For nearly 5 decades under Jin Boeheim, Syracuse was synonymous for one thing: the 2-3 zone.
It wasn’t a defensive scheme, but rather, an identity and culture setter. It spoke to the team’s scrapiness, resilience, and effort put forth.
The 2-3 zone was both respected and feared across the country. Opponents didn’t just prepare for Syracuse..they prepared for the zone. So much so that even Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewsky – long-time known for man-to-man, leaned on the 2-3 for multiple postseason runs. Most notably during the Blue Devils 2018 Elite 8 run, even Boeheim’s arch nemisis deeply valued a defense Syracuse had mastered for decades.
But in the past three seasons, that same 2-3 zone which defined Syracuse basketball has taken a turn for the worst, becoming SU’s weakness.
Last season, Adrian Autry made a point to change SU’s defense from 2-3 to man-to-man, in which zone was only used with certain lineups. Still, when the Cuse tried going into the zone, the results were beyond bad, and almost unrecognizable from its once dominant form. In 2-3, opponents scored points on more than 60% of their possessions. Yes, 60%.
This season, Autry and his staff have gone away from the zone almost entirely. And while Syracuse has shown slight defensive improvement, the results, energy, and momentum have not followed, circling back to what made the 2-3 zone great – five players moving as one, trusting the system more than themselves.
