As the ball clanked around the rim in the second half against Bucknell on Saturday, Bourama Sidibe spread his arms to block out the Bucknell defender as his layup appeared it would miss. But the defender had another person to worry about. Sandwiching the defender from the other side, the flailing arms of Marek Dolezaj tried to get a hand on the miss too. Sidibe pulled down the board. Another miss. Dolezaj tipped it up, and Sidibe grabbed another rebound.

The two-rebound series that led to a layup finish for Sidibe was a result of a change that was implemented in the Orange’s last two practices before Saturday’s 97-point outburst. Early season lineup discussions wondered if a center rotation of Dolezaj and Sidibe would work. But with the two starting alongside each other, Syracuse (4-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) figured out an optimal high-low gameplan, extending their time on the floor together. Suddenly, an Orange team with questions at the center spot has — albeit in a small sample — devised a plan to employ two 6-foot-10 players at the same time.

“Those two guys played really good,” Boeheim said after the game. “Really good.”

In the preseason, Sidibe saw the Orange had a lot of players who can shoot from the outside. Sidibe knew he could do more, but he said that won’t necessarily be asked of him. “I mean, I really can’t decide that,” he said of his offensive role. Three games into the season, the Orange took another step away from their inside game by adding Joe Girard III to the starting lineup. Sidibe scored off quick passes and open dunks, but he noted that he often found himself standing around on offense.

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Dolezaj, though, seemed to be the perfect fit to play center. His passing on the interior meshed with an Orange offense looking to find open shots on the perimeter. His lack of strength had yet to show against smaller teams. Sidibe, struggling to stay in the game because of fouls, fell behind. But Boeheim always looked for more from Sidibe despite an offense that doesn’t highlight him.

In the two practices leading up to the Bucknell game, the Orange coaching staff instructed Sidibe and Dolezaj to embrace a two-man game on the interior. They said they were told to cut and switch constantly, drawing the defense in and clearing up lanes for open layups. Dolezaj’s passing and Sidibe’s post-scoring ability posed an equivalent threat, allowing SU to keep both players on the floor at the same time.

“If I’m standing there not doing anything, they’re going to have to go and guard when they shoot,” Sidibe said. “But if I’m acting as if I want the ball, I’m going to get an open shot or they’re going to get an open shot.”

The results showed: Syracuse scored 40 points in the paint and outrebounded the Bison by 12. Though Sidibe and Dolezaj only contributed only 16 rebounds combined, their constant tips around the rim kept plays alive and gave Syracuse 15 second-chance points.

Early in the second half, Sidibe rotated up and received the ball above the left block with his back to the basket. He saw Elijah Hughes on the wing, passed it to him and cleared up toward the free throw line. The paint defender followed Sidibe, the wing defenders pressed on Hughes, and Dolezaj was wide open on a roll to the rim after switching spots with Sidibe.

“Our guys love shooting 3s,” Dolezaj said. “And we need some easy baskets. And this is what we can do best.”

Dolezaj said that the system is a work in progress, but Sidibe said the movement allows each of them to show everything they have in their arsenals. He knows if he gets the ball, he could do something. Now, he knows he’ll get the touches.

“I can take it and drive,” Sidibe said. “If you don’t take me, I’m going to score.”

Published on November 27, 2019 at 10:52 am

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary