Insider Intel: Syracuse's only shot
The Orange's shooting guards had better not zone out vs. Blake Griffin and Oklahoma
Syracuse's amazing run hasn't slowed since the Big East tourney, and in fact, the upperclassman-led squad (four starters are juniors) is shaping up at exactly the right time. The Orange's 2-3 zone has battered shooters in the tourney, holding every opponent since UConn under 70 ppg, after giving up a 71.5 average for the season.
But if they expect it to work against Oklahoma in the Sweet 16, they're kidding themselves. Zones are red meat for Blake Griffin -- he's got 26 double-doubles this season, and against Michigan (the only other pure zone team the Sooners faced this season), Griffin took advantage on the glass, pulling down 17 boards. The 1-3-1 and 2-3 that the Wolverines threw at Griffin did nothing to stop his offensive efficiency, either. He still dropped 33 points on 14-for-20 shooting.
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