Rush The Court

Rush the Court will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of each of the NCAA Tournament from each of the 13 sites this year. Follow our NCAA Tourney specific Twitter accounts at @RTCEastregion, @RTCMWregion,@RTCSouthregion and @RTCWestregion. 

Three Key Takeaways.

1. Gonzaga attacks Syracuse zone creatively. The Zags had great ball movement early on, which helped them build an early 18-8 lead. Guards found Kyle Wiltjer (23 points, five rebounds) on flashes to the post, Domantas Sabonis (19 points, 17 rebounds) on quickly conceived entry passes, and Gonzaga was generally patient in attacking Syracuse’s vaunted 2-3 zone. That ball movement disappeared in the last five minutes of the first half and first five of the second, as the Syracuse length and constant pressure finally began to force a few Gonzaga turnovers. But Gonzaga emerged from a Mark Few timeout with renewed purpose, and despite shooting just one free throw in the first 37 minutes of the game, rediscovered their offensive flow. One especially effective tactic employed: the use of a quicker tempo to find Sabonis for post touches before the zone was fully set.
2. Gonzaga meltdown or Syracuse heroics? Or both? It wasn’t pretty, but Syracuse advanced on the back of Michael Gbinije and some timely plays on both sides of the ball. Gonzaga channeled their inner Northern Iowa in coughing the ball up twice on their own side of halfcourt in the last two minutes, but give the Orange credit for creating pressure and then taking advantage of the Zag miscues. Gonzaga’s nine-point lead with 6:30 to play was erased once and for all when Gbinije came up with a loose ball and layup with 22 seconds to play to put the Orange up one. This will go down as a Gonzaga collapse, but don’t overlook Syracuse’s role in making it happen.
3. Orange win with ugly offense. Jim Boeheim admitted that offense was a major problem for the Orange tonight. Offensive struggles are nothing new for a Syracuse team ranked outside the top 50 nationally in offensive efficiency, but tonight was an unusually ugly winning performance. Syracuse shot just 36 percent from the floor and 33 percent from long-range, while Trevor Cooney was the only player on the Syracuse roster who made more shots than he missed (5-9 from the floor). The Orange did make 14 of their 16 free throws (compared to just 4-5 for Gonzaga) and only turned the ball over nine times, eight less than the Zags.

Star of the Game. Michael Gbinije, Syracuse. Gbinije has been a quiet star in the ACC this season, and he put together another winning performance tonight. He wasn’t especially efficient – just 8-23 from the floor – but he came up with big shots in the second half, including the game-winning layup in the final seconds. He added three assists, two blocks and two steals to his 20 points, as Gonzaga’s guards struggled to keep Gbinije out of the lane all night.

Quotable.

• “I literally can’t believe what these guys were able to do this year. When Przemek went down, we rode these guys as hard as anyone’s ever been…Night in and night out, these guys delivered – through double teams, triple teams, faceguards. Most amazing year I have ever seen two guys deliver.'” – Mark Few, Gonzaga head coach, on Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis.
• “This is the toughest thing about sports. You never want to be on this side of it…We have a lot to look forward to, but unfortunately this chapter of my life is over.” – Kyle Wiltjer, on the end of his college basketball career.
• “We’re not a prolific offensive team. We can’t really spot a team ten points.'” – Jim Boeheim, on Syracuse’s slow start.
• “He’s the most underrated player I’ve ever coached.'” – Jim Boeheim, on Michael Gbinije.

Sights & Sounds. The nightcap was noticeably quieter than game one, even with the huge Iowa State contingent silenced for much of the 40 minutes of basketball. The Syracuse fans in attendance did begin to make their presence felt when the Orange pushed out to an early second half lead. Other notable involvement from spectators: a nice catch by an Orange cheerleader on a lob intended for Tyler Roberson. Is it a turnover if your cheerleaders retain possession?

What’s Next?  Syracuse advances to face their ACC rival, #1 Virginia, in the Midwest regional final on Sunday. The Orange will be an underdog and will almost surely need to produce a better offensive effort if they hope to spring the upset. Gonzaga’s season ends in a Sweet Sixteen few expected them to see. The biggest offseason question facing the Zags will surround Domantas Sabonis’ potential departure. The NBA Draft may beckon for a player who put together a phenomenal NCAA Tournament.