By JEFF DIVERONICA
Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse University zone has a life of its own. Born: March 1996. Deceased: Not yet determined.

When a fourth-seeded, under-manned Syracuse team led by John Wallace reached the 1996 Final Four, coach Jim Boeheim was hailed as a defensive genius. The rest of the country noticed what Big East teams have known for years: SU's 2-3 can send opponents into the Twilight Zone.

It bewilders them. It makes them hesitate. It causes them to second-guess their own moves. It can swallow up guards in a single gulp. It fools shooters into thinking they're open.

It baffles like the Bermuda Triangle, but there is an explanation for the success of the SU zone, which is the most talked about offensive or defensive scheme of this year's Final Four. The buzzword is length, as in the sizable Syracuse lineup.

"Length has a lot to do with it as well as their athleticism," said coach Rick Barnes, whose top-seeded Texas club (26-6) faces third-seed Syracuse (28-5) in Saturday's 8:35 p.m. national semifinal at the Superdome in New Orleans. "It's different (from other zones) because they are different players. Jim has always played the zone and I am sure that he tweaks it along the way depending on his players. I don't think we've played a zone like that this year."

Boeheim says the Orangemen's overall size might be its best since the early 1990s. SU starts four players who are at least 6-feet-6 - 6-6 swingman Kueth Duany, 6-8 forwards Carmelo Anthony and Hakim Warrick and 7-foot center Craig Forth - and can bring big guards off the bench in 6-4 point man Billy Edelin and 6-5 swingman Josh Pace. That size and quickness give the Orangemen great court coverage, and when 6-8 shot-swatting center Jeremy McNeil (3.0 blocks per game) comes in, it allows SU's wings to extend and gamble to pick off passes.

"Those kids buy into what Jimmy's saying quicker (and) all of a sudden they have more experience by this time of the year, so they do a great job of covering the floor," said Kansas coach Roy Williams, whose 1996 team shot just 4-for-25 from 3-point range in a 60-57 loss to Syracuse in the Midwest Regional final and could be seeing Orange again on Monday night.

"NFL people talk about those defensive backs being able to cover and close on (receivers) and I think when you're playing Syracuse, you think you have some open jump shots and then all of a sudden there's a big athlete and his hand is in your face."

Another reason for SU's success, Boeheim points out, is so few teams play zone. No Big 12 Conference clubs use it as their primary defense, and their lack of familiarity was evident in SU tournament wins over Oklahoma State (35 percent shooting) and Oklahoma (31) and a regular-season victory over Missouri (38).

"For players who haven't seen it," Boeheim said, "it's a bit of a shock."

Oklahoma certainly looked stunned on Sunday, but the Sooners had only one day to prepare. Oklahoma State also had just one day. SU's first-round opponent, Manhattan (36 percent), and third-round victim, Auburn (43), were each a little better because they had more practice time, just as Texas does.

"The 2-3 zone is their bread and butter, but we are familiar with playing against zones," Texas point guard T.J. Ford said.

Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson would warn Ford. "Zone is a relative term," Sampson said Sunday. "We haven't faced a zone like that."

Take away Auburn's 10-for-22 night from 3-point land - half of those came in the late going - SU's NCAA foes are just 14-for-80 from deep (18 percent). The Orangemen said their defense was at its best Sunday because they were intense.

"It's just activity. We were real anxious to play," Duany said.

Boeheim didn't think Syracuse played great zone defense much of the season, but the Orangemen have learned their coverage responsibilities and anticipate better now. They ranked second in the Big East in overall field-goal defense (38.7 percent) and 3-point defense (30.2). The overall figure ranks fifth in the country, behind only St. Joseph's, Illinois, Maryland and Connecticut.

"Any defense takes time," Boeheim said. "Any defense can have bad days, just like offense can. We had a good day defensively."

He doesn't expect the Longhorns, with Ford trying to penetrate and kick out passes to shooters such as Brandon Mouton (6-for-17 in the NCAAs from 3-point range), Brian Boddicker (8-for-17) and Sydmill Harris (7-for-17), to have as much trouble as Oklahoma.

"Preparation time will help for sure," Boeheim said. "I think they're a better offensive team than Oklahoma - by a lot. Oklahoma's strength is defense and their guards, and the quickness of their guards and our zone negated that. Texas shoots much better from the perimeter, they rebound better and they have a great point guard."