Coming off one of the most dominating performances in school history, a blowout laugher victory over Gonzaga, the Syracuse Orangemen returned with one of their worst performances in memory. Looking confused and tired, the Butler Bulldogs lulled the Orangeman to sleep on offense and dogged them on defense to gain the 63-59 win and earn it first-ever ticket to the Elite Eight.
Boeheim Has No Excuses For Loss
Butler got rolling early, jumping out to a 12-1 lead as Syracuse turned the ball over 5 times in the first 6:30 of the game. Syracuse then clawed their way back to a 5-point deficit at 17-12 before Butler extended the lead to 35-25 before the end of the half, as the Orange coughed up the ball for 12 first half turnovers.
Syracuse came out roaring to start the second half, going on a 15-4 run that gave them their first lead of the game at 40-39 with 13:29 remaining. Butler hung tough, but Syracuse began to pull away at 54-50 after an Andy Rautins three pointer and Kris Joseph dunk. It looked at that point the top seed would put an end to the Cinderella dreams.
Butler would then stamp out the Orangemen. Ronald Nored and Willie Veasley nailed three pointers and Syracuse began to choke. Andy Rautins would then throw up an anxiety-laden three pointer which amounted to another turnover and Willie Veasley would slam the door shut with an offensive rebound put back with 0:59 left.
So what happened?
There were four major reasons why the Orangemen went down in a heap and to improve upon this disappointing performance, we need to isolate the breakdowns.
Unfriendly Officiating
Syracuse was bewildered right from the beginning as Butler attacked on defense. Averaging just 15 turnovers per game coming into the matchup, Syracuse lost the ball 12 times in the first half and dug themselves a huge hole. The officials made it clear they were going to call the game loosely and Syracuse didn’t respond properly to the muggings that were occuring to Andy Rautins and Wes Johnson. It takes getting the refs attention that things could “get out of hand” to get them to change their lackadaisical whistle blowing. Some simple chest bumping and jawing could have changed the tone. Instead, a team which played pressing man-to-man defense with constant trapping was called for just 15 fouls when they could have easily been whistled 25-30 times.
Boeheim’s Coaching
While Jim Boeheim did some of the best coaching of his career this year, he should hand back the Coach of The Year award after this performance. His team was listless with no answers on offense. With 18 turnovers, their gaffes almost exceeded the field goals they made at 21. Rick Jackson needed Stickum for his hands and Scoop Jardine needed a lesson on team basketball, but Boeheim let it ride. His team could not get it together. They outshot Butler from inside and outside the arc, outrebounded them on the offensive and defensive end and delivered more assists. When your team does all this, dominates every stat and they still lose, a lot of blame goes to the coach. Boeheim simply couldn’t get them out of their funk.
No Transition Game
Syracuse had no running game at all last night. Their offensive style of up-tempo aggression was stopped cold. It seemed as though the players were just out of gas from the beginning. Some will blame this on the altitude in Salt Lake City, but I toss this on a team being tight and scared to lose.
Arinze Onuaku
Missing the pitbull in the center of the offense crushed Syracuse. Rick Jackson showed he was not Onuaku as he was embarrassing over and over on the offensive end. He could not force his way into position and forced the offense to gamble with it ball-handling. With no transition game to speak of, Syracuse needed to push the ball inside and Jackson didn’t answer the call. As Onuaku’s career comes to an end, he will always question whether he should have at least suited up for a just-in-case situation. That situation presented it last night and he was in street clothes. No Willis Reed moment was going to occur.
For Syracuse fans, disappointment comes with the territory of donning orange colored jerseys. Tons of talents with little hardware to show for it. Last night’s lost is another squandered season and rates right up there with other famous Syracuse implosions under Boeheim.
Here’s looking to next season and how they can disappoint again.
Versatility. It can be the difference between becoming a champ or becoming a chump.
In Buffalo, New York, the spotlight was shining brightly on the Syracuse Orangeman as they took the floor, minus one of its leaders, Arinze Onuaku. After watching top-ranked Kansas get knocked out of the tournament the previous day, Syracuse definitely was feeling the pressure to deliver a solid performance against a Gonzaga squad ranked 22nd in the AP Poll and a perennial NCAA Tourney upstart.
Johnson Leads Syracuse To Blowout Victory
The Orangemen didn’t disappoint and sent a message to the remaining teams in the field that they are the team to beat with a stunning 87-65 rout. With Onuaku in street clothes on the bench and center Rick Jackson on the bench with three fouls with 8:58 remaining in the first half, the Orangemen were ripe for defeat. Instead, the showed why they are the most feared team in the tournament, as they stuffed the Gonzaga offense with a stifling 2-3 zone and spread the wealth on offense as they went on a 15-4 run to close the first half to open a 15 point lead.
The beatdown didn’t end there, as Syracuse opened the second half with another 15-4 run over four minutes to effectively to put a close to the game and coast in with the most impressive victory by any team thus far in the tournament.
On both ends of the court, everything went right. As a team, Syracuse shot 55% from the field, 48% from behind the arc and 74% from the free throw line. Defensively they held Gonzaga to 42% from the field and 14% from behind the arc, numbers which improved as Syracuse showed mercy over the final ten minutes.
The offensive onslaught was led by Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins. Johnson scored a career high 31 points and 14 rebounds with Rautins scoring 24 points while draining five three pointers. Brandon Triche chipped in 13 points and Scoop Jardine added 9 points. Rick Jackson pulled down 10 rebounds and Kris Joseph added 6 boards to round out the action.
The victory was all that more impressive given that star big man, Arinze Onuaku was still nursing a quadricep injury that he aggravated during the Big East tournament. Onuaku, considered one of the best defensive players in the NCAA, is the central core of the vaunted 2-3 zone defense. Despite Onuaku not on the floor, the Orangemen shut down the Gonzaga offense over and over and was especially relentless during the eight minute span that saw Syracuse establish a 30 point lead.
What makes Syracuse so dangerous for upcoming opponents is the preparation required to prepare for its 2-3 zone. During the regular season, teams get a few days to prepare during practice for what awaits on the floor that they only see when they play Syracuse. Gonzaga showed today what limited practice time can do to a team facing this defense. If Syracuse can win it first of two games in each of the upcoming weekends that close out the season, they have the advantage in the Regional Final and Final matchups.
At this point, nobody wants to play Syracuse and they are the clear favorite to be cutting down the nets in Indianapolis, with or without Arinze Onuaku.
This is not your father’s Syracuse Orangeman squad. Those Jim Boeheim teams from the 1980s and 1990s are a thing of the past thanks to the 2010 squad. Those past teams were remembered for going into major funks, losing silly games and not living up to their talent levels. This 2010 team is different.
Boeheim Steers Syracuse Back To #1 Rank
When you look back at some of the great Syracuse teams, most fans look fondly back at the Derrick Coleman, Rony Seikaly and Sherman Douglas years. Unquestionably the most talented Syracuse squads ever with three solid NBA starters that each had 10+ year professional careers. Despite all that talent, they became the face of the struggles of Syracuse Basketball. They will be forever remembered for their NCAA Finals loss to Indiana and Keith Smart’s buzzer-beater.
Very good, but for some reason couldn’t put it all together.
That was personified during the 1987-88 season. After the surprising run the previous season, Syracuse had their three main cogs back and expectations were high. The were christened with the Preseason #1 ranking. The bloom quickly came of the rose, as Syracuse dropped the top ranking after just one week and didn’t deliver as expected.
This 2010 squad is the antithesis of that ‘87-’88 squad. This team came in with zero expectations, picked to finish mid-pack in the Big East and be scrambling to make the NCAA tourney. They are the example as to why you play the games. And the game played on Saturday night just vaulted them back to the top ranking after crushing Villanova.
Syracuse today will garner its first regular season top-ranking since January 2, 1990. Led by Coleman, Billy Owens and Stevie Thompson, Syracuse held the top ranking for 6 weeks before crumbling and getting knocked out of the NCAA tournament during the Sweet 16. Those four seasons between 1986 to 1990 have stuck to Syracuse like glue and have forever labeled Syracuse as the team that couldn’t get it done. Everyone one of those teams found a way to lose.
This year’s squad is different. There are no stars, just players. They are led by a scrappy shooter named Andy Rautins who has no NBA dreams. These final games are his swan song and he plans to be the motor on this team. His play drove the blowout victory over Villanova, as he pushed they ball inside and Syracuse dominated in the paint.
That selfless play is what makes this Syracuse team different.
Boeheim, while a great X and O coach has always struggled to manage his stars. Even during their NCAA Championship run, Syracuse ended the season ranked 13th and were stamped by the sports media as just another team that will disappoint. They just didn’t account for the greatness of Carmelo Anthony that even Boeheim could not interrupt.
Since that championship, Boeheim’s coaching style has changed, due much in part to his national presence on world basketball squads where he has been brought in to teach the pros how to play the 2-3 zone. The experience of rubbing shoulders with other top coaches has helped Boeheim figure out how to get the most out of his players.
This year’s Syracuse team is without question the most complete team in the NCAA and will provide headaches for every team come tournament time. They have no weakness. They can beat you inside or outside. They can push the ball up on offense and can slow you down on defense. There is no one guy who the offense goes through, so they can rely on others when someone is having an off night. And most importantly, they have seven players that can start on pretty much any team in the country.
Its time to get that monkey of the Orangemen’s back as they look to close down the season strong and gain a top-seed in the NCAA tournament.
The Syracuse Orangemen came out sleeping at the start for the second straight game, but were able to overcome an 18-point deficit on the road to defeat the DePaul Blue Demons 59-57 in a Big East Conference matchup. Syracuse was lead by Wes Johnson who registered 16 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists to lead the Orange. DePaul’s Will Walker scored 21 points in a losing effort.
Syracuse Survives In DePaul
Syracuse came out flat, falling behind 14-6 in the opening minutes. It was replay of their slow start against Georgetown this past Monday night, spotting the Hoyas 14 points before they got onto the scoreboard. But unlike the Georgetown game, Syracuse had work much harder to pull themselves back into this game, as the offense was unable to pull itself out of its lull.
As Syracuse laid brick after brick on the rim, DePaul was able to extend its lead to 33-15 with 8:53 left in the first half. The vaunted Syracuse 2-3 zone the kicked in and left DePaul with no answers as the Orange went on a 16-0 run that spanned 7:40 before DePaul’s Krys Faber nailed a jumper to halt the run, allowing DePaul to head into halftime with 35-31 lead against the #3 ranked team in the country.
Syracuse’s offensive woes continued into the second half, as senior guard Andy Rautins was unable to breakout of a two-game shooting slump and Syracuse struggled to get baskets to fall. DePaul built its lead back up to 52-43 after a Mac Koshwal layup with 7:20 remaining.
From that point on, it was all Syracuse. Kris Joseph, Rautins and Scoop Jardine connected on consecutive three-point baskets. The Syracuse offense then shifted into transition mode, as Johnson beat the Blue Demons up the court for a highlight reel dunk to tie the game and on the next possession Jardine was able to push through and past traffic for a layup that gave Syracuse the lead for the first time in the game at 56-54 with 3:37 left in the game.
Syracuse would not relinquish that lead again.
The Blue Demons has their chances to put Syracuse away, but squandered numerous opportunities. The key to the game actually didn’t happen on the floor, it happened in the coaches box for DePaul. Interim head coach Tracy Webster, who recently replaced the fired Jerry Wainwright, and his team squandered their timeouts in the second half. After using their final timeout at 8:28 while extending their lead, DePaul was unable to slow the momentum of Syracuse’s late run that would snatch away a chance at getting their 2nd Big East victory in their last 29 Big East games.
For Syracuse, it was another game that tested the mettle of its squad. It gives them some things to work on, but they should come away positive from the victory knowing that their worst offensive performance of the season resulted in a victory. When the pressure was on, the Orange once again delivered on both ends of the court.
Georgetown has historically owned the Syracuse Orangemen when they’ve been at the top of their game, delivering upsets that the Syracuse alumni will never forget. Syracuse has been rated in the Top 5 in four previous games with the Hoyas. The Orangemen’s record in those games is 0-4. John Thompson III invaded the Carrier Dome looking to carry on the legend of his father.
Andy Rautins Leads The Orangemen To Victory
The game kicked off looking like the Hoyas were once again going to deflate Syracuse’s season. Two turnovers and three missed jumpers in the first 3 minutes of the game left Syracuse trailing 14-0, not knowing what hit them. Jim Boeheim rallied his troops for the next 37 minutes for a 31 point turnaround that turned an imminent Syracuse blowout loss into a blowout victory against a highly regarded Hoyas basketball squad.
Boeheim earned his 819th career victory, moving into 6th on the all-time wins list, passing the currently idled Jim Calhoun of Connecticut. The victory was also the team’s 20th, extending Boeheim’s NCAA record of 32 20-plus win seasons in 34 years.
The way the Orangemen won the game was not as Boeheim had charted out. “We recovered from the worst start I can remember,” Boeheim said. “Our defense picked up and our offense got going. To go into halftime ahead was really unbelievable. To dominate a top-10 team after giving them 14 points is quite an effort. That’s as good as we can play. Everybody was looking for each other.”
Very true words.
What makes this Syracuse team intriguing this year is how they are putting away teams with major scoring runs driven by their defense. The offense maintains the run and doesn’t give it back going into scoring lulls. Its the type of basketball you usually don’t see at the college level. Where most teams are driven by a superstar with an NBA future, Syracuse doesn’t feature any one star that is looking beyond his college basketball days.
The comeback against Georgetown was fueled by the stunting 2-3 zone defense that Boeheim and Syracuse have become famous for. But it was their lack of selfishness on offense which was the difference maker. Their seven players rotation shared the ball, with no player on the Syracuse squad taking 10 shots or more from the field.
This selfless display comes on the heels of Syracuse’s definitive victory over Marquette on Saturday. In that game, Syracuse’s second leading scorer Andy Rautins played 36 minutes, taking only 2 shots and scoring no points. A refreshing change by a team leader within a sport where shameless self-promotion is the norm.
After the game, Rautins shrugged off questions from the media about his 0-for-2 performance, focusing instead on his teammates. Rautins noted how well the forwards took advantage of the mismatches down, “If you can’t score in one aspect, you find other ways to win.”
With that type of attitude living in the locker room, the rest of college basketball better take notice. The Orangemen are the most dangerous team in the NCAA.
