I sure hope we handle the Syracuse zone better than we did last time. It was embarrassing how Sampson did not have his team remotely prepared for the Syracuse defense. (Yes, Anthony played great but we looked like we had no idea how to play against Syracuse's zone.)
So, what's the strategy? Rain treys? Then I'm not optimistic. Is Blake gonna have to constantly muscle his way to the basket against a triple team in hopes of getting them in foul trouble?
We're probably gonna have to outscore them to win.
This is inakkurat!Originally Posted by StoopTroup
Behold the pale horse. The man who sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him.
Olevet Posse Pistolero
Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2015.
I hate orange too.
All I know is that after about 5 min of screen time Devendorf will move into the top 10 list of the most hated men in Oklahoma.
I'm not worried. Somebody said Crocker is gonna score 50.
can our guards keep up with theirs is the question.
That is absolutely true.
Also, I feel a little bit better in facing the Cuse Zone this year. We have Willie who should be able to drive the lane. Something we never had before. Also, we have Blake and they don't.
This will be a great test for Capel. He has an entire week to prepare for one team, which is pretty rare in basketball. As we all know, the 2003 team gt destroyed by the Syracuse zone in the Elite 8, but that Syracuse team did have two NBA players, one of which is an All-Star (Carmelo). And that Syracuse team also won the National Title. This is certainly a less talented, albeit dangerous Syracuse team.
I've watched them a lot lately....Jonny Flynn is a stud. He runs that team on both ends of the floor. And they have some seriously good shooters from range. They are absolutely a perimiter-based team. Flynn drives and dishes all day long. They have a few decent big men, but they aren't major scoring threats at all. And Syracuse may be the most shallow team left in the tourney-- neither of us will play many guys off the bench.
Cuse is not overly athletic, they rely heavily on Flynn getting open shots for their guys. And defensively, everyone knows about the Boeheim zone. He's been doing it for almost 30 years and teams still struggle to figure out how to crack it.
In general, I think patience and having a guy who can drive to the hoop help defeat that zone. Willie will be a key. He needs to be active and get into the lane. If we just pass the ball around the horn, we play right into their hands. And Blake will need to make quick (good) decisions. They will swarm him the minute he gets the ball-- he needs to either make quick moves to the hoop or make good passes to open shooters.
This game is pretty simple: We don't have anyone to match up with Flynn and they don't have anyone to match up with Blake. It's up the coaches and the role players to figure out how best to contain the other.
I think this is a 50/50 game-- my gut is saying we're going to lose a tight one, but I wonder if that's just a little natural pessimism coming through? I really, really want a shot at UNC on Sunday, but I'm no fool-- beating Syracuse is a tall order. Excited about the game.
As others have the said, the biggest thing in our favor:
We have Blake Griffin. They don't.
No.
GARBAGE!
Didn't we also play Syracuse last time somewhere in NY? Seemed like that was a pretty big disadvantage for a higher seeded team. We shouldn't have that going against us this time.
Teams have tried zone against us at times this year, and I think for the most part we've been successful against it. Granted, this is a team that's indoctrinated in the zone, but it's obviously not unbreakable. My guess is that we get the Griffins in the high post and use that spot as a distribution point with a lot of motion.
I like that idea. I just hope we execute it a lot better than last time. We tried to throw the ball into the high post the last time and threw it away or had it stolen from the post player almost every single time. I trust that either Griffin is strong and athletic enough to not have that problem this time around.
Last time it wasn't really about guys not hitting the outside shot. It was more about turnovers. I know Syracuse had a big lanky team who really got into the passing lanes but we just did not adjust at all.
The whole Big 12 had the same problem. It's funny because not too many Big East teams had a hard time with the Syracuse zone. I suppose it's one of those things that if you play it a couple of times you get used to it...
I think this will be the key. Put Taylor in the high post and let him drive or pass from there. Taylor has been highly effective in taking it to the basket off the dribble and the weak part of most zones is in the middle so we have to take advantage of that.
Joking aside about inakuracies and garbage, the Big East has looked like complete and utter trash these opening rounds. The champion, Louisville, nearly lost to Sienna (???) yesterday. Another 1-seed outta the East, Pitt, nearly lost to the Pokes.
Hmmm... Marquette lost yesterday to Mizzou (tee hee at ragin' Coach Buzz), West Virginia lost to Daaaaaytonnnnn in the opening round, and while Villanova had a strong showing in round two, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY led them for a lot of the first round game.
This is what I was going to say, but you said it, and now I don't have to... High post is the key. Get the ball in the middle of the zone and you can pick it apart.
Olevet Posse Bail Bondsman
"I searched through rebellion, drugs, diets, mysticism, religions, intellectualism and much more, only to begin to find that truth is basically simple - and feels good, clean and right"
- Chick Corea
I think Syracuse will try to get Blake in foul trouble with charges and the way he battles down there it could happen. If he stays outa foul trouble then we could win this thing easily.
Ok... 5 of the 16 remaining teams are Big East teams.
I think that's probably going to be part of their gameplan, but Blake has a knack for NOT fouling, actually, so I don't think it's going to be all that easy for Syracuse to do that.
Olevet Posse Bail Bondsman
"I searched through rebellion, drugs, diets, mysticism, religions, intellectualism and much more, only to begin to find that truth is basically simple - and feels good, clean and right"
- Chick Corea
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