Will we able to shoot Syracuse out of their vaunted zone defense?

[sWiley]

Very, very curious to see how we match up with Syracuse on Sunday in the round of 32 (Never thought I'd be saying that as an MT fan)

If we shoot like we did today, Syracuse will be forced to abandon their zone and go man-2-man. Shooting them out of that zone could make them uncomfortable in man coverage, which we've proven we can deal with as well with penetration and kick outs.

Versatility and coaching is going to be a key factor in our game Sunday. Today against MSU it was just flat out playing them man-2-man. Look for more of a chess match on Sunday with both coaches trying to confuse the other with lots of different looks. I'm expecting them to press, zone, man-2-man, the kitchen sink basically. Anything to get us uncomfortable and keep us from shooting a high %. Surprised Mich St. didn't do more of that, especially in the 2nd half. They basically played us man all game and got flat out beat.

 

[volguy23]

I think we get it done

 

[sWiley]

Syracuse favored by 6. Thought the line would be much tighter personally.

 

[MTOleBlue]

Yes. Cuse defense isn't THAT good, and once you figure it out it's really easy to beat them pretty handily. I saw Miami demolish them earlier this year, and that Miami team is not any better than the Blue Raiders. The pieces are in place to do it. The biggest challenge is just getting past the, "oh this defense is horrible, what can we do?" mindset and thinking "we got this, bros." And I think we can do that and win again. Cuse (and a number of their fans) probably think of us as a Norfolk State or Hampton type team but that couldn't be further from the truth. We are athletic, quick, and skilled - not just some lucky fluke as some are quick to allege. We have a quality team and I am NOT surprised we beat Michigan State.

 

[MTOleBlue]

And to the Cuse fans stalking our forums (yes, I read your forums too, so don't act surprised) -- it would be a mistake to think you are so unbelievably more talented than MT. Not much separation. Skill-wise, the separation you believe is there does not really exist when the effort is equalized. Do you think Sparty's talent helped them against us? They're a better defensive team than Cuse and we all see how that turned out. All of the "Jim Boeheim wasn't coaching" blah blah blah excuses for Cuse's losses this year do not matter. The fact of the matter is, the defense you play is not impenetrable. It can be done and with the right combination, it can lead to a win as it often does. When is the last time Syracuse won a national championship? Case in point. Have the right mindset, good matchups, and execute and you can win. It's not that hard. We have a great shot to win and I think we can, and will. I will be the first to say we didn't do what we needed to do if we don't win, but I think this team has the right combination to pull it off.

 

[SmithO1906]

I dont think "shooting them out of the zone" will be the key. We will get open looks but the key is to move the ball and side to side and then get it to the middle of the zone and knock down 10-15 foot shots.

 

[AustinLewis]

The 2-3 has two glaring weaknesses: 1) The outside shot, 2) holes in the zone. I doubt Boehim will leave his beloved 2-3 zone for any reason so it will be up to MT to hit the outside shots and make quick, precise passes to expose the 2-3 zone. Can they do it? Yes. Will they do it? Well, we will see on Sunday

 

[dukewayne]

To me, this reminds me of similar playing styles MT faced in the C-USA Tournament. MT played Marshall in what was a much more wide open game. Then MT had a one day turnaround to play a completely different team that sort of matched our style in tough defense in ODU. That game turned out to be a grinder that went down to the last shot at the last second. I'm kind of expecting more of a game like that vs Syracuse. It might also resemble one of those "first team to 70 wins."

Clearly, these Blue Raiders have the confidence and are playing as a team and fighting hard. Maybe most important, they do not seem to have any national tourney big stage jitters. Credit the team and coach davis. The job Kermit has been doing may have impressed me as much as the overall play.

 

[mtfblue]

Will Kermit continue to let them play loose or will he over coach. We have nothing to lose, just let them ball and ahock the world on the way to Chicago. Hell I will be in Chicago this weekend

 

[Benjams77]

Guys been a long time since I've been on the board...Not sure if any of the old guard is till here...Anyway figured I would stop in for this big game as Cuse is my hometown team vs MT, my alma mater...Never figured this game would happen and not real thrilled about it other than the fact one of my teams makes the sweet 16...I was in St.Louis the other day with the drive from the Boro being not bad...

Saw some of the breakdowns here and there decently accurate..

Basically it comes down to this...Can the Blue Raiders sustain their energy after that big win and all the accolades...Their gonna need to make shots ...over the zone

Orange needs to rebound the ball ...If MT gets rebound advantage and loose balls they will win...If Orange has a good game from Tyler Roberson dominating the glass then they will win

This game will be grind it out and first one to 70...Syracuse has one of the slowest paces of play in NCAA cause of zone...They will not give up Fast break or easy points...Zone gets set and makes you play half court .

Key guys for me are MT - Darnell Harris and Reggie Upshaw need to hit that mid range foul line jumper consistently or JB wont respect that area and zone gets real tough

Cuse - Tyler Roberson..When he is engaged the Orange are tough to beat but you just never know what he will bring.. Richardson or Lydon - one of these freshman needs to be a 3rd scorer and impact the game

Very tough for me and but wouldnt have it any other way

 

[dukewayne]

As a longtime (hometown) Georgetown fan, there's a little extra incentive for me to want to see the Blue Raiders come through today with the big win. As if it just being MT wasn't enough.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

Ouch. Tough to watch.