In an ever-changing world, there are certain things have remained constant – death, taxes and Jim Boeheim playing the 2-3 zone.
Make that death and taxes – unless, of course, you’re Wesley Snipes.
In a 79-65 loss to Ohio State last night in the NIT Season Tip-Off in the Garden, Syracuse showed just how badly it’s struggling to find a defensive personality. The Orange (3-1) played man and zone and never did slow the Buckeyes, who shot 50 percent in the second half and 48 percent for the game.
“We try to get easy buckets, and that’s what we did,” said Ohio State center Kosta Koufos, who takes over after Greg Odom’s one-year reign as the best big man in college basketball.
Koufos scored 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. The Buckeyes (3-0) who face Texas A&M in tomorrow night’s championship game, had 18 assists on 28 baskets.
“We played both defenses, neither one that good,” said Boeheim. “We started in zone but we had no coverage. We gotta do a better job. Our man [defense], at best, was spotty.”
The Orange’s man was terrific in an 80-63 win over Fordham that helped them get to last night’s semifinals. Boeheim went man-to-man for the majority of the game. And he said he has no qualms about using it more frequently the rest of the season.
“We’ve used it in the past and then we kind of got away from it,” said Boeheim. “Last year our zone was terrific. We were really a good defensive team. I mean really good. If we could have shot the ball better we could have won 30 games.”
“This year we’re better offensively, but we’re not as good defensively,” Boeheim said. “So we’re going to use the zone and we’re going to use some man. Maybe a lot of man.”
Boeheim hasn’t gone bonkers, even though, at 63, he’s fully embraced the crotchety veteran coach who’s seen it all facade.
He’s got his NCAA championship ring (2003). He’s been inducted into the Hall of Fame. He’s known national championship game heartbreak, twice. He’s coached one of the most talented players in history (Carmelo Anthony). He’s beaten cancer.
So after Texas A&M beat Washington, 77-63, Ohio State coach Thad Matta knew he’d have to do some coaching last night against Boeheim and the Orange.
Would Boeheim go man or zone?
“We don’t see a lot of Big East basketball,” said Matta. “We popped in the tape of the Fordham game and saw them play 37 minutes of man. We thought they’d play both.”
Syracuse, which meets Washington tomorrow in the consolation, went mostly zone. His players are more suited to that than last season’s squad which had three players born to play the 2-3. Demetris Nichols, Terrence Roberts and Darryl Watkins. manned the back line and their reach could stretch from the Midtown to Lincoln tunnels.
“People talk about the zone defense. Well, there are good zones and bad zones, just like there are good man defenses and bad man defenses,” he said. “Most of playing defense is wanting to play it. And if you don’t want to play it, I probably don’t want you on my team.”
Make that death, taxes, and Boeheim being a bit grumpy.
NIT TIP-OFF SEMIS Ohio State 79 Syracuse 65