We’re getting closer and closer to the big day. As we do so more questions and more information swirls regarding Syracuse’s matchup with Houston in the Sweet 16
I once again sat down with my good friend Gill Gross to talk Syracuse basketball today. Make sure to listen to our latest FizzCast. We talked about how this run compares to those of the past and whether or not the Orange have what it takes to overcome the Cougars:
The big difference between this Syracuse team and those of the past that have done similar things is the importance of offense compared to that of defense. I wrote an article earlier this year about the identity of the team. Syracuse is historically a defensive-minded program. One that rarely has an offensive superstar. There‚Äôs always been a guy that can score but not always an offensive juggernaut. The few guys that have been that for Syracuse were Lawrence Moten, Pearl Washington, Carmelo Anthony, Gerry McNamara, etc‚Ķ Buddy Boeheim has turned into one of those guys, at least for the month of March. So the fact that Syracuse‚Äôs defense hasn‚Äôt been all that great this year hasn‚Äôt come back to bite them…yet. If the coach‚Äôs son can continue to put up inhumane numbers Syracuse could be in Indianapolis for a while, but without this program‚Äôs usual defense behind him things could get dicey. It‚Äôs rare that a Syracuse team without good defense makes the tournament at all, so for this one, that‚Äôs ranked 188th in the country in terms of points allowed per game to have made it, let alone got this far, is pretty special.¬†
Gill and I will have more coverage throughout the week, including a full preview of Saturday’s matchup coming out tomorrow. If you’ve missed any of my coverage from this trip make sure to head over to our “Featured” page, you can find it all over there. 
