SportsLine.com Report
March 23, 2000

Sweet 16: Syracuse can't fend off Spartans' barrage

Syracuse's famed 2-3 zone sure looked like it would be Michigan State's demise.

The Orange went to the zone after falling behind 8-1, and the top-seeded Spartans were confounded for the rest of the half. Syracuse roared back to lead 34-24 at halftime and extended the advantage to 40-26 just 1:04 into the second half in front of a partisan MSU crowd at Auburn Hills, Mich.

But the Syracuse zone started leaking … and Michigan State started hitting its outside shots … and the Orangemen couldn't stop the momentum. The Spartans, behind nine second-half 3-pointers, won 75-58.

Mateen Cleaves, Mo Peterson and A.J. Granger combined for six 3-pointers during a 5:45 span immediately after Jason Hart's fast-break layup provided the Orangemen with their 14-point lead.

Michigan State took the lead for good on Charlie Bell's runner in the lane with 4:38 left. Peterson drilled a 3-pointer moments later to make it 63-58, and the Spartans were in complete command.

Allen Griffin scored a season-high 14 points for the Orangemen, who were eliminated in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years. Syracuse, which started the season 19-0, shared the Big East Conference's regular-season title with Miami.

Foul trouble hurt Syracuse. Starters Hart, Etan Thomas, Ryan Blackwell and Damone Brown played the majority of the second half in the foul trouble and Thomas, one of the top defensive players in the nation, picked up his fourth with 7:51 to play.

How They Got There

Once 19-0 and seemingly having all the answers, Syracuse staggered after that, losing in the Big East quarterfinals, where the Orange was bounced by ninth-seeded Georgetown 76-72. Syracuse, once as high as fourth in the national polls, had a 5-5 finish, but still managed to share the regular-season co-championship.

Starting Lineup

• PG Jason Hart (6-3, 180, Sr.) 12.0 ppg, 6.4 apg, 3.0 rpg
  The heartbeat of the team, Hart has shown he can win and lose games all by himself in the final minutes. The career steals leader at SU, Hart can defend with the best guards in the country and has sought to pass more than shoot most of the season, although he did launch a healthy 22 shots (making nine) last weekend in Cleveland.
• SG Tony Bland (6-4, 195, So.) 6.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.8 apg
  He can score some nights (11 double-figure games) and disappear on others (7 points in two tourney games). Defense will be his most important contribution when he's in; Preston Shumpert gets a lot of time here.
• C Etan Thomas (6-9, 255, Sr.) 13.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg
  Thomas is the team's rock, the one player who can carry the Orangemen to great heights. A devastating force off the boards, Thomas has become a great finisher in the lane. Foul trouble is his glaring weakness and must be avoided. He fouled out against Kentucky with nine points and 10 rebounds.
• SF Damone Brown (6-9, 199, Jr.) 10.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg
  Another inconsistent player, Brown is going to the basket better, shooting 51 percent, and is chipping in on the boards. Occasionally, he plays as if defense isn't a big concern. His 7-for-14 shooting performance in the tourney is right on average.
• PF Ryan Blackwell (6-8, 227, Sr.) 10.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg
  A third team all-Big East pick who has started every game (99) he's played at Syracuse. A star one night and a ghost the next, the Orange need him to put a few strong games together if they hope to advance far in March. Played 38 minutes vs. Kentucky, with nine points and seven boards.

Keys to Success

Strong outside shooting and pesky defense would enable them to continue to move along in the tournament. With three players (Preston Shumpert, DeShaun Williams and Hart) capable of lighting it up from 3-point territory, the Orange have a potent attack that can go off at any time. The flip side is if the shots aren't falling, Syracuse can struggle when forced to score inside or from medium range.

The fastbreak can be a dangerous weapon with Hart leading the push at point guard. More important than scoring is this team's defense. That's been the weak link in the latter part of the season; Syracuse allowed more than 70 points per game in its five losses.

It was a strength in the first two rounds -- 65 vs. Samford (it could have been less if Syracuse had been forced to play hard for 40 minutes) and 50 vs. Kentucky.

The Coach

Jim Boeheim will always have his critics, but with a 31-19 record in NCAA Tournament games, the Orange can't find a more experienced winner. Boeheim has won 20 or more games in 22 of his 24 seasons at his alma mater. His record in 24 years as Syracuse head coach: 575-198.

The Bench

The Orange need a lift in every game from their bench, which has a lot of firepower.

Preston Shumpert is a deadly long-range shooter and gives the Orange a fifth double-figure scorer (10.4). Freshman DeShaun Williams is also an explosive scorer, although he's still a little shaky on the concept of defense. Allen Griffin backs up Jason Hart and is a good press player.

Offense

Syracuse can be an offensive juggernaut. The key to the attack is the explosive outside shooting of Williams, Shumpert and Hart. The Orange finished first in the Big East in scoring (75.4), scoring margin (10.2), assists (513) and field-goal shooting (47 percent).

Defense

This can be a physical defensive team with Jason Hart and Allen Griffin pressuring the ball, and Etan Thomas intimidating in the lane. Problems come on the wings where Preston Shumpert and DeShaun Williams play soft. Tony Bland and Damone Brown need to be defensive sharks.