Upon arriving at the lectern shortly after Syracuse’s 97-89 win over Siena Monday night, Jim Boeheim immediately began his postgame lecture expressing disappointment over his team’s defensive effort.

‘I don’t think offense is the problem,’ the 32nd-year SU head coach said. ‘… Our defense has been a struggle for us, and it certainly was tonight.

‘It’s hard to be happy about what we did on the offensive end when our defense was so bad.’

Indeed, Syracuse’s lack of defense was the most noticeable blemish on an otherwise satisfying opening night win for the Orange. Siena only shot 44 percent from the field but was able to hoist up a staggering 84 shots for the game, thanks to a combination of SU turnovers, second-chance points and poor interior defense by the Orange.

Syracuse only gave up 89 or more points to one team last season: Notre Dame twice.

Boeheim tinkered constantly with his defense throughout the game but never found the right combination. Defense had been a concern for Syracuse over portions of its two preseason games, and it was again Monday night.

‘We just need better team chemistry, knowing each other and where we’re supposed to be at,’ said freshman Donte Greene, who scored 14 points in his first game. ‘It’ll come along as the games go on. … Offense is definitely not a problem. It’s defense. It starts with defense.’

Syracuse started both halves in man-to-man defense as it had in its two preseason contests. In both cases, Boeheim was forced to switch back to his preferred 2-3 zone less than five minutes into the game.

‘I think it’s basically communicating and trusting teammates,’ forward Paul Harris said. ‘My teammates are going to be there in the zone, and I’m going to be here. Sometimes I got caught up in the wrong spots and committed fouls, and (caused 3-point plays). I tell my teammates I’m sorry, hopefully we’ll watch film and be better tomorrow.’

The defensive struggles reached their peak in a second half in which the Orange allowed 50 points. SU nearly squandered a 13-point halftime lead, allowing Siena to begin the half on 14-4 sprint. All 14 of those points came via layups. Siena tallied a total of 44 points inside the paint for the game.

A smaller, quicker Siena side – its tallest starter was 6-foot-7 forward Cory Magee – created matchup problems for Syracuse and was frequently able to penetrate inside on Syracuse. Boeheim acknowledged those inherent problems were a reason for SU’s poor defensive showing.

‘We’re not going to stop Siena,’ Boeheim said. ‘They’re a difficult team to play. They got a lot of little guys, they can shoot, they’re quick.’

When Boeheim tried a bigger lineup including forwards Kristof Ongenaet, Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku – all of whom are 6-foot-8 or taller – the Orange’s transition defense struggled. The Saints scored 22 fast-break points, a stat that was certainly helped by the 23 turnovers Syracuse committed.

Boeheim did admit his team was able to sustain a few consecutive stops, including later in the second half when SU was able to make its lead a bit more comfortable, but added ‘that was about it.’

The scoreboard showed that a youthful Syracuse side did enough to escape its first regular season test against a solid Siena team, due a high octane offense.

That fact didn’t seem to be enough to satisfy Boeheim after the game. For the SU head coach, the game, like his press conference, starts and ends with defense.

‘Our defense was awful,’ Boeheim said one more time as he edged away from the lectern after less than five minutes and just a few questions. ‘It’s gotta be a lot better tomorrow, whoever we play.’

Published on November 12, 2007 at 12:00 pm