Syracuse defense unable to stop Clemson scoring

Behind 14 three-point shots, the Clemson Tigers cruised past Syracuse, 91-73. In particular, Clemson’s Hunter Tyson made Syracuse pay from all over the court, putting up 29 points with five made threes. All five of the Tigers’ starters were in the double digits, including Tyson. 

As per usual, the Orange remained in Head Coach Jim Boeheim’s famous 2-3 zone for the entirety of the game. For three-point shooters, it’s arguably the friendliest defensive scheme, as it allows for a good deal of separation between defenders and shooters behind the arch.

“Tyson… we gave him some open shots. He makes those shots,” Boeheim said after the game. “They were just much better than us. They’re very difficult to beat here.”

The Tigers not only took full advantage of that separation, but ensured that Syracuse did not receive it on the other end of the court. 

Despite their typical three-point specialists getting significant minutes, Syracuse knocked down just seven threes, half the Tigers’ total. Additionally, the Orange shot 47.4% from the floor, compared to Clemson’s 52.3%. 

This disappointing defensive performance from the ‘Cuse comes just a few days after the Duke Blue Devils hit 13 threes against Syracuse in their highly anticipated matchup in the Dome. Duke, a team that has had trouble from distance this season, knocked down half of their three point attempts, about 20% more than they have done on average this season. 

On the offensive end, some of Syracuse’s most reliable players struggled against Clemson’s laser-focused defense. In particular, Jesse Edwards, despite recording a double-double, was unable to do what he’s been doing all year: out-muscling his opponent in the paint. 

Edwards attempted eight field goals, five of which he made. Two of his 12 total points came at the charity stripe, as well. Justin Taylor also struggled to get shots off, attempting just two in 11 minutes of action. Maliq Brown and Quadir Copeland also saw over 10 minutes on the court, but were unable to find an open look. 

Despite a rather abysmal performance on both ends of the hardwood for the Orange as a whole, Judah Mintz had yet another 20-point game, his eighth such performance of the season. However, one thing in particular stands out in the box score. 

Mintz was a perfect 4-4 from three. 

For the duration of the season, Mintz’s preferred shots have been the mid-range jumper or nifty layup. Yet, against a team the rest of his teammates struggled to score against, the freshman guard dropped 23 points and couldn’t be stopped from distance. 

After the game, Coach Boeheim noted that consistency has been an issue with Chris Bell and Justin Taylor, two of the freshmen on his young team. He also discussed the lack of scoring out of his forwards, claiming that the only two players who have shown consistency were the guards, meaning Joe Girard III and Judah Mintz. 

This was Syracuse’s fifth 20 or more point loss this season. While the Orange haven’t been legitimately in the NCAA Tournament conversation at all this season, their recent losses and the margin of said losses has dropped them further and further in the notorious NET rankings, a composite ranking of all Division I basketball teams. The rankings are determined by a series of metrics and is one of the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s favorite tools to judge teams with.

The Orange will face Pittsburgh in the Steel City. The Panthers are one of the best teams in the ACC on paper, and will prove to be a tough opponent for SU. That contest will be played Saturday at 5:00 p.m.