SYRACUSE LOOKS TO ZONE IN ON ELITE 8

March 27, 2009


Syracuse is back into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004 and will take on the #2 seed in the South, Oklahoma, tonight in Memphis. When you play the Sooners, you have to deal with Blake Griffin, the 6'10 super sophomore that averaged 22.5 points and a nation's best 14.4 rebounds a game.

"Clearly, I don't think anybody has any question that he's the best player in the country," Hall of Fame Syracuse coch Jim Boeheim said of Griffin.

"He's the best we've seen," added junior center Arinze Onuaku. "So it's going to be a tough battle from the beginning."

Defensively, Syracuse will turn to their patented 2-3 zone defense to slow down Griffin. The 2-3 zone does allow for offensive rebounding opportunities, so the Orange will have to concentrate on keeping Griffin off the glass if the zone prevents the Sooners from finding their top player in the paint.

"They obviously know exactly what they're supposed to do in the zone, and they do a great job of it," Blake Griffin said of the SU zone. "We're going to have to be good and pick our spots and then run our offense really well to get good looks."

The zone can cause trouble for any team that is unfamiliar with it. The amount of time in the early going that Oklahoma spends passing the ball around the perimter will be telling of how comfortable they are in attacking the two-three zone. If they can get the ball to the foul line area, they can be successful. They know what they are going to see from Syracuse, can they beat it?

"They defend the heck out of you...because of their length and athleticism, they're maybe able to cover some mistakes they may make in the zone, but you can do that when you're long and athletic like they are, especially on that back line," Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel said.

While Blake Griffin is the name everyone thinks of when preparing for Oklahoma, coach Boeheim is just as concerned about a talented and overlooked supporting cast, which includes Willie Warren, Tony Crocker, Austin Johnson and Taylor Griffin, all capable of knocking down perimeter shots.

"Oklahoma has four guys that can hurt you out there," Boeheim said of the three-point threats of the Sooners. "That's my major concern going into the game tomorrow night. As good as their inside guys are, those four guys present big problems. They're very, very good offensive basketball team."

Offensively, the Orange are not too bad either and the hot hand of Eric Devendorf has been huge in the postseason, beginning with his record setting performance in the Big East Tournament with 84 points in four games. The chemistry between Devendorf and backcourt mate Jonny Flynn continues to grow and Andy Rautins knocked down key three's in their win over Arizona State on Saturday.

Getting the ball inside early is a key as they hope the bulk of Arinze Onuaku and the athletic ability of Rick Jackson will make Blake and Taylor Griffin work on defense. It will also loosen up the perimeter for their shooters to find room, a script that was followed to perfection in the win over ASU.

"You know, we have so many weapons on the court at one time," Flynn said of the Orange attack. "We got a nice inside presence. And Arinze (Onuaku) over here and (Rick) Jackson really helped us out."

While Oklahoma has the star in Blake Griffin, the Syracuse talent of Devendorf, Flynn, Paul Harris and company is not too shabby either. With a zone defense that could be confounding to the OU guards, Syracuse should find a favorable match-up in Memphis.

Look for Oklahoma to settle too often for the perimeter jumper, neutralizing the effectiveness of Griffin. Coach Boeheim may say he is most concerned about the Oklahoma ability to shoot the ball, but he will trade in the Sooners attempting three's over getting Griffin established any day. When that happens, they MUST keep Griffin off the boards.

It has been a very good run for the Orange. With their offense clicking and Oklahoma not being a particularly strong defensive team, Syracuse should continue the Big East run in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 75
Oklahoma 69