Nail a bunch of three's and get them down early, they always seem to come back hard, just keep them down!

Good Luck to the Coach, Players, and all the fans. Have Fun!

 

[Sycamore Proud]

Good luck to the Sycamores. Looking for one of those "Hoosier" momments. You guys can pull it off as well as anyone! Nail a bunch of three's and get them down early, they always seem to come back hard, just keep them down!

Good Luck to the Coach, Players, and all the fans. Have Fun!

Thanks!

 

[Jason Svoboda]

I don't think we can just be content with jacking up a bunch of 3's and expect to win. Syracuse doesn't just play a soft 2-3 zone...they play an aggressive match-up 2-3 zone.

I found this stat interesting from the Trib Star today:

"According to NCAA statistics, only six teams in the NCAA have allowed more 3-point attempts than the Orange opponents’ total of 726 — or 22 per game. While Syracuse allows many attempts from the 3, Boeheim’s squad ranks 31st in the NCAA in 3-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 31.4 percent."

The way you beat a 2-3 zone is with an effective high-low post game. You have to work the ball into the high post, and that breaks down the zone. Only when you get the ball in the high post can you find open shooters on the outside. We have to force the zone to collapse inside or we'll be settling for a ton of contested 3's at the shot clock expiration.

Carl Richard, and his ability to control the game from the elbow/high-post, will be vital in this game. Odum's ability to dribble-drive and breakdown the 2-3 will be very important, as well. If those two things happen, and Printy and AC can hit a few from outside...we have a great chance of winning this game.

If those things don't happen, and we don't defend like we are capable of doing, we will lose by 25+.

Some good analysis here. I don't think we've ever been a team to just jack threes and that's why we play so deep into the shot clock. Our ball screens will need to be on point this Friday and I think Isiah Martin is going to have to play a lot more then he did in St. Louis.

 

[Callmedoc]

I think we need to be a little more traditional up front and rotate guards in regularly...alot like Belmont we could play maximum effort...Does anyone else grow tired of hearing about the greatness of the bruins? Everyone says they are an upset special but I dont believe it...lol

 

[SycamoreStateofMind]

Z and Boda are spot on with this. If you think the Sycamores are going to just sit outside and shoot the ball and boom we win the game it aint like that. I touched on this yesterday, I think Odum plays a very important role in this game and his ability to breakdown the zone and find soft spots. If he can't/doesn't do that then we will be in a world of hurt. Odum's role doesn't change much on Friday, continue to control the tempo of the game and break down people off the bounce (deceptive speed) if he's able to do that the Sycamores will find better shots. You aint going to shoot Cuse out of the zone, like BookerZ said it's not a soft zone - you don't find a lot of soft zones in college the way it is. They are looking to generate transition from the zone, they wanna get up and down and dunk!

 

[Chief_Quabachi]

Is it reasonable to say that they want to play a style of "street ball"?

 

[ISUCC]

I just hope we don't come out and get down big early like we did in all 3 games of the MVC tourney, if that happens vs. SU we'll be in a lot bigger trouble than we were vs. UE, WSU, and MSU.

I think those first few minutes will really tell how this game is gonna wind up.

 

[bent20]

I actually expect us to fall behind early and bounce back again. We'll see though if we can sustain it. I don't expect Syracuse to go the first 12 minutes of the second half without a FG like MSU did.

 

[DutchHart]

Z and Boda are spot on with this. If you think the Sycamores are going to just sit outside and shoot the ball and boom we win the game it aint like that. I touched on this yesterday, I think Odum plays a very important role in this game and his ability to breakdown the zone and find soft spots. If he can't/doesn't do that then we will be in a world of hurt. Odum's role doesn't change much on Friday, continue to control the tempo of the game and break down people off the bounce (deceptive speed) if he's able to do that the Sycamores will find better shots.

This seems to be about right. If you guys have someone (Odum) who can penetrate to the top of the key and maintain his vision, do dish to the short corner or hit a cutter baseline while still being able to hit a pull up jumper, it could cause a lot of problems for Cuse. I will say I haven't seen the Sycamores outside the MVC title game but I can say this is one of the best ways to limit the zone. It forces us to play that man tighter and opens up skip passes to the perimeter for open looks.

You aint going to shoot Cuse out of the zone, like BookerZ said it's not a soft zone - you don't find a lot of soft zones in college the way it is. They are looking to generate transition from the zone, they wanna get up and down and dunk!

Correct. Boeheim plays a 2-3 but its a very active 2-3 with traps coming on the wings, baseline and elbow fairly regularly. He banks on the athleticism of the people he recruits to be able to recover off these, and it tends to force errors creating transition opportunities. I can't remember the last time I saw Cuse go Man-to-man in a regular season game.