So things have gone from bad to worse, to worser (I have real word to use here) to the worst for Syracuse basketball. Sunday’s humiliating loss to Boston College was as CBS’ John Rothstein likes to say, the epitome of brutality. There are no longer any words to explain what has gone wrong for Syracuse in the opening months of the season that was supposed to be filled with big wins and championship-caliber basketball. The Orange get another chance to figure things out on Wednesday and maybe the only way to do this is to completely abandon everything the Orange know.
Needless to say the point guard play has been terrible this season. Franklin Howard has not developed the way that Jim Boeheim had hoped and John Gillon has been underwhelming at best. So, try something new. I would say hand the team over to Andrew White III but he has struggled off the dribble mightily this season. The Orange should try¬†something¬†new. Maybe Tyus Battle can play the point. It sure can’t hurt to try. It’s not going well. So change it.
The biggest story on Sunday wasn’t even the dreadful point guard play, however. It was, yet again, the completely ineffective and anemic 2-3 zone. The 2-3 zone has been feared in years when Syracuse is winning games. This year, it far from strikes fear into the hearts of opponents: It creates a twinkle in the eye of their best shooters who find plenty of space around the three point line and get to hoist open shots all game long. The Orange have a bunch of new players and many thought it would take time for the new guys to understand the zone. Maybe they just don’t and won’t get it. The Orange can’t wait any longer to find out. It is time to change the defense.
The Orange did actually go to man-to-man late in the game against Boston College but it was far little far too late. It can’t hurt to try something new. It simply can’t get worse. This season is on life-support. Stick with this game plan, and one week from today, I will be posting a eulogy for the season.
