CorduroyG
Hall of Fame
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2011
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oh wait hes picking us, nevermind
No. 11 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 Syracuse (Midwest)
Friday, 9:40 p.m., CBS
What a pair of Cinderellas, huh? Frankly, I am shocked that Gonzaga was able to win its last three games (the WCC final over Saint Mary’s plus wins over Seton Hall and Utah in the tourney) in such convincing fashion. As far as matchups go, the Zags have one giant problem in 6’11” sophomore center Domantas Sabonis, who is the best post scorer remaining in the tournament. This is a major concern because the biggest weakness that Syracuse has defensively is in the post. (Rakeem Christmas is not walking through that door.) Still, while Gonzaga has gone up against its fair share of zone defenses this season, there is no way to simulate what it is like to go up against Syracuse’s version for the full 40 minutes. This is the only defense the Orange play—and they are really, really good at it. When Syracuse has had problems this season, it has come mostly from missing shots and getting into foul trouble, which forces coach Jim Boeheim to dip into the thinnest bench in the country. So while Gonzaga’s guards have come a long way, they are still no match for the Orange’s trio of Michael Gbinije, Trevor Cooney and Malachi Richardson. Unless those guys have one of those ultra cold shooting nights, Syracuse should have enough firepower to advance.
Syracuse 71, Gonzaga 65
No. 11 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 Syracuse (Midwest)
Friday, 9:40 p.m., CBS
What a pair of Cinderellas, huh? Frankly, I am shocked that Gonzaga was able to win its last three games (the WCC final over Saint Mary’s plus wins over Seton Hall and Utah in the tourney) in such convincing fashion. As far as matchups go, the Zags have one giant problem in 6’11” sophomore center Domantas Sabonis, who is the best post scorer remaining in the tournament. This is a major concern because the biggest weakness that Syracuse has defensively is in the post. (Rakeem Christmas is not walking through that door.) Still, while Gonzaga has gone up against its fair share of zone defenses this season, there is no way to simulate what it is like to go up against Syracuse’s version for the full 40 minutes. This is the only defense the Orange play—and they are really, really good at it. When Syracuse has had problems this season, it has come mostly from missing shots and getting into foul trouble, which forces coach Jim Boeheim to dip into the thinnest bench in the country. So while Gonzaga’s guards have come a long way, they are still no match for the Orange’s trio of Michael Gbinije, Trevor Cooney and Malachi Richardson. Unless those guys have one of those ultra cold shooting nights, Syracuse should have enough firepower to advance.
Syracuse 71, Gonzaga 65
