NC State knows what is coming with Syracuse’s zone defense but that doesn’t make it any easier to attack at times.
The Wolfpack host the Orange at 8 p.m. Wednesday at PNC Arena, which is turning into a near must-win contest. NCSU topped Syracuse 74-70 last year in the lone meeting.
Syracuse is third in the ACC in allowing 64.0 points per game, and that number has risen to 66.9 in 11 conference games for the Orange. Opposing teams in the ACC have shot 40.4 percent from the field, good for fifth in the league, and 33.0 percent on three-pointers, which ranks sixth. Only Virginia Tech has forced more three-point field goal attempts than SU. Teams have shot 96 of 291 against the zone in ACC games.
“We moved the ball and had great player and ball movement,” said NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts on last year’s win over SU. “I thought we shared the basketball. We did different things, at times I was able to put Markell [Johnson] in the middle of the zone to make some plays.
“You have to make shots against those guys. Some defensive rebounds, you have to try and get out in transition before they set their defensive zone up.”
What makes Syracuse’s zone different from some others versions is the length of the Orange players. SU will have 6-foot-5 point guard Franklin Howard and 6-6 wing Tyus Battle at the top of the zone, and 6-8 small forward Oshae Brissett covers a lot of ground. Add in 6-6 wing Elijah Hughes and the defense has four active perimeter players, plus all four can hit three-pointers on offense. The potential anchor at times is 7-2 fifth-year senior center Paschal Chukwu who averages 1.8 blocks in 20.0 minutes per game.
“Any time you have a team that plays zone every day, they are going to be better at it,” NCSU fifth-year senior forward Torin Dorn said. “Any time a team plays zone like that, you have to make threes to open it up some and give yourself some driving lanes.
“To give yourself a chance to win the game, you have to make threes.”
Keatts likes the idea of having a player get the ball near the free-throw line area, potentially either junior point guard Markell Johnson or Dorn. Redshirt junior wing C.J. Bryce torched the Pittsburgh zone defense for 4 of 5 on three-pointers en route to 21 points. NCSU went 14 of 27 from long range in the 79-76 win over the Panthers."
“It’s a good zone and we’ve played against other zones this season,” Bryce said. “I felt like we’ve done a great job so far in moving the ball and hitting the weak spots of the zone. It’s just another challenge for us that we have to pass.”
Bryce knows what it’s like to have the green light to shoot from Keatts after three years together.
“If it’s a good shot, if it’s in rhythm and if you make it, then it’s a good shot,” Bryce said. “We have people who can knock down a three and we have scorers. Anybody can hit a three-pointer if they have rhythm that night.”
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