Coach Steve's Corner

Coach K has started using a 2-3 zone similar to Syracuse's to great success this season. Syracuse has been one of the surprise outfits of this year's NCAA Tournament. The Orange have won three low scoring games on their way to the Sweet 16. This is in spite of them being the last at-large team to make the tournament. As discussed in my previous post , the Orange have ridden Jim Boeheim's staple 2-3 zone to each victory; each time shutting down a team that averaged over 80 points per game. It's a defensive philosophy that Boeheim has followed to the Hall of Fame. However, this time around Syracuse has had to count on the 2-3 even more to overcome their own offensive shortcomings. In the Sweet 16, the Orange will face an opponent who won't be taken by surprise by Boeheim's zone: Duke. The Blue Devils and their own Hall of Fame coach, Mike Krzyzewski, are very familiar with the Syracuse's vaunted zone. The Blue Devils have faced it annually since the ...

" OVERRATED! " They often scream from all corners of the college basketball world. "Syracuse plays a soft non-conference schedule and never leaves New York," they say condescendingly. "The 2-3 zone is a gimmick. Real teams play man." "He's a crybaby!" "He's only won one National Tournament. He'd have won more if he was an all-time great," they point out. Jim Boeheim, despite his 925 wins (1,026 if you counted 101 wins vacated by the NCAA), is one of the most criticized coaches in the college basketball world. Fans across the country often point out the above-mentioned critiques, along with countless others. Meanwhile at the same time he is revered by Syracuse fans, like myself, as being one of the greatest coaches ever. How can you truly argue against over 1,000 wins and 31 NCAA tournament appearances in 42 years? I don't know but there are plenty who do. No matter what your opinion of Jim Boeheim, there...