ESPN Men's Basketball

1. The Anaheim Classic is going through some changes that should make it a more intimate event, building up toward a more unique championship day. The tournament, played over Thanksgiving weekend, has been at the Anaheim Convention Center, but has had plenty of sparsely populated games. So, the plan is to move the first two days of the tournament to Cal State-Fullerton's Titan Gym. The final day of the event will be played at the Honda Center in Anaheim to give it more of an elite ending. And to raise the profile of the event, the name will no longer be the Anaheim Classic but rather the Wooden Legacy. The first two rounds will be Nov. 28 and 29 with the championship day on Dec. 1. The tournament has headline teams in Creighton, San Diego State, Marquette, Arizona State and Miami with the College of Charleston, George Washington and the host Titans. Fullerton needs to take advantage of their homecourt and play well for two reasons -- to play rare higher-level games at home and to ensure the crowds are decent.

2. The cuts for the World University Games team playing in Russia could be some of the hardest for USA basketball. Junior national director Jim Boeheim of Syracuse will have a hard time whittling down this list. The team, which will train the last week of June in Colorado Springs, should be the overwhelming favorite in the event. But getting down to the cut list of 24 will be quite a chore for Boeheim and WUG coaches Bob McKillop (Davidson), Frank Martin (South Carolina) and John Beilein (Michigan). Here is the list: Eric Atkins (Notre Dame), Markel Brown (Oklahoma State), Deonte Burton (Nevada), Quinn Cook (Duke), Bryce Cotton (Providence), Spencer Dinwiddie (Colorado), C.J. Fair (Syracuse), Yogi Ferrell (Indiana), Davante Gardner (Marquette), Treveon Graham (VCU), Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), P.J. Hairston (North Carolina), A.J. Hammons (Purdue), Luke Hancock (Louisville), Joe Harris (UVA), Tyler Haws (BYU), Andre Hollins (Minnesota), Rodney Hood (Duke), Josh Huestis (Stanford), Cory Jefferson (Baylor), Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati), Alex Kirk (New Mexico), Devyn Marble (Iowa), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Chasson Randle (Stanford), Will Sheehey (Indiana), Aaron White (Iowa), Kendall Williams (New Mexico).

3. The list will be cut down to 12. Everyone could use making the team to better themselves. But Hood could use it more than anyone else after sitting out last season as a transfer from Mississippi State. Hood needs game action before he starts to star for Duke. Fair, Grant, Hairston, Jefferson, McDermott and Payne all are trying out for the team after making the decision to return to school. The fact that two players from Indiana, Duke, Notre Dame, New Mexico and Iowa are on the first list is a sign about these three teams' future next season. Kirk and Grant have a chance to be headline players next season. So too, does White. The one player who could benefit as much as anyone is Ferrell, who will have to be even more of a playmaker next season without Victor Oladipo on his wing.

I will admit I did not understand the rejoicing.

Sure, fans are always happy when good players decide to defer the NBA and stay in school. Syracuse forward C.J. Fair is a very good player. But when Fair decided to return to the Orange for his senior season, the unbridled joy in upstate New York seemed disproportionate to the Orange's situation. Having Fair back was great, but Jim Boeheim always has plenty of talented forwards to plug into his lineup, and this roster is no different. Why were 'Cuse fans so worried he might leave? Good as he is, the Orange would have been fine without him, right? What was the big deal?

I will also admit I was wrong. In 2013-14, Fair will be the hands down most important returner on Boeheim's roster.

It is not that Fair was underestimated or overlooked. It is that the Orange desperately need him, particularly on offense, and without him there's little telling just what this team would be. There is talent, yes, and new faces in key positions, but only Fair can be counted as a reliable and efficient point producer … even without seeing Boeheim's eventual starting lineup. The question now is whether, with one year left, Fair can take another step.

He may well have to. Syracuse's backcourt turnover has essentially robbed the Orange of three of their four best, and only, scorers from last season. Michael Carter-Williams is off to the NBA draft. James Southerland and Brandon Triche are graduating. Carter-Williams notched an assist on 40.2 percent of his possessions; Triche did so on 21.8. The pair the team leaders (among regulars, anyway) in usage rate (24.6 and 24.0 percent, respectively). Southerland, meanwhile, led the team with 211 3-point attempts despite missing almost a month due to academic suspension. He shot 39.8 percent from 3.

Asking Fair to replicate all of those abilities would be, um, inequitable. He is not a point guard like Carter-Williams, or a combo guard like Triche. He is not a 3-point specialist like Southerland. Fair reliably hits mid-range jumpers and happily leaps into contact. He is more forward than guard.

But there is nothing to say he cannot expand his game and that he cannot become an all-court scorer who does not necessarily need a nice setup on the baseline to be effective. After all, Fair shot 47 percent from 3 last season (he went 30-of-64), which was the exact percentage he shot on his 398 2-point attempts. He also takes care of the ball. His 13.5 percent turnover rate was lower than all of his teammates' rate save Southerland. While that has a lot to do with a high rate of catch-and-shoots, it also suggests Fair might be able to expand his ballhandling role without giving Boeheim too much heartburn. And if 64 shots becomes 164, can Fair shoot 40 percent?

Which is not to say Fair is going to suddenly morph into Trey Burke. He is not a point guard, he is not going to be a point guard and, most importantly, he should not need to be a point guard. Syracuse has five-star point Tyler Ennis reporting for duty this summer, and by all accounts he'll be ready to go. Ennis is a smart, rim-attacking penetrator and passer with a 3-point shot that keeps defenses honest. Sophomore shooting guard Trevor Cooney should absorb plenty of minutes, and probably even receive a starting nod, at the two.

Even so, that makes Fair a small forward -- and that is probably the best thing for Syracuse, anyway. The strength of the Orange lies in its frontcourt, where Rakeem Christmas remains a strong player, Baye Keita is underrated and arguably underutilized. Jerami Grant stepped up when he got his chance during Southerland's absence and highly touted 2012 recruit DaJuan Coleman is totally ready for his close-up. How will Boeheim balance those minutes? For all of the talk about the 2-3 zone -- and Fair and the rest of these forwards will be important there, too - Boeheim isn't a coach with a die-hard offensive system that must be adhered to at all times. He isn't a positional dogmatist. He plays to his players' strengths, and he finds ways to get guys in his lineup that might not make sense in any traditional 1-through-5 breakdown of the game.

What if he decides to put Fair at "shooting guard?" What if he plays four forwards?

I realize this may be a terrible idea, but that is not really the point. The point is that it's at least conceivable, and the reason it is conceivable is Fair could very well have that kind of talent in him. He may have the ability to take his already-efficient perimeter shooting and turn it into an all-around offensive attack. At the very least, he is the closest thing to a rock in what will be a brand new backcourt this season, whoever ends up getting the minutes.

So, yeah, the euphoric Syracuse fans were right. Fair is not just another forward to plug in with the rest. He is something different -- and that difference could be the key to the 2013-14 Orange season.

The NBA draft early entry deadline has passed, so we now have a solid image of what most teams will look like in 2013-14. Recruits have signed letters of intent, many transfers have picked new schools, coaches have been hired and fired, and standout players have announced whether they’ll enter the NBA draft or remain in school for another season.

Now that the smoke has cleared, it appears that the four teams that competed for the national title in Atlanta last month possess the potential to reach Arlington, Texas, for next season’s Final Four. What are the chances that Syracuse, Louisville, Michigan and Wichita State will get back there?

(In order of probability on a scale of 1-10)

1. Louisville (Chances: 9) -- For a few weeks, Louisville’s future was an uncertain one. First, Russ Smith had decided to leave, according to his father. Then he admitted he wasn’t exactly sure what he would do. But he ultimately chose another year at Louisville. The guard struggled in the national title game, but he was a force throughout the NCAA tournament. With Smith in charge, there’s no reason to doubt that Louisville will compete in Cowboys Stadium next season in its third consecutive Final Four run. Yes, the Cardinals have lost two critical players in Peyton Siva and Gorgui Dieng. But five-star recruit Terry Rozier and Chris Jones, who was recently named NABC junior college player of the year, will be ready to log major minutes for Rick Pitino’s program in 2013-14. And Chane Behanan should be on a lot of preseason All-American charts. Montrezl Harrell did things in the Big Dance that showcased a glimpse of his ability. Plus, Wayne Blackshear and Luke Hancock, the Final Four’s most outstanding player, will be back, too. There’s a lot of Kentucky buzz right now. But the Cardinals should be able to compete against any team in America next season.
2. Michigan (Chances: 8 ) -- They should be celebrating in Ann Arbor right now. Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III could have been first-round picks in this summer’s NBA draft. Their decision to come back for their sophomore seasons will help the Wolverines maintain their status as Big Ten contenders. Robinson will be a more prominent factor in John Beilein’s offense next year. And McGary will be one of the best big men in America. Now, let’s discuss the question. How do you replace Trey Burke? I’m not dismissing Tim Hardaway Jr.’s contributions to the program. But it’s much easier to find scorers than leaders. The Wolverines have enough talent returning (Spike Albrecht, Nik Stauskas and Jon Horford) and coming (Derrick Walton, Zak Irvin and Mark Donnal are all top-100 kids per RecruitingNation) to support the notion that they could make another Final Four appearance in 2013-14. But how will Beilein replace Burke and his intangibles? I had the same question about Kansas last season. When the Jayhawks lost Thomas Robinson, they lost more than a player. He was the soul of the program. They were missing his leadership more than anything last season. Michigan could find itself in the same position next year. I’ve heard great things about Walton. But Burke was special. Without him, the Wolverines still have Final Four talent. But it will be difficult to rally in the postseason if they don’t identify a player(s) to take on Burke’s leadership role as the season approaches.
3. Syracuse (Chances: 7) -- Here’s what we learned about Jim Boeheim in 2012-13 … again. He always finds another player to step in and contribute when necessary. Yes, the losses of a dynamic starting point guard Michael Carter-Williams, guard Brandon Triche and forward James Southerland would be devastating for most programs. But I doubt Boeheim is concerned. He has C.J. Fair, who was potent for the Orange in the tourney. And when given the chance to play a bigger role after Southerland was suspended for academic issues, Jerami Grant looked like a young star. Baye Keita, Rakeem Christmas and DaJuan Coleman give Syracuse the length and athleticism that will boost the 2-3 zone that opponents hate. Plus, Tyler Ennis anchors a recruiting class that’s ranked sixth overall by RecruitingNation. But there’s a lot of pressure on Ennis. Carter-Williams will be a lottery pick. He was a confident and versatile threat for Syracuse. Ennis probably will fill the void Syracuse now has at point guard. Can he do it? Well, that’s the story of this team. Boeheim will be forced to rely on players who weren’t major factors last season. The good news? That’s the story of Syracuse every season. Carter-Williams averaged 2.7 PPG in 2011-12. He’ll make millions in a few months. Again, Boeheim just turns to the next person in line and says, “You’re up.” And his guys respond to that challenge. So when weighing Syracuse’s chances of reaching the Final Four next season, it’s important to consider that pattern. This team has lost a lot. But it will still be a national contender in 2013-14.
4. Wichita State (Chances: 6) -- Gregg Marshall piloted the most exciting postseason story in the country in March/April. Wichita State had failed to win the Missouri Valley Conference regular season or tournament titles. Yet, they thrived on their experience and underrated talent as they rallied to the Final Four. The Shockers' success seemed to materialize from nothing. But it was actually more logical than that. Marshall wrestled with multiple injuries throughout the season. And in the weeks leading up to the NCAA tournament, Wichita State finally had a (somewhat) healthy roster. With NCAA tourney star Cleanthony Early, Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet returning, the Shockers will be the favorites to win the MVC. Could they pull off a Butler and make back-to-back Final Four appearances? Yep. But it seems tough to project that level of success for a squad that has major holes to fill with the loss of veterans Carl Hall, Malcolm Armstead and Ehimen Orukpe. But Marshall brings back the other key pieces that fueled that rally to Atlanta. And Evan Wessel was a starter before he broke his hand and eventually redshirted. Tekele Cotton was solid throughout the postseason, too. Incoming players Kadeem Coleby (Louisiana-Lafayette transfer), Shaquille Morris (three-star recruit) and Earl Watson will give Marshall the size he’ll need in the post. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Shockers play their way to Arlington next season. But they have more questions to answer than any other squad on this list.

ATLANTA -- It’s a moment, Syracuse guard Brandon Triche said, that might haunt him: looking for teammate James Southerland with 19.2 seconds left in the national semifinals of the NCAA tournament, finding him covered, opting to drive to the basket for a potentially game-tying layup instead ...

Only to be called for an offensive foul.

"That’s a moment you dream about -- those final seconds, the ball in your hands, trying to make the best play for your team," he said after Syracuse lost to Michigan 61-56 on Saturday. " ... We just needed another bucket."

That pretty much summed up Syracuse’s night.

For all the pregame talk of the Orange’s ferocious, suffocating, octopus-like 2-3 zone defense -- and whether Michigan could slice through and shoot over it -- it was Syracuse’s offense that failed it in the end.

Although forward C.J. Fair scored a game-high 22 points on 9-for-20 shooting, teammates Southerland (2-for-9) and Michael Carter-Williams (1-for-6), usually double-digit scorers, combined for seven points and made only 3 of their 15 shots.

"They started out strong, and we never really got anything going," Southerland said.

Syracuse shot 41.8 percent for the game -- including 3-for-14 on 3-pointers.

"I think they’re a good defensive team," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said of the Wolverines. "We have shot the ball well from 3 this year. We’re shooting about 20 percent from 3, in our nine losses. It hasn’t been something that we’ve been really good on. We try not to take a lot of 3s. But we had good looks. I mean, they were all good looks."

Southerland, who didn’t score his first field goal until the final two minutes of the game (on a dunk that cut Michigan’s lead to four), had a very good look with 41 seconds left, when he buried a 3 to cut a once-11-point deficit to 57-56.

But after Michigan’s Trey Burke made only one of two free throws, Jordan Morgan stepped in front of Triche to draw the charge, which Triche said "could have gone either way."

"I probably should have made a better decision," he said. "Probably should have pulled up ... for a jump shot instead of actually taking it all the way down there, because I did see him."

Although who’s to say, in this game, that a jumper would have gone in for Syracuse, either?

"It was tough because offensively, we never could get anything going," Triche said. "We couldn’t get multiple made shots in a row. We’d make one, and we probably didn’t make another shot for two minutes or something.

"We didn’t have much momentum offensively. Defensively, we started to pick it up, chip away, and that’s what we did -- we chipped away all the way to the last second of the game."

After the charge call, Jon Horford hit one of two free throws to push the Wolverines up by three. But with nine seconds left -- and with a chance to tie it -- Syracuse reserve Trevor Cooney took and missed a bad 2-point shot that ultimately resulted in a dunk for Morgan and Michigan on the other end.

In a game that saw Syracuse’s vaunted 2-3 zone hold the Wolverines to 33.3 percent shooting in the second half, it was a frustrating way to finish the game. And the season.

And the dream of winning a national title.

"Final Four, down two points, the opportunity to tie the game or take the lead -- but get a charge," said Triche, a senior. "That’s what I’ll probably remember the most."

ATLANTA -- Are you ready for some basketball?!

Allow me to explain. If you were to fly to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, take a cab into the heart of The A, walk up Decatur as it winds into Marietta, politely push through the thousands of (likewise polite) fans assembled outside, and make your way into the cavernous steel-and-concrete bowels of the Georgia Dome, well, that's when it's official: You are as close the 2013 Final Four as is humanly possible. Look! Jim Boeheim's on that podium just over there, answering reporters' questions and looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Final Four! Yes!

Yet, if you did that Friday, you would have been struck by one thing: Of all the stories at the Final Four, a school that hasn't been here since 1976 -- and hasn't even been to the NCAA tournament since 1991 -- was unquestionably the biggest.

Yes, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and their ball-chucking, slur-spitting abusive former coach Mike Rice remained not only a story, but the story Friday, as athletic director Tim Pernetti resigned -- but not without insisting he wanted to fire Rice when he first saw said player-pelting, only to be overruled by his superiors. A questionably handled press conference held by Rutgers president Robert L. Barchi dominated the backstage televisions all day, and each of the four head coaches spent at least part of their Thursday and Friday media time answering questions about Rice and Rutgers and What It All Means.

Combine the boundless reach of the Rice story with the Ed Rush Pac-12 officiating scandal, a wave of coaching moves and NBA draft decisions, and even the heartwarming story of injured Louisville guard and Atlanta native Kevin Ware (who made a fantastic cameo on "The Late Show with David Letterman" on Wednesday night), and it's hard to recall a pre-Final Four quiet period quite as boisterous as this one.

It was almost easy forget what this weekend is really about: crowning an NCAA tournament champion.

So, yeah, you guessed it. We are ready for some basketball.

For Eamonn Brennan's full column, click here.

From Thursday's Final Four media session, Andy Katz and Dana O’Neil discuss Jim Boeheim's comments that he plans to continue coaching and has no retirement plans.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim talks about his team's first Final Four appearance in 10 years.

Jim Boeheim discusses Michigan's offense, Syracuse's defense, and the difficulty in making it to the Final Four.

Michigan made sure very early that it would get back to the Final Four. The Wolverines hammered Florida with a 13-0 run to start the game and had minimal trouble en route to the win.

Let's take a look at some of the statistical highlights.

Key to the game: points in transition

Michigan scored a season-high 28 transition points in its win against Florida. Their previous season high was 27, set in their win against VCU in the Round of 32.

The Wolverines are now 11-1 when they score at least 20 transition points, with the one loss coming at Indiana on Feb. 2.

Stauskas couldn’t miss

Nik Stauskas made all six of his attempts from behind the 3-point line. He needed one dribble to get off his six attempts. Stauskas entered the game 1-for-9 on catch-and-shoot 3-point field goals in the NCAA tournament.

Burke does what he does best

Trey Burke was responsible for 41 percent (32 of 79) of Michigan's points Sunday, scoring 15 and having his seven assists lead to another 17 points.

In Michigan's four tournament games, Burke has been responsible for 134 points, most in the tournament field.

Looking Ahead

The Michigan-Syracuse matchup will be the first 4-seed versus 4-seed matchup since seeding began.

Michigan coach John Beilein is 0-9 as a head coach against Jim Boeheim. He was 0-2 at Richmond, 0-6 at West Virginia, 0-1 at Michigan.

The 1997 Arizona team is the only No. 4 seed to win a national title. Michigan will enter with the best winning percentage in the national semifinals. The Wolvernes are 5-1 all-time in semifinal games.

Louisville routs Duke

In the other semifinal, Louisville and Duke played an even game for the first 24 minutes.

But the next seven minutes was as impressive a run as you’ll see in the sport. The 22-point margin of defeat was the third-worst in Duke NCAA tournament history. Let’s take a look at some of the stats that made the difference.

The Run

With 16:16 left to go in the second half, the score was tied 42-42. From there the Cardinals went on a 20-4 run that happened in little more than seven minutes (7:23). During the run, Louisville was 9-for-11 from the field and Duke was 0-for-10.

The Russ-diculous run continues

Russ Smith scored 23 points, giving him 104 through the first four games of the tournament. That’s the fourth-most of any player over the past 10 seasons.

The three players with better runs are Stephen Curry (128 for Davidson in 2008, Blake Griffin (114 for Oklahoma in 2009) and Kemba Walker (107 in 2011 for Connecticut).

Ten of Smith's 23 points came in transition and he has scored 41 of Louisville’s 72 transition points in the tournament. He has more than twice as many transition points as the next closest player in the field (three tied with 20).

Smith had 14 of Louisville’s 42 points in the paint. The Cardinals became the first team in the last four tournaments to score at least 40 points in the paint in four consecutive games.

Duke’s struggles

Duke was 2-for-11 on catch-and-shoot jump shots Sunday, including 0-for-6 in the second half. In the Blue Devils’ six losses this season, they shot 22 percent on catch-and-shoot opportunities, compared to 44 percent in their 30 wins.

Louisville’s active hands

Louisville had 38 deflections Sunday, exceeding their team goal of 35 for the game (our video-review crew counted them).

Chane Behanan had a team-high 11 deflections against Duke, including nine in the first half.

Looking ahead

Louisville has the second-worst winning percentage of any team in national semifinals play. The Cardinals are 2-7, better only than the 1-4 Illinois among those that have played at least five semifinals games. The Cardinals' seven losses trail only North Carolina’s nine for most all-time.

Louisville will make back-to-back Final Four appearances for the first time since 1982-83. It will be the seventh Final Four for head coach Rick Pitino, tied with Roy Williams for fourth-most all-time.

 
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The expectation to reach the Final Four is always there for Syracuse.

The bar is never set below a Big East or national title, regardless of the personnel.

Yet, getting to these celebrated benchmarks is extremely difficult. Nothing is a given, but coaches are constantly graded and judged by whether or not they reach this pinnacle of the profession.

So, here are Syracuse and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, back in the Final Four, 10 years after the last trip, and with as much of a chance to win the national title as any of the previous three appearances in 1987, 1996 and 2003.

"Tom Crean did a great job and sat here [Thursday] and said he had a great year," Boeheim said, in the hallway of the Verizon Center, of the Indiana coach whose Hoosiers were muzzled by the Syracuse zone two days earlier in what was arguably the Orange's best defensive performance of the season.

"I don't believe that,'' Boeheim said. "They left at 2 o'clock in the morning. That was a Bobby Knight move. It's the way it is. If you're not so good, getting in the tournament is OK."

Boeheim talked about how difficult it is to break through, citing the recent trips for Butler, VCU and George Mason. "Some teams don't get to the tournament final," he said. "It's just hard to do this. It's four games. You can do it. It's just hard.''

Matchups have to be in a team's favor, and it can't have injuries and eligibility issues. And a team must have something that it does exceptionally well, some sort of identity to bank on when there is adversity.

Time has flown. Hakeem Warrick's block of Michael Lee was the final dagger for Syracuse in its title-game win over Kansas 10 years ago. Carmelo Anthony played his only season of college basketball that year before going to the NBA.

There were a number of chances for Syracuse to get back here, but no team -- yes, no team -- played the Syracuse zone as well as this edition during the NCAA tournament since 2003. The Orange have dominated their first four opponents -- Montana, Cal, Indiana and Marquette -- more so than any other team left in this field.

For Andy Katz's full column, click here.

WASHINGTON -- A look at Syracuse's 55-39 win over Marquette in the East Regional final Saturday.

Overview: This was hardly a work of art. But nothing involving Big East teams tends to be beautiful this season.

Syracuse manhandled Marquette in the way the Golden Eagles should be used to this season. The Golden Eagles were completely flummoxed by Syracuse's zone defense and were rendered useless against it throughout the game.

Syracuse's offense wasn't that much better for most of the first 25 to 30 minutes before the Orange clicked effectively. The Golden Eagles couldn't shoot, make 3s or keep possessions alive with multiple offensive rebounds. The stats weren't telling the whole truth. The numbers said the Orange did well on the offensive boards, but they didn't finish at any kind of high percentage.

Meanwhile, Syracuse had Michael Carter-Williams getting to the line on drives, James Southerland making 3s and an effective C.J. Fair.

This might not be Syracuse's most talented team, but it has ended up being one of the Orange's best teams under coach Jim Boeheim. This team gets the way he wants to play, and uses its length and size exceptionally well to run the zone to perfection.

The Orange got to celebrate on Big East rival Georgetown's home court with a Final Four trip, something that had to be especially sweet to Boeheim, the Orange and all their fans.

Turning point: The Golden Eagles had cut the lead to five points at 30-25 nearly midway through the second half, and it looked like Marquette had a chance to actually make this a game. But Fair hit on a spin move inside, and then Southerland converted a traditional three-point play to push the lead to 10. Carter-Williams then drove through the lane uncontested for a layup, and the lead was up to a dozen.

Star of the game: Carter-Williams had an exceptional floor game, but the difference might have been Fair. He seemed to hit critical shots at the most opportune times. Also, if I could nominate the defense, I would. The Orange zone was suffocating again.

What's next: Syracuse is heading to its fourth Final Four under Boeheim and first since it won the title in 2003. The Orange flirted early in the season with this type of run but then hit a rough patch in the heart of the Big East season. Syracuse ended up losing seven games in the Big East. But save for one poor half against Louisville in the Big East tournament title game, the Orange have been one of the most dominant teams in the NCAA tournament. Syracuse hasn't had to sweat a last possession in any of its four tournament games thus far.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim breaks down his team's 61-50 win against Indiana in the Sweet 16.

 
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A few thoughts from Syracuse's 61-50 win over top-seeded Indiana in an East Regional semifinal Thursday:

Overview: Indiana was the first 1-seed to be locked on the bracket, according to the NCAA tournament selection committee. But the Hoosiers didn't live up to the moment when the games mattered most.

Fourth-seeded Syracuse dominated Indiana from start to finish. You can make an argument that the Orange have been as impressive as any team in the field so far this season. While Ohio State has been thrilling at times, with last-second shots to beat Iowa State and Arizona, Syracuse has been dictating everything to its opponents.

The Orange (29-9) manhandled Montana. They survived a late surge by hometown Cal in San Jose, but controlled the entire game. And then they suddenly turned the Hoosiers soft.

Indiana, which has now lost seven consecutive NCAA tourney games to the Big East, had not looked this poor since a stretch against Ohio State at home late in the Big Ten regular season. Indiana (29-7) couldn't get anything going offensively against the zone, scoring just 22 points in the first half -- the lowest point total of any half this season for IU. Big man Cody Zeller? He played small and struggled to find his footing in the lane. The performance was so pedestrian it might force Zeller to return for his junior season.

Meanwhile, Michael Carter-Williams sliced up the Hoosiers at will, almost toying with them at the end. Brandon Triche didn't have an issue getting to the lane. The Orange were effective on the backboards and forced turnovers on a consistent basis.

Indiana was in a scoring fest in a Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky last year in Atlanta. This wasn't even close to that performance by what should have been a much more prepared team. According to ESPN Stats & Information, IU's 50 points were the fourth-fewest ever scored by a 1-seed in the shot-clock era.

Syracuse wasn't supposed to be a Final Four team. But this could end up being one of Jim Boeheim's most effective late-season teams with the way it has come together in such a succinct way. Heck of a turnaround for the Orange.

Turning point: Six minutes into the second half, Indiana cut what was once an 18-point lead down to six on a Victor Oladipo 3-pointer. But Carter-Williams responded with a bucket to push it back to eight. The Orange didn't let up and continued to be the aggressor, increasing the lead to double figures. The margin ballooned to 16 at one point (56-40) on a Triche driving layup, which he finished off virtually untouched. Indiana's defense was soft throughout the night and the Hoosiers never again seriously threatened.

Star of the game: Carter-Williams was the best player on the court throughout the game. He finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals and found seems in Indiana's defense rather easily. He ran a sensational floor game (just two turnovers), made free throws and seemed to be in the right place all the time. MCW embraced this moment and played like a mature, elite point guard.

What's next: A date with Marquette on Saturday in the Elite Eight. This will be the first time since 2009 that teams from the same league will meet with a Final Four berth on the line (Villanova-Pitt, also from the Big East). Syracuse lost to the Golden Eagles 74-71 in Milwaukee back on Feb. 25, the teams' only meeting. Both of these teams are leaving the original Big East. Syracuse is off to the ACC while Marquette is staying in the new Big East, with six other members and Butler, Xavier and Creighton. These are two confident teams meeting Saturday. Syracuse can play as strong as Marquette, especially in the post, where the Orange are a bit undervalued.

 
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- It's one thing to play good defense. That's when opposing players have low field goal percentages. Syracuse does that, without a doubt. It ranked third in the nation in field goal percentage defense this season.

But what if you need that extra push over the cliff and decide to turn your defense up to 11? That's when, say, the Pac-12 Player of the Year can't even get a shot off, much less make one.

And that's what the Orange did Saturday in their 66-60 victory over California in the NCAA tournament round of 32 at HP Pavilion. Bears guard Allen Crabbe entered the tournament averaging 18.7 points. He'd scored 20 or more points in 15 games this season.

Against Syracuse, he took his sixth shot of the game with five minutes left. At that point, he was 1-for-6 from the field. He finished with eight points on 3-of-9 shooting.

"They keyed in on me," Crabbe said. "The shots that I thought I would probably get weren't there. And they took things away from me. You've just got to give credit to them. They're long and athletic, so I tried to shoot over them a couple of times. They were there, contested it. I was in the air passing the ball, deferring for my shots. You've got to give them credit, they play really well in that zone."

Ah, Syracuse's notorious 2-3 zone. Love it, hate it, but it's the signature of one of the nation's most consistent programs. Coach Jim Boeheim's players are running it as well as they have in the 1,037 years -- give or take 1,000 -- the crotchety one has been at Syracuse ("crotchety" being the term Cal coach Mike Montgomery used to describe his good friend).

"I thought our defense was really good tonight, the whole game," Boeheim said. "I just thought we played tremendously on the defensive end."

Fourth-seeded Syracuse (28-9) will play the winner of Indiana's game Sunday against Temple in the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

Cal averaged 67.5 points per game this season, but the Orange defense is not just about scoring. It's about frustrating. Making a team uncomfortable. Cal seemed uncomfortable most of the night. Crabbe's No. 2, guard Justin Cobbs, scored just five points on 2-for-9 shooting and had as many turnovers -- four -- as assists.

Cal shot 39.3 percent from the field. It was 4-of-21 from 3-point range (19 percent). The Orange grabbed 1o steals.

"We had a difficult time solving the zone," Montgomery said. "They did a great job of getting to Crabbe, for example, and locating him in the thing and they had us pretty well spread out. Credit to Jim Boeheim. That zone is effective. It's good. It's tough. I'm sure everybody in the Big East will tell you the same thing. It's something you've got to play with for 40 minutes. They're not changing. They have a lot of confidence in it and we didn't come out and attack it very intelligently. And obviously if you go 4-for-21 from 3 against the zone, you're probably going to have some problems."

Cal, the region's No. 12 seed, was forced to go away from Crabbe and Cobbs, who combined to score 1,059 of the Bears' 2,094 points entering the tournament; Richard Solomon led all scorers with 22 points while Tyrone Wallace added 12.

But that's not Cal.

"They moved the ball well, as well as anybody. They really did," Boeheim said. "We just were reacting really, really well. We really had great defensive movement. Our defense was as good as you could ask it to be for a long time tonight. I mean, they weren't getting shots, you know."

Crabbe had five turnovers, most coming when he tried to pass as the Orange converged on him. And even when Cal (21-12) got good looks, those looks didn't last long.

"So by trying to throw it to David [Kravish] and Richard and at the high post, they were having to catch, face, make a decision there," Montgomery said. "And we got some really nice shots off. We had some where we actually got the ball exactly where we wanted it, but we got it blocked. And their size came in and took those away from us. That's discouraging."

As for offense, Syracuse was a bit sloppy at times, but it was aggressive and got the job done. With 18 points, C.J. Fair led four players in double figures. James Southerland scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. He added two assists and four steals.

Syracuse scored 20 points off turnovers, compared to 13 from California. The Orange also had 18 second-chance points, compared to 12 from Cal. Both those numbers add up to meaningful totals when you consider the final score.

So how far can that defense carry Syracuse?

Said Fair, "We can go all the way -- our whole goal is to get to Atlanta."

SAN JOSE -- On Thursday, three teams playing second-round games in the NCAA tournament in HP Pavilion turned in poised, dominant efforts. They acted, so to speak, like they'd been there before. One of them, Syracuse, has. A lot. The other two, Saint Louis and Oregon, have not.

If Saint Louis, the fourth seed in the Midwest, beats No. 12 Oregon, it will play in the program's first Sweet 16. The Ducks' pedigree, despite winning the first NCAA tourney in 1939, isn't much better, at least not lately. The Ducks had an Elite Eight run in 2007 but hadn't won a tournament game since. Their regular-season record from 2009-10 and 2010-11 was 32-33.

So this is mostly unexplored territory for these players and programs.

Saint Louis junior Dwayne Evans, the Billikens' leading scorer and rebounder, took a leap of faith three years ago that Rick Majerus was going to lead the program away from prolonged mediocrity.

"Saint Louis basketball really wasn't on the map, even [in] Saint Louis," he said.

The compelling angle, of course, is that Saint Louis has posted its greatest season after tragedy, as Majerus took a medical leave from the program in August and then died of heart failure on Dec. 1. Jim Crews took over. After a meandering start, the Billikens got hot. Their 28 wins is the most in program history. They entered the tournament ranked 13th in both major polls, having been in the polls for four consecutive weeks, which hadn't happened since 1993-94.

Saint Louis beat Memphis in the second round last year before falling to Michigan State. And, unlike Oregon, this is a veteran team that's seen a lot of action together.

"Last year, we were kind of wide-eyed and just kind of there for the experience, and obviously we were taking on the No. 1 seed, Michigan State. I think there were some nerves there," Evans said. "But this year we're a confident, veteran team. We know how good we can be. And we have bigger goals than making it to the round of 32."

Of course, the Ducks played like a cohesive, veteran unit while upsetting Oklahoma State and All-American guard Marcus Smart. While the Ducks start a pair of freshmen and are transfer heavy, they're a hot, confident team, coming off an impressive run through the Pac-12 tournament.

The Ducks, notorious for their baffling 12th seed, still have something to prove. A Sweet 16 run would prove it.

"Yeah, that would be huge for us, to get more respect," senior center Tony Woods said. "A lot of people didn't predict us to win the game last night. That was big for us, getting respect. We never cared about the 12-seed, we're just happy to be here, happy to stay alive and keep playing."

In order to keep playing, one team will need to dictate the tempo. Oregon likes to run in transition. Saint Louis can run but prefers more half-court sets. Saint Louis isn't very good at rebounding but protects the ball. Oregon is prone to turnovers but is fantastic on the boards. Both teams play good defense. Neither team is terribly good behind the 3-point arc.

Saint Louis will like its chances if the Billikens keep the game low-scoring. Oregon would like to inject a bit of frenzy into the evening.

"They do not give up easy baskets. They know what they want from every possession," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "It's about as veteran a team as we played. The most veteran team we've played all year ... They have a little better idea what they want out of a possession. So we've got to try to get a few more possessions going. We've got to try to open the floor a little bit. I think at some positions our athletes can make a difference, if we can get them out in the open court."

Both teams are on the cusp of a special season for their program. But they need to win Saturday to make it happen.

SAN JOSE NEWS & NOTES

• California point guard Justin Cobbs was asked about how the Bears can beat Syracuse's notorious zone defense: "Just try not to get stagnant. Usually in zone it's easy to get stagnant and just pass the ball around the perimeter, and not get in the interior of the defense. Just as a point guard, try to penetrate the zone. Obviously in their 2-2-1 or 2-3, whatever you want to call it, the middle is going to be open. They trap the corners and things like that. So try to just get in the interior, try to get the ball to the high post and find shooters like Allen [Crabbe], and try to break the zone from the inside out."
• California coach Mike Montgomery has long been a coach who preferred man-to-man defense, but the Bears used a zone almost exclusively in their win over UNLV. He said, "Ours is more of a 3-2 zone. We started off trying to play a 2-3 zone. And I played 2-3 primarily for years and years and years. And we had the rules down, knew exactly who had what coverage. But we weren't able to get our forwards and center to do what we wanted to do. And a lot of times we weren't able to get our guards to continue to run out and switch the forward down and so forth and so on. So we decided to try the 3-2 zone because Crabbe at the top gave us a 6-6 long-arm guy that was able to do a little bit more than some others."
• Suffice it to say, the subject of zone defense was a big one during the news conferences Friday, as was the friendship between Montgomery and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim. That led to this when Boeheim was asked about Montgomery's newfound love of zone defenses: "Well, he once asked my wife if I was wearing a skirt [when playing zone defenses]," Boeheim said. "So when we were watching last year I think it was, we texted immediately when he was playing zone to see if he was wearing a skirt, as well. But I guess he was. He's a man-to-man coach, he always has been. But I think you see really almost everybody play some zone now, teams that coaches that have never played zone play zone."
• Playing in San Jose means California is practically playing a home game. But Syracuse senior forward James Southerland downplayed that as an issue. He said, "This is California, so the team from the University of California are going to have about 90 percent of their fans here. I feel like it's not going to be much of a problem for us. It shouldn't be because we played in great games like Arkansas, and Louisville and pulled out a win with a No. 1 team. So we are just going to focus on what we need to do."
• Syracuse is leaving the Big East for the ACC next season. Boeheim was asked if he felt like he was representing the Big East or the ACC. He said, "That's a good question. Yeah, you know, right now we're still members of the Big East, and we're representing the Big East right now. But it's kind of, it's a real gray area, there, I think, as well. I think really when we get to this stage that we're representing Syracuse at this stage."