Syracuse against Indiana is a matchup of college basketball big boys. It is two schools of strong and some might say legendary basketball programs. Syracuse made a strong run, winning five of their last six games to reach to finals in the Big East tournament and is now trying to carry that momentum into the Sweet Sixteen matchup. Indiana spent more weeks ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll than anyone else during this season. As a No. 1 seed in the tournament, they have a lot of pressure to perform Thursday night.
Syracuse's 2/3 zone has been giving teams fits all season. They play the zone for the entire game and teams have yet to find a way to solve it. The team is led by freshman Yogi Ferrell whose 146 assists is the second-most by an Indiana freshman. He averages 4.2 a night. Indiana's Victor Oladipo will attempt to slice through the zone. He is the Hoosier's do-everything player who excels at cutting through the lanes and getting to the rim quickly. He leads the team in rebounds (7.0) and steals (.5). Oladipo was named the Big Ten's defensive player of the year and is a contender for national player of the year if he continues to perform well in the tournament.
If there is a team that will solve the Syracuse zone it will be Indiana. They have the shooters that can score against the Orange. It all starts with Cody Zeller, who can shoot from just about anywhere when he has the right look. With Zeller posted under the rim and Oladipo, the Hoosiers should have no problem.