Bobby Knight just said on

[mark79]

It is arguable, but I would vote that this year's zone is better. I say that because we have more of a shot-blocking presence at center (I think this more than offsets Wes), and we have four swarming guards as opposed to two that increases the freshness factor as Townie said. Also, I think JB has made a few small adjustments and fine-tunings to the zone this year because of Fab that allow everyone to cheat a little more and double a little more than in 2009-2010. But it is arguable...both were great,

 

[cpatrocks]

I'm pretty sure this is an old segment they filmed a couple of years ago...notice he doesn't mention any players by name and he says how good we are at limiting offensive rebounds (cringing)...

 

[DallasCuse]

I think knight feels bad about stealing our title in '87. He knows we had the better team. He knows we outplayed them most of the game. He knows our missed fts were the only reason it came down to keith smart's shot. He feels guilty so thats why he praises syracuse every chance he gets.

LOL. Guilty pleasure maybe.

 

[mark79]

I'm pretty sure this is an old segment they filmed a couple of years ago...notice he doesn't mention any players by name and he says how good we are at limiting offensive rebounds (cringing)...

CPA, you're right. I think they tacked some 2012 footage on at the very beginning to try to make it timely but once Knight is in there talking, the footage includes Wes Johnson...

 

[CorduroyG]

CPA, you're right. I think they tacked some 2012 footage on at the very beginning to try to make it timely but once Knight is in there talking, the footage includes Wes Johnson...

Wow thats an awful job by espn.

 

[mark79]

What else is new... par for the course... good catch by CPA.

 

[cpatrocks]

It's C-Pat...and thanks.

 

[IthacaMatt]

personnel is key, you are right . . . but what we are also seeing is the culmination of JB's "stubbornness." He has been so sure that the zone can be a disruptive force if applied correctly, that he sticks with it and puts every flaw and breakdown into his memory bank, then adds a new wrinkle. The zone principles that he is teaching now are vastly more complicated than they were 10 years ago. It is such a sophisticated system that changes game to game depending on matchups. Bilas has even mentioned how the zone look you face in one possession won't necessarily be the same one you get in the next possession.

I think the turning point was Paul Harris and Jonny Flynn, with their constant complaining in the media about trying to talk Boeheim into playing more man to man. That Jonny Flynn team only turned the corner in the month of February, when they finally bought into the zone and then went on a great roll defensively. Afterwards, I think that was a factor in forcing out Paul and Eric, along with having ready replacements for them in Andy and Wes, who by the way were not so damn anti-zone, and actually committed themselves to playing great defense.

I think that group of guys cemented the zone as an attack defense, not a lazy defense, and I think the recruiting since that time has avoided undersized guards (Jonny) and forwards (Paul) in favor of body types to maximize the zone's effectiveness. Jonny and Paul were really important recruits for us, to get us back on track drawing Mc Donald's caliber players again. But once we got off the NIT schneid and got rolling again, we didn't have to settle for guys who didn't fit the system any more.

 

[SUalldway]

on Sports Center that Syracuse's zone is the best in the history of college basketball... wow... I believe it though.

He also said that his team always had a great deal of difficulty dealing with it.

Now I wonder who's more credible, Jimmy Dykes or Bobby Knight?