Syracuse began its exhibition slate with a 83-65 win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome. With six first-year players logging minutes for SU, it took the Orange a while to settle down before storming past the Crimson Hawks by halftime.

There was man-to-man defense, plenty of debuts and a stark contrast of play at the point. Here’s a breakdown of Tuesday night’s storylines.

Syracuse played man-to-man defense — and it didn’t work

SU head coach Jim Boeheim hinted his team might do “some more things” on the floor this season, and he wasn’t kidding. Syracuse spent much of the first half pressing on defense as it tried to catch up, but the stranger sight came as SU settled on defense.

The Orange set up in man-to-man defense right at the onset, a strategy relayed to the players in pregame meetings. That left SU as the only attendees in the Carrier Dome Tuesday night that saw what was coming, but the scheme quickly backfired. The Crimson Hawks picked apart the Orange defenders who chased IUP around the court. The visitors shot 50 percent in the opening 12 minutes to open up a 15-point lead at one juncture.

IUP’s Blake Danielak hit a 3 near the top of the arc as Coleman failed to play catch up, and the play repeated itself three times as Syracuse’s stalled on all fronts.

“It’s just not a good situation for us to play man,” Boeheim said. “It doesn’t mean we can’t play it, but we can’t play it against a team that brings our center out there … we’re not good in that situation.”

Paschal Chukwu made his debut and tried to extend his 7-foot-2 frame under the basket to alter Jacobo Diaz’s shot, but Chukwu tried to swat a ball that never went up. Diaz waited for Chukwu to pass, and put in the easy lay-up.

Much to SU’s benefit, it returned to zone in the second half.

John Gillon could be the spark plug SU hoped he’d be

After sinking to a 15-3 deficit in just under five minutes, Boeheim had seen enough of his starters. He sent Taurean Thompson, Matthew Moyer, John Gillon, Tyus Battle and Chukwu in as an entirely new unit on the floor.

“It was poor,” Frank Howard said. “It was sloppy. The whole game was sloppy.”

The starters slowly integrated their way back into the lineup, but one thing was clear as Syracuse mounted its comeback: The offense ran much smoother in the first half with Gillon at the helm.

Liam Sheehan | Staff Photographer

Howard started the game as expected, but a flustered SU team couldn’t figure out anything offensively. Not all of that was Howard’s doing, but the speedy Gillon was the spark plug Boeheim hoped he would be. The fifth-year transfer from Colorado State finished with nine assists and worked his options on the floor.

“I think it’s always good when you have somebody coming off the bench and can push the tempo and offensively,” fellow fifth-year transfer Andrew White said. “… I think he did a really good job speeding us up.”

Gillon heaved an alley-oop to Tyler Lydon that clanked out of his hands, but the point guard recovered possession and found Lydon in the lane for a clean dunk. The more deliberate Howard still matched Gillon’s 20 minutes of play, but couldn’t get into any rhythm until the second half.

In the final minutes of the opening stanza, Howard fumbled a loose ball bouncing his way. IUP recovered possession and sent another errant shot headed Howard’s direction. The loose ball ricocheted off the sophomore’s ankle and out of bounds, sending his head coach into a fit.

“You stand right here!” Boeheim screamed as he stepped onto the court, pointing a few feet away from where Howard was positioned.

“When you don’t make the play,” Howard said, “you should expect that.

“I’ve been through it. I don’t worry.”

Tyus Battle and Taurean Thompson impressed quickly

There was no question as to who the Orange’s biggest offensive threat was Tuesday, let alone the player who made the best impression in their Carrier Dome debut. Battle led Syracuse with 16 points and a 4-for-5 shooting night from 3.

He sunk his first collegiate shot from 3 with a clean look at the basket, and continued to deliver as SU climbed back into the game. Thompson, a fellow freshman, logged 15 minutes and chipped in six points. Multiple times Tuesday night he did well to create space under the basket with his 6-foot-10, 225-pound frame.

“I think Taurean is more advanced than most freshmen forwards,” Boeheim said. “He’s probably our best mid-post player.”

Published on November 1, 2016 at 9:12 pm