Comparing This Year’s Syracuse Basketball Defense to Previous Orange Squads

SU's defense has not fared well so far this season.

It’s been a turbulent start to the 2021-22 season for Syracuse men’s basketball. Sitting at 7-8, 11th in the ACC, much of the frustration for the Orange has been directed at the defense. From fans to the coaching staff to the media. The defense end of the floor is chief among the areas that can improve, as Syracuse is currently surrendering an average of 76.5 points per game. If that number stays the same, it would be the 11th-worst single-season mark in program history, and the worst in Jim Boeheim’s 46-year tenure as head coach. That’s a bad sign for a school that has always prided itself on a formidable 2-3 zone.

Still, one can’t look at points per game to find where the defense needs fixing; certain statistics hint at more specific areas that must be tweaked. If this iteration of the Orange wants to have any hope of a postseason berth, or even a record above .500, some lessons from previous Boeheim-led defenses could go a long way.

Note: All statistics and rankings courtesy of Sports Reference CBB as of 1/9/21

Too Many Threes

The most glaring problem facing Syracuse’s defense is the amount of three-pointers the team gives up on a nightly basis. Opponents average a whopping 32.7 attempts per game (358th in the nation) to go along with 11.1 makes (357th). Simply put, it’s impossible to win games consistently in this era of college basketball if teams are left unchecked from the perimeter.

Unlike some other defensive statistics, three-pointers can’t be viewed too far out of context. Teams wouldn’t have dared to hoist up over thirty attempts from distance every night throughout most of Boeheim’s coaching career. However, it’s a widely known fact that teams who can shoot pose a distinct threat to the 2-3 zone, which places an emphasis on defending the paint. This demands tenacity and activity from the two players at the top of the zone, something Syracuse hasn’t gotten enough of from their guards.

While college basketball in general has been trending towards more threes, this season marks the first time Syracuse has ever allowed more than thirty attempts per game. This year’s crew could learn from the 2012-13, ‘13-14 and ‘14-15 teams, which gave up an average of just 20.8 attempts per game. A common thread between those seasons was the stellar defensive play of guards such as Michael Carter-Williams, Brandon Triche, Trevor Cooney and Tyler Ennis. In the case of Carter-Williams and Triche, Boeheim even went so far as to call the pair the best defensive backcourt he had ever coached.

Buddy Boeheim, Joe Girard III, and Symir Torrence don’t necessarily need to replicate that level of defense (although it would be nice), but they certainly need to give the team more on that end of the court. It may help to shift the 2-3 zone ever so slightly up the court to put added pressure on the opposition’s shooters. Doing so might weaken the Orange’s interior defense, where the only consistent shot-blocker is Jesse Edwards. However, Syracuse simply cannot afford to stay complacent. Allowing teams to get off shots with limited resistance has not been working, and it’s worth it to see if a slight change in strategy could make a difference.

Force More Steals

If Syracuse is unable to make things difficult on teams when they shoot, the next best option would be to prevent them from shooting at all. Turnovers, which obviously limit shot attempts, are most closely linked with strong defensive play at the guard position. Previous Syracuse stalwarts such as the 2011-12 (16.0 TO per game) and 2012-13 (15.4 TO) teams excelled at forcing offenses into mistakes. This year’s edition of ‘Cuse basketball hasn’t been at such a high level, averaging just 13.1 turnovers per game. While not a terrible mark by any means, the team’s clear shortcomings in other categories give steals greater importance.

The responsibility of forcing turnovers can’t be put solely on the guards. The 2-3 zone, when played cohesively, demands a great deal of movement from all five players on the court. That means recognizing where offenses want to attack, sealing off passing lanes, and preventing teams from working inside the paint. Outside of Joe Girard III (1.7 STL), few of Syracuse’s guards or wings have shown much of a knack for takeaways.

An intriguing fix could come in the form of Benny Williams, ‘Cuse’s talented forward. Putting the lanky freshman near the top of the zone, where his 6’9 frame would tower over most guards, could create havoc for offenses. Despite playing just 13.8 minutes per game, Williams averages 0.7 steals; currently, his per 36-minute rate would become a team-leading 1.83 steals. To a lesser extent, the same can be said of backup guard Symir Torrence; his per-36 mark of 1.57 steals is behind only Girard III and Williams. Ultimately, this comes down to how many minutes Boeheim is willing to allocate to the bench, a frequent topic of discussion amongst Syracuse fans and local media. In the case of Williams and Torrence, the pair have skillsets uniquely suited to forcing steals, which could be the spark this defense needs.

Improve Defensive Rebounding

On a first glance, Syracuse’s rebounding numbers look decent, albeit not outstanding. The Orange average 37.3 per game, good enough for a middling 141st in the nation. Although rebounding was never expected to be a strength coming into the season, solid efforts from Jesse Edwards, Jimmy Boeheim, and Cole Swider have kept the team respectable.

Where effort has been lacking, and oftentimes frustrating, is on securing defensive rebounds. Currently, Syracuse gives up an average of 11.5 offensive boards, ranked near the bottom of the country at 322nd. This level of ineptitude boxing out on defense has a direct tie to the massive amount of field goal opportunities available for opposing offenses (63.9 FGA per game, ranked 335th in the nation). Even though teams aren’t converting on shots at an exceptional rate, sheer volume has enabled them to pull away from the Orange.

A good source of inspiration could come from the 1993-94 crew. While the dominance of John Wallace (9.0 TRB) led the way, six other players averaged more than three boards per game. The end result was a team that finished a very solid 41st in rebounding with 41.3 per game. Contrast that to this year, where just four players surpass an average of three rebounds, and it becomes clear that more is needed from the rest of the roster.

Second-chance points are a killer for any team, especially a Syracuse group led by its offense. An inability to control time of possession and move the ball in transition limits opportunities to find mismatches and create better looks for the team’s best scorers. While the fix may not be as simple as added ‘hustle’, there’s simply no excuse for poor rebounding in a zone scheme that prioritizes crowding the paint with defenders. To get better results on both ends of the court, Syracuse needs everyone to chip in on the glass.