It doesn't make sense. It's just a 2-3 zone, right? It's not unique in concept, like Temple's patented matchup zone. It doesn't carry an intimidating nickname like the full-court press employed by Nolan Richardson's mid-1990s Arkansas teams which was termed "94 feet of Hell." Syracuse just runs a 2-3 zone.
Tell that to their opponents. In the East regional finals, Oklahoma was absolutely befuddled, looking more like a No. 11 seed on offense than a No. 1. The Sooners managed just 47 points on 31 percent shooting from the floor against the Orangemen.
Saturday, Texas figured out a way to score against the zone, but Syracuse found a way to win, using 33 points and 14 rebounds from freshman sensation Carmelo Anthony to push past the Longhorns, 95-84.
That wasn't supposed to happen. Teams led by freshmen are supposed to bow out. The top two scorers -- Anthony and guard Gerry McNamara -- are both freshmen. The Orangemen only have one upperclassmen, senior guard Keith Duany (brother of former Wisconsin star, Duany Duany), who starts or sees significant minutes. In the tournament, senior leadership is supposed to be what matters.
Veterans are precisely why Kansas is playing Syracuse for the national championship. The Jayhawks were a preseason favorite but were counted out by many for their lack of depth without power forward Wayne Simien. After missing eleven games in January and February, Simien reaggravated his dislocated shoulder in his fourth game back and was ruled out for the season.
I didn't think Kansas could get to New Orleans, but their two seniors -- first-team All-American Nick Collison and third-teamer Kirk Heinrich -- have showed up in big games. Collison had 33 points and 19 rebounds against Duke; Heinrich had 28 points against Kansas. They follow the model of senior success, coming after Maryland's title run last year. If the NCAA wanted to show why kids should stay in school, Kansas would be cutting down the nets tonight.
But that won't be the case, as Syracuse, whom I correctly saw getting to the Final Four, will find itself on top because of 'Melo.
Before the tournament started, I thought Anthony was the best amateur player not named LeBron. But his epic performance against Texas proved that he is better than his buddy James. Mature beyond his years, both he and coach Jim Boeheim didn't think that Anthony had played to his potential early in the tournament. Yet he still averaged 17 points and almost nine rebounds in the first four games.
So, one would think that the second-team All-American's 33-point performance on Saturday finally was acceptable, but that wasn't the case.
"I'm not satisfied with my game," Anthony told reporters afterward. "I think I played pretty well. My field goal percentage wasn't bad. I got my teammates open. That was the most important thing of the night, getting my teammates involved."
At 6-foot-8, Anthony has it all.The freshman averages a double-double. He shoots threes on bigger defenders. He posts up smaller defenders, relying on a seemingly endless arsenal of post moves. He dunks over just about anyone.
"It's probably the hardest defensive job I had since I've been in college," Texas junior Royal Ivey, who had to guard Anthony, told ESPN. "6-8, explosive, strong. Shoots over you, drives over you, spin move, everything."
He distributes the rock when teams come at him with double- and triple-teams. And he rebounds over power forwards and centers, prompting Boeheim to call him the best rebounding small forward he's ever seen. Texas coach Rick Barnes said Anthony deserves so much attention on the offensive end that you can basically attribute every basket the Orangemen score to him in some way.
Many scouts didn't think Anthony would ever go to college. More don't think he will stay past this year. His scouting report on ESPN.com is a laundry list of desired skills. There is no doubt that Anthony will be an NBA all-star and he has carried this Syracuse team. Carmelo already has an official Syracuse Web site, complete with stats, a bio and multimedia (www.suathletics/carmelo).
But the reason Syracuse is here is Boeheim and his vaunted defense. All five Syracuse starters top 6-foot-2 and they are all rangy, quick athletes who can cover a lot of ground. Sophomore seven-footer Craig Forth mans the middle, and Anthony and sophomore Hakim Warrick can get outside in a hurry from down low, using their long arms to alter a lot of shots and deflect passes. Teams don't have a lot of experience playing against disciplined zones like the one run by Boeheim. This isn't a matchup zone, and teams have a lot of difficulty figuring it out.
There are a lot of nuances that make this zone unique. The guards up top trap occasionally, surprising opponents. They trap in the corners to force turnovers. And their athleticism allows them to recover in plenty of time.
Despite their youth, Syracuse has found a way to win. They got to the Final Four without their star playing at the top of his game. They can play a low-scoring affair (against Oklahoma). They can run and gun with teams (Texas). They won a close game (against Auburn). And they have a coach that everyone respects.
Boeheim has been to two NCAA finals, but this is the year he finally gets his win. And then he has to convince Carmelo to stay for one more year.
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