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Message: [QUOTE="hplare, post: 4591716, member: 545"] I've been watching Syracuse Basketball since 1943. Yes, I'm that old. Now that longevity gives me no claim to better knowledge of the game than any who post her, but I have witnessed a lot of evolution along the way. I've seen rules disappear. Hand-checking used to be a foul. There was a time dunking wasn't allowed. Held balls used to result in a jump ball between the players involved, etc, etc. So watching the replay of the 2003 game the other night I got to thinking of the game's evolution and how it's contributing to our current woes. If you, can, take a look at the way we played the zone that night. It flowed as a unit from side to side, and made the necessary slides, but often left an empty corner. And that's because Kansas wasn't looking primarily for a three. They were looking to go inside and that's pretty much how most teams played us back then. And it worked because most teams had one maybe two outside shooters at best, You could adjust the zone and mark a Chris Mullins from St Johns or Seaton Hall's Andrew Gaze. They'd get their twenty but you could still beat them. And sometimes they've have a bad night. But not anymore. One guy may be off but there's others who aren't. The three point shot is more than here to stay and it's killing us. It's easy to say the zone worked better against Wake, but they really only had one good shooter. And it was still too damn close at the end. It will be interesting to see how it works on Wednesday. Maybe, if we advance we'll see man against a team with better shooters. I believe we have to And one last observation. The Zone isn't the only problem. Looking at the Kansas game, we had four players who were averaging in double figures plus Pace and Edlin who could score. Even last year we four. This year we only have three and teams know it. We are constantly playing three against five. Every trip down we're only looking for those three. It's not enough. Taylor came in with a rep as being another Buddy. Bell boasted he was going to break the three point record. I think they both can knock them down. I know it'll never happen but I'd love to see them on the floor with the other three and bombs away. It's the new game. At this point why the hell not. Apologies for the length. I plead my age [/QUOTE]

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