MBB : Slumping SU zone preps for UConn, Walker
Comments To Brandon Triche, the fix for Syracuse’s four-game loss is simple. It’s a glaring problem that has yet to be addressed.The problem is this: In the span of four games, SU’s 2-3 zone defense has gone from strength to liability. Triche knows this because, even when the Orange shoots the lights out — as it did against Marquette (57 percent) Saturday — the Orange never held a lead in the game.‘I think we’ve been playing well offensively the past few games,’ Triche said. ‘We just need to be more consistent on defense. We need to play better there.’Looking to end a streak that has evolved into more than just a bump in the road, No. 17 Syracuse (18-4, 5-4 Big East) will need to fix its defensive inefficiencies on the road against No. 6 Connecticut (17-3, 5-3) Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside Hartford’s XL Center. During its current losing streak, the Orange has struggled to get early stops and was forced to play from behind. Against the Huskies, there isn’t likely to be a letdown from the type of pressure SU’s signature defense has faced recently.SU enters the game in a delicate position. The Huskies are coming off a double-overtime loss at home to Louisville but won its previous six, including wins against then-No. 12 Texas and then-No. 7 Villanova.AdvertisementThis is placeholder textSyracuse, on the other hand, comes into Wednesday’s game looking to avoid the first-ever five-game losing streak during Jim Boeheim’s tenure as head coach. The task becomes even more daunting considering UConn and its star point guard Kemba Walker found a successful formula for disrupting the zone in the teams’ matchup a year ago.During SU’s losing streak, all four opposing teams have found ways to exploit the zone. Pittsburgh slashed through the holes on the wings, scoring the game’s first 19 points. Villanova and Seton Hall stretched the zone with its shooters, and Marquette did a little bit of both.‘There are ways to crack the shell of that 2-3 zone,’ Notre Dame guard Ben Hansbrough said at Big East Media Day on Oct. 20. ‘Not many teams can do it, but it can be done.’Evidently, more and more teams are finding a successful formula.A year ago, Walker took his own approach to cracking the zone. Instead of looking for his shooters on the outside, the 6-foot-1 Walker took the ball right to the heart of the zone and, along with teammate Jerome Dyson, had much second-half success. The pair finished with 33 points and 11 assists and almost led the Huskies to a dramatic comeback after trailing by 16.In its last four games, SU allowed teams to find some shooting rhythm, as SU’s opponents shot 51 percent (108-for-212) from the field and 48 percent (33-for-69) from downtown. And now it prepares for a UConn team led by Walker, who shredded the zone a year ago.‘I think having players that can shoot against a zone will definitely help you out,’ former Connecticut forward Gavin Edwards said. ‘And that gives Kemba a lot more freedom to try and penetrate. And if he gets in trouble, he can kick it to a shooter that can knock down a shot.’Opposing players are having field days lately against the SU defense. Pitt’s Nasir Robinson went off for 21. That was followed by 21 from Villanova’s Maalik Wayns, 28 from Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell and 25 from Marquette’s Jae Crowder.Up next: Walker, the league’s top scorer.And a year ago, when the zone was arguably at its best, Walker still found a way to exploit it.In last year’s matchup, the Huskies thrived off the ‘high screen and roll’ they implemented a few days before facing Syracuse. And there was one person in particular who made it so effective against the 2-3 zone.‘Kemba did,’ UConn guard Donnell Beverly said. ‘Kemba and Jerome. Just going off the screens and getting into the lane and the middle of the defense.’With the Orange now in a freefall in both the standings and national rankings, a win at UConn could be the ticket to get back on track. To do that, however, it’ll need a return to the defense the Orange has been known for all along.Said Triche: ‘We just need to get back to where we were earlier this season.’aljohn@syr.edu— Asst. Sports Editor Michael Cohen contributed reporting to this article. Published on February 1, 2011 at 12:00 pm
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