How Syracuse maintains elite status 
Even after losing Scoop Jardine, Kris Joseph, Fab Melo and Dion Waiters off of last season's team, head coach Jim Boeheim and his Syracuse Orange are once again one of the elite teams in college basketball.
This is hardly a surprise. Two things have remained the same for the Orange in the last 36 years: Boeheim and his famed 2-3 zone. What is it that makes Boeheim's program so special? Let's take a look at some of the key factors, including what it is about his defensive scheme that makes it so difficult to solve.
Recruiting a team, not players
Boeheim understands team chemistry as well as any coach in college basketball. There is no denying that tricky players make life difficult for coaches, and Boeheim has done a great job of recruiting talented, winning players who fit his system. He is an outstanding evaluator of talent, but unlike many coaches he does not over-recruit, instead recruiting players to fill specific roles which fosters team chemistry.
To read Seth Greenberg's full article on the keys to Syracuse's success, you must be an ESPN Insider.
Seth Greenberg
ESPN Insider- Joined ESPN as a college basketball analyst in 2012
- Previously the head coach at Virginia Tech, South Florida and Long Beach State
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Fran Fraschilla is an analyst for ESPN and was previously the head coach at New Mexico, St. John's and Manhattan.
Joe Lunardi is the resident bracketologist for ESPN.
Seth Greenberg is an analyst for ESPN and was previously the head coach at Virginia Tech, South Florida and Long Beach State.
