The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team has struggled to defend out of the 2-3 zone this season. The Orange are slightly better than a year ago, but with largely the same personnel and no Bourama Sidibe, Syracuse is struggling to stop opponents from scoring.
The Orange currently rank No. 78 in the country in KenPom defensive efficiency, allowing 96.3 points per 100 possessions. That number is marginally improved from Syracuse’s No. 116 ranking in the same category last season (99.6 points per 100 possession), but considerably low by historical Syracuse standards. The Orange were in the top 50 in defensive efficiency in every year from 2002 sans two (2006, 2008) leading up to the 2016-17 season.