In the Paint: Duke

IN THE PAINT su vs duke feb. 1, 2020

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Cover photo by Elizabeth Billman Asst. photo editor Spread photo by Max Freund Staff photographer inside Finding his routine Joe Girard III’s dad estimates the freshman’s shot “a million” free throws since he won a national foul shooting contest as a kid.

Page 3

Scouting the Blue Devils Before Syracuse takes on Duke in the Carrier Dome, get the full scouting report on the Blue Devils, the ninth-ranked team in the country.

Page 7

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IN THE ZONE

In its recent five-game winning streak, Syracuse allowed its opponent to eclipse 70 points just once, in an 84-82 win over Notre Dame. Before that stretch, even SU forward Marek Dolezaj admitted “we didn’t play good defense” in the 2-3 zone.

max freund staff photographer

By Josh Schafer

senior staff writer

I

n its simplest form, the ups and downs of Syracuse’s season can be broken down into two stretches of games. From the Barclays Center through the Orange’s loss at Georgetown, SU’s defense didn’t do enough to win.

In that five-game stretch ending in midDecember, Syracuse went 1-4 and allowed more than 80 points three times.

That was SU’s first act. In their second — the Orange’s five-game winning streak spanning back to a road win against Virginia on Jan. 11 — SU allowed more than 70 points just once, an 84-82 win at Notre Dame.

“A month ago, two months ago we didn’t play good defense,” forward Marek Dolezaj said after Syracuse defeated Pittsburgh last Saturday. “But now we do.”

For the Orange (13-8, 6-4 Atlantic Coast), it hasn’t been a system overhaul on defense. It’s still Jim Boeheim’s famed 2-3 zone. And with that consistency means the same holes: An opening in the high post or room for cutters along the baseline. Defenders have more ground to cover than ever to defend the 3-point arc. But the young

Defensive improvements have turned SU’s season around

During SU’s win over Pittsburgh, center Bourama Sidibe recorded two of Syracuse’s six blocks. max freund staff photographer

Syracuse team, which returned two regular starters from a year ago, learned the zone and adjusted their positioning. They turned Syracuse’s season around.

Syracuse’s defense had obvious flaws in early December. It started with opposing team’s big men. The Orange failed to cover the post and were hammered by Oklahoma State’s Yor Anei (19 points and 8 rebounds), Penn State’s Mike Watkins (15, 16) and Iowa’s Luke Garza (23, 9).

By the time Syracuse played Georgetown on Dec. 14 the issues spread beyond just inside, and the Orange allowed 89 points to the Hoyas. Georgetown guard Mac McClung scored 26 points, most of which came in the first half, forcing Syracuse’s guards up. This left the high post to SU’s center Bourama Sidibe, who didn’t rush the Hoyas’ offensive players quick enough to prevent a score or second pass.

“They are such a threat inside and outside, and they have guys who can get in the lane,” Boeheim said after the Georgetown loss. “It was very difficult to defend them.”

But in the last month, following home losses to Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, Syracuse has figured out how to defend a see defense page 7

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AUTOMATIC

Joe Girard III is one of the nation’s best from the free-throw line

JOE GIRARD III is shooting 94.5% from the free-throw line, second-best in the nation. As a kid, he won a national free throw shooting contest and his father, Joe Jr., said the SU freshman point guard has taken roughly “a million” foul shots in his life.

elizabeth billman asst. photo editor

By Michael McCleary senior staff writer

B

efore the accolades and fame in his small town, a 10-year-old Joe Girard III sat alone in a gym in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania after doing what he’d go on to do so rarely: lose.

He was a representative of the Glens Falls Lodge for the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, a national fraternal organization, during its annual Hoop Shoot program. In 2011, Girard was in his second year of the free throw shooting competition and made it to the East Coast Regional. He hit all 25 of his required free throws, but his competitor did, too.

Four tie-breaking rounds later, Girard had just two misses, but was edged out for the final. Girard, even at 10 years old, remained stoic, but separated from his dad because of a coaching ban during the event. Another parent spotted Girard across the room and approached him.

“That was the best competition I’ve seen,” the man said. There was a ball signed by the competitors that was raffled off to raise money for the organization. The man had won it earlier, but offered the ball to Girard, who perked up.

Now, Syracuse’s (13-8, 6-4 Atlantic Coast) starting point guard is by far its best free throw shooter.

For the root of Girard’s success — one filled with state championships and scoring records — to emerge within a seemingly nondescript youth free throw competition only adds to his allure. “That was my main focus way back then,” Girard said

recently. Now, the second-best free throw shooter in the country (94.5%) credits the Elks and that competition for helping him develop the same routine he does at the line every time: Right foot lined behind the left, three dribbles, step right and shoot.

“He’s had foul shooting in his blood since he was nine years old,” Brian Greene, Hoop Shoot’s program director, said.

Girard had worked with his father every day to prepare for Hoop Shoot. He was eliminated in the opening round in 2010 and entered an advanced 10-11 age group the year after. Around competition time, he shot 300 free throws daily. During the competition, contestants shoot 10 free throws, break, then shoot their final 15. As they trained, Girard shot 10 free throws then Joe Jr. sat with him for 10, 15 and sometimes 25 minutes. The two just chatted — about school, basketball — then Girard stepped back on the line and finished his set of 25.

“He’s shot maybe a million free throws by now,” Joe Jr. said.

He found a rhythm in that routine, and his accurate shooting from the foul line has set the tone for a Syracuse team that’s played much cleaner over its last six games. SU’s shot 74-for-92 (80.4%) over that stretch, up from 70.8%.

In the final minute of Syracuse’s matchup with Notre Dame last week, Girard stepped to the line with the Orange up by two points. Joe Jr. couldn’t attend the game, so he shouted at his television instead, hoping the repetition of his orders would echo inside Girard’s head. “Trust your training!” he yelled. His son hit 2-of-2 free

throws, and SU closed the game.

Despite the obvious clichés about preparation and focus, the importance of rhythm became evident to Girard in his 10-year-old stint at Hoop Shoot. Before he shot his final tie-breaking set of five free throws the scorekeeper wasn’t set, and the referee took the ball away from him. He abandoned his routine and missed the first free throw. “What did you learn from that?” Greene remembered Joe Jr. asked Girard. So, Girard reset each time, taking an extra moment if he needed.

A year after his regional loss, Girard advanced to the national championship, and after another perfect first round finally bested his opponent in the second tiebreaker. He snuck out of Glens Falls after only hitting 22-of-25 free throws, but he hit 133-of-135 free throws in the next five rounds of the competition. He won the national championship, did his first newspaper interview and publicly displayed his uber-confident assurance, declaring to The Post Star “every time I shoot, I knew it was going in.” He even won the raffle for a signed ball, just like the one he was gifted a year earlier.

The nine-year-old boy Girard had beat found a spot away from the competitors and cried. While his father consoled him, Girard walked over and knelt down in front of him.

“I remember when I lost this way,” Greene remembered Girard said to the boy. “I didn’t really like it.”

Girard offered the ball he won forward: “That ball made me feel better.” mmcclear@syr.edu | @mikejmccleary

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men’s basketball

Opponent preview: What to know about the Blue Devils

By Nick Alvarez

senior staff writer

Syracuse (13-8, 6-4 Atlantic Coast) lost its first game in three weeks on Tuesday night against Clemson. The defeat came after five-straight wins and SU will look to get back on track against No. 9 Duke (17-3, 7-2) at 8 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

Here’s what to know about the Blue Devils ahead of the matchup.

All-time series Duke leads, 9-6

Last time they played

SU lost the rubber match to Duke, 84-72, in the second-round of the 2019 ACC tournament on March 14. Frank Howard posted a career-high 28 points, Buddy Boeheim added 15 and Oshae Brissett scored 14. Zion Williamson scored 29 points and didn’t miss a field goal. He capped a 7-0 second half run with a layup that pushed Duke ahead for good.

The defeat left the Orange firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

The Duke report

As expected, head coach Mike Krzyzewksi leads one of the best teams in the nation — the second-best one, per KenPom. The Blue Devils are fourth and seventh in adjusted-offensive and -defensive efficiency, respectively, with no glaring weaknesses. They only get 32.4% of their makes from deep, but shoot the 3 ball at a 36.4% clip.

Duke’s losses, on average, have a five-point differential. After a historic non-conference loss to Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 26, Duke rattled off nine wins — including a 12-point victory over Michigan State. Back-to-back losses to Clemson and Louisville reset Duke’s season, but it has beaten Miami and Pittsburgh in the last week to solidify its stance atop the ACC standings. Vernon Carey and Tre Jones lead the Blue Devils, with Cassisus Stanley and Matthew Hurt providing depth. Carey, Duke’s perennial Wooden Award-nominee, averages 17.4 points and 8.5 rebounds a game. He’s also added 34 blocks. Carey represents the interior presence the Orange haven’t been able to guard from page 3

defense team like Georgetown, or any team that scores the ball well for that matter.

In general, it’s been a more active approach on defense and minor detail shifts. Syracuse’s forwards are positioned up the court, further away from the hoop. When the ball enters the high post, the danger zone of Syracuse’s defense, Orange players are more aware of what can happen. Wing players immediately anticipate a pass to the corner or a cutter down low. Sidibe is quicker to attack the ball and prevent a shot while the guards step down from the top corners of the zone to influence entry passes as well.

“We’re a little bit more up on the shooters and our hands got to be wide,” forward Quincy Guerrier said. “We just got to move to the right spot.”

Elijah Hughes said after the win at Virginia Tech that a lot of Syracuse’s improved defense is understanding the opponent’s personnel.

When SU played Virginia, it packed in the zone more and protected the inside against a bad shooting team. When the Orange returned to play Virginia Tech and Notre Dame, they pressed out on the 3-point line. The result in Blacksburg was a long 3-point attempt on the final possession of Syracuse’s win. In South Bend, Syracuse forced Notre Dame to shoot 12% worse from beyond the arc than the Fighting Irish had in the first matchup.

In recent games, Syracuse’s defense has looked like the fortifying zone that has stifled so many teams in March over the years. Both Boston College and Pittsburgh appeared lost on the offensive end. They passed the ball around the perimeter and took long 3-pointers late in the shot clock. The two teams combined shot 11-for-51 from deep.

“Our defense is way better,” Guerrier said amid the five-game winning streak. “When we play well on defense, our offense is better too.” jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44

MAREK DOLEZAJ is averaging 10 points, 7.1 rebounds and three assists per game for the Orange. On Saturday in the Carrier Dome, he’ll likely be matched up with Duke center Vernon Carey on offense.

daily orange file photo

all year. Jones also is Duke’s lead playmaker, with his 123 assists leading the team.

Krzyzewksi has turned to a lineup of 6-foot-2 guard Jordan Goldwire, Jones, Carey, Stanley and Hurt most often through their last five games, per KenPom.

How Syracuse beats the Blue Devils

Shoot the 3 and limit Carey. Surprisingly, SU’s winning streak didn’t feature many lights-out shooting performances. In its last five games, Syracuse hasn’t hit more than eight 3s in a single contest. Getting to the 3-point line might disrupt Duke’s 2-3 zone, or at the very least, keep up with a run-and-gun pace that ranks first in the conference. The Blue Devils also

clog passing lanes and deny shots off passes, placing an importance on Joe Girard III’s and Hughes’ ball-handling.

Defensively, an upset will start with preventing Carey from taking over like RJ Barrett did in the Carrier Dome last year.

SU’s 2-3 zone should keep Jones and Duke’s shooters in check, but Carey’s playmaking can disrupt the Orange game plan. Syracuse’s also must hang in a rebounding battle that Duke usually wins decisively.

Stat to know

27% — Duke allows 27% of its opponent’s buckets to come from 3, fifth-lowest in Division-I.

KenPom odds

The Orange have a 26% chance to win the game, with a final score prediction of 78-71 per KenPom.

Player to watch

Matthew Hurt, No. 21, Forward Carey and Jones are the stars, but Hurt has the opportunity to steal the show. The 6-foot-9 freshman leads the Blue Devils in 3s made (33) while shooting 42.3% from deep. The forward has attempted at least four deep balls in each of his last three games and a few conversions on Saturday night could threaten SU’s upset chances. nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez

men’s basketball

Beat writers split on Syracuse-Duke matchup

By The Daily Orange Sports Staff

Syracuse’s five-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night in Clemson, South Carolina. Clyde Trapp cut around Jesse Edwards with two seconds left for the gamewinning layup in the Orange’s 71-70 loss to the Tigers. Next up for Syracuse (13-8, 6-4 Atlantic Coast) is a game against Duke in the Carrier Dome on Saturday, and the Blue Devils (17-3, 7-2) enter as winners of their last two games. Vernon Carey leads Duke with a 17.4 points-per-game average, one of four Blue Devil starters averaging double-digits.

Here’s what The Daily Orange beat writers think will happen on Saturday.

Nick Alvarez (14-7)

I’m Blue (Da ba dee) Duke 80, Syracuse 68 After finding ways to win games, Syracuse reverted against Clemson, finally finding a way to lose one down the stretch. Now comes Duke, an almost-rivalry for everyone wearing Orange, and a nuisance for those dawned in blue and white. While an upset pick isn’t as far-fetched as it would’ve been a few weeks ago, SU is probably a historic shooting performance away from triggering a court-storming. Not only is this Blue Devils team likely en route to a Final Four, but Clemson’s Tevin Mack showed a template for what Duke’s Vernon Carey can and will do in the Carrier Dome on Saturday night. When we discussed the Orange’s season-long issues at center, I tabbed Carey as the one player who’d exploit it in full. He’s the star power that’ll pack the Dome and the main reason Duke walks away with a win.

The last time Syracuse and Duke played, former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson scored 29 points and didn’t miss a shot in a Blue Devils win. daily orange file photo

Michael McCleary (14-7)

Bedeviled Syracuse 77, Duke 76 I had been saying all week that if Syracuse rolls into this game with a six-game win streak, it would be hard to pick against them.

The Orange went to Clemson, snapped their winning streak and made several mistakes down the stretch of a game that they should have won. But they’re still hard to pick against. SU didn’t have its two best big men on the floor for the final eight minutes of the game, with Marek Dolezaj fouling out and then Bourama Sidibe. Syracuse looked good enough for stretches to justify making this pick. SU at its best is one of the best teams in the ACC. Another win in this storied rivalry will prove it.

Josh Schafer (14-7)

So, is this a rivalry game?

Duke 78, Syracuse 69 Syracuse was rolling prior to Tuesday night’s loss and probably wouldn’t have had its fivegame winning streak ruined had the Orange not been in foul trouble. But Saturday will be a different animal. Duke is the best team Syracuse has played all year, and the efficiency of the Blue Devils will outlast Syracuse. With a short bench, SU learned on Tuesday how foul trouble can put it in an unrecoverable position. The Carrier Dome atmosphere should make this a fun one and it can fall either way, but the more Syracuse plays the more it seems like a good team that has flaws. Teams like Duke exploit teams with flaws, and that’s what may decide Saturday’s game.

sports@dailyorange.com | @DOSpoorts

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