Nick KrugThis year’s Kansas and Syracuse basketball teams are as different as the body types of their Nigerian centers.
Syracuse’s Paschal Chukwu, who started his college career at Providence, is 7-foot-2, and weighs 228 pounds. KU’s Udoka Azubuike, much wider and thicker, spreads 280 pounds across his well-conditioned body.
Chukwu splits minutes pretty evenly with 6-10 freshman Burma Sidibe. Azubuike’s backup is 6-foot-8 Mitch Lightfoot.
“Contrasting styles,” Kansas coach Bill Self said in summing up the center matchup. “He’s bigger than Dok, height wise. Dok is obviously a lot thicker than he is. You’re probably going to have length, explosiveness in a lot of ways versus girth. Dok is going to have to do a good job of trying to catch the ball close to the basket, where maybe his length isn’t as much of a factor.”
Size is the first difference the eye catches between the 6-0 schools that face each other Saturday at American Airlines Arena at 4:30 p.m. with Rich Hollenberg and the planet’s No. 1 college basketball ambassador, Dick Vitale.
Kenpom.com ranks 25 different categories, including average height, for each Div. I college basketball team. Syracuse ranks first with an average height of 79.7 inches (6-7.7) for every player on the court for every minute of the season. Not small compared to most schools, Kansas ranks 44th at 77.9 inches (6-5.9).
Both squads are led by Hall of Fame coaches, but the styles they have used to reach Springfield, Mass., differ greatly.
Self always has been a big believer in man-to-man defense, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim the face of the 2-3 zone.
Self wants his team to play at a fast pace to capitalize on the speed of his roster, then looks for high-percentage shots if nothing presents itself in transition. For Kansas high-percentage shots mean those close to the basket and from 3-point range.
Syracuse ranks 329th in the nation in adjusted tempo, Kansas 78th.
No. 2 KU’s biggest advantage vs. unranked Syracuse comes outside the 3-point semi-circle.
KU ranks eighth in the nation in 3-point percentage (.452) and 62nd (.303) defending the 3-pointers. The Orange shoot .291 from 3 (304th) and opponents shoot .340 (161st).
Both schools make buckets inside the 3-point line tough to score. Syracuse opponents shoot .371 on 2-point attempts, third-best in the nation, and KU foes shoot .399 inside the arc, ninth-best.
