MY nerves are on edge, not sure if it is because I am worried that Syracuse may beat us or is it just that I want this game so badly, I suspect the later.
There has been a lot of talk about how hard it is to jump shoot in that arena and it is but this I do know, if Syracuse backs way off either Joel or Marcus so they can catch and get squared up in rythem they will nail those jumpers. If Brice moves in to the middle of that zone as he has for the last 2 games they will double down IMO from the top or wing and that will leave us with a shooter wide open for a clear unrushed look.
They are going to try to make it hard for us to get the pass in to Brice in the middle of that zone, I do not think they have the guards to do that, I think that takes quicker guards than they have. Syracuse does not have a Yogi or a Kris Dunn and they do not have that back line shot blocking guy that erases a lot of their mistakes.
But our key, as it has been since the season ended is going to be on the defensive end, coming out with that big time ball hawking intensity, playing those passing lanes, staying in front and pushing their offensive attack to far out front to allow them to get higher % shots. When they miss own the back boards and especially guards and wings, be quicker to the long rebounds, block out, don't give the second chance shots. Our offense keys off our defense, our defense allows us to get out and run in the open court and Syracuse can not run with us, they are not deep enough to run with us. They get tired, they start to reach, we march to the foul line and their starters march to the bench with foul trouble.
