Big East Notes: How the Louisville Cardinals Downed the Syracuse Orange

Sometimes you eat the active 2-3 zone and sometimes it eats you.

Or something like that.

In other words, Syracuse relies on its zone to not only get defensive stops, but to also generate easy offense off of turnovers and bad shots that lead to runouts.

So, if you happen to be a team that struggles with patience on offense, valuing the basketball, and shot selection, you’re going to struggle to get buckets against the Cuse. You’re also going to get run out the gym for the reasons mentioned above.

Play patiently, and unselfishly as Louisville did today, and you’ve got a terrific shot to win because the by-product of that patience makes the Orange work for offense. And manufacturing points is something the ‘Cuse struggles with.

Louisville followed that winning blue print this afternoon with a disciplined effort on both ends of the floor. The Cardinals didn’t turn the ball over or take quick shots against the zone and they played solid, stay in front defense that identifies Andy Rautins as a shooter and makes the other four run offense to find shots on the other end.

This type of defensive effort puts a premium on creative guard play, something the Orange is lacking at an elite level. Rautins and Scoop Jardine are solid guards but neither is the type that can create for teammates.

As for the Big East race, Syracuse has a huge showdown game at Georgetown this coming Thursday. The Cuse is a matchup horror for the Hoyas because of the active zone and its ability to limit offenses predicated on motion and movement. Plus, Syracuse’s size should really bother Georgetown’s smallish frontcourt both on defense and on the glass. Again, the Orange’s zone hides whatever speed mismatches they’d have against Georgetown’s perimeter personnel.

A win at Georgetown sets up the February 27th matchup in the Carrier Dome vs. Villanova but the Wildcats now have a bigger margin for error with the ‘Cuse loss.

I’ll have a full blown preview posted for that game, but I’m interested in seeing the guard-centric Wildcats attack that active Syracuse zone. I’m also interested in the tempo of that ballgame as well. It sounds counter-intuitive, but if I’m Jay Wright, I almost would like for Syracuse to try slow it down and manufacture offense, even though I think Villanova can win at either pace provided they don’t get bludgeoned on the glass.

Either way, it will be fun because a no. 1 seed is on the line.

This article was written by Kevin Berger of March To March

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @MarchToMarch