Five Takeaways from Syracuse's Win Over San Diego State

Syracuse blew out San Diego State 78-62 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Here are five takeaways from the impressive performance.

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1. BUDDY IS THE BEST SHOOTER IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW

Buddy Boeheim went 7-10 from three against San Diego State. He has been absolutely on fire. Over the last three games, Boeheim is shooting 60% from three and making six threes per game. He is also averaging 29 points per game during that stretch. It is honestly a surprise when a shot does not goin in regardless of how contested it is or if his feet are set. And his offensive game is not just about hitting threes. He is taking guys off the dribble, hitting the mid-range jumper, backing guys down and even kicking it when doubled. It is all clicking for Buddy.

2. DEFENSIVE IMPACT OFF THE BENCH

Kadary Richmond, Jesse Edwards and Robert Braswell each had significant impacts off the bench. The three combined for five of Syracuse's eight blocks, they frustrated San Diego State and held the Aztecs scoreless for large stretches. The length and energy those three played with led to perhaps the best defensive performance of the season.

3. THE ZONE IS STILL THE ZONE

If you have not seen this zone, even if it is not one of Syracuse's better defensive teams, the zone still has an impact. San Diego State looked lost throughout. The zone got in their heads and turned a very good offensive team that can really shoot into a hot mess. The Aztecs only turned it over five times, but shot just 35.8% (shot 45.5% on the season coming in) overall and 27.5% from beyond the arc (shot 37.5% the rest of the year). Even those numbers were inflated because San Diego State made several shots down the stretch when the game was already over. It was a very impressive defensive performance.

4. GIRARD NEEDS TO CUT DOWN ON UNFORCED TURNOVERS

Four turnovers for Girard is too much, but it is even more so when at least three of them were unforced. It was Girard just being sloppy with the ball. Now, to be fair, Girard did some very good things in this game. He made three triples, dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds. But he has to cut down on those turnovers. As you advance in the tournament, the competition gets stronger and taking care of the basketball becomes even more critical.

5. ROUND TWO WILL BE A BIGGER CHALLENGE

Syracuse gets the three seed West Virginia in the second round, and it will need to play just as well in order to win that one. The Mountaineers are really good. WVU has a 6-10, 255 pound center who averages 14.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game that will cause Syracuse some problems. Miles McBride is a fantastic point guard who can score and distribute. He averages over 15 points and nearly five assists per game while shooting over 39% from beyond the arc. West Virginia as a team is an above average but not an elite shooting team. The Mountaineers are a very physical, tough defensive team. Its defensive efficiency is not as high as San Diego State's, however. It will be an interesting matchup to say the least. Not to mention head coach Bob Huggins has experience coaching against the zone, though it has been a number of years.