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How UNC defeated the Syracuse Zone

The key to beating a 2-3 zone, even one as famous as Jim Boeheim’s version at Syracuse, is not a mystery. The soft spot of the zone is always the middle, in the paint, and 8-12 feet away from the basket. Cutting to the basket, exploiting the short corner, hi-lo action, and ball reversals are all more easily executed if a team can get the ball into this area of the defense.

However, getting to that part of the floor can prove difficult. This is especially true if the team playing zone is taller and longer than your team.