The Daily Orange

Media Credit: Ian Whitlen

MIAMI - For Jonny Flynn and Arizona St. guard James Hardin the proverb "Keep your friends close and enemies closer" could never apply.

Because Sunday afternoon they'll be both friends and enemies.

The Sun Devils All-American guard Hardin and Flynn, the Syracuse point guard, have know each other since high school and have kept in touch over the years. They went to the same basketball camps in high school and their senior year they were both McDonald's All-Americans.

Now their paths meet again in Miami as they square off Sunday at 12:15. But before they become temporary enemies on Sunday, they were friends after both their teams emerged victorious on Friday.

"We got together and got something to eat," Flynn said. "It was really a dream relationship, but tomorrow on the court I don't think you're going to see too much of that. We're both fighting for the same goal and we're going to have to put that aside."

Paul Harris and Scoop Jardin accompanied Flynn, while Hardin also dined with a few teammates. Both teams will by vying for an overdue trip to the Sweet 16. For ASU it hopes to make its first appearance in the round of 16 since 1995. For the Orange it's been six years, but the last time it advanced that far the team went on to win the Tournament.

With that in mind both teams feel some type of pressure. Sun Devils forward Jeff Pendergraph said a win would be "the most out of anything that any (ASU) team has done in a long time" After SU's win against Stephen F. Austin, Andy Rautins and Flynn both said they wanted to resurrect the Orange as a powerhouse in the nation. Those are hefty goals to carry, so a night out with a friend (or enemy) was refreshing.

"Him and Jonny are close friends I think we're all still young," Harris said. "And in college and we all still have fun, but when we get out on the court then it's about business."

Harden concurs.

"It's just a friendship," Harden said. "On the court it's different. I'm sure he feels the same. He wants to win just as much as I do. Off the court it's a friendship but obviously on the court we both want to win."

Zone vs. Zone

When Syracuse and Arizona State take the court Sunday they'll both be in zone defenses, just different types. Syracuse will obviously anchor down in a 2-3 zone while Arizona St. will try to give SU problems with a match-up zone.

Even though the Orange plays a zone, the ASU variation of the zone may present problems for SU.

"A match up zone is probably the toughest zone to play against," Flynn said. "It looks like a man-to-man zone."

Not only is it confusing to play against, but not many teams play a matchup zone. Head coach Jim Boeheim had high praise for what ASU head coach Herb Sendek has developed.

"It's a difficult defense to coach," Boeheim said. "A few people do. Arizona State plays it the best of anybody right now in college basketball. It's a good defense, a real good defense.

The Sun Devils' zone held Temple to 37 percent shooting in the team's first-round game Friday. In the 14 games against NCAA Tournament teams, ASU is holding opponents to 65 points per game. But the matchup zone has struggled to an extent, as the opponents field goal percentage is up to 43 percent.

Reese returns home

Syracuse walk-on guard Brandon Reese may have only played two minutes in Friday's game against Stephen F. Austin but it was still an experience he dreamed of as a kid growing up in South Florida.

"Growing up watching (the Heat) and then all of a sudden I was put in their shoes," Reese said. "When you're watching as a kid and they're out there shooting the ball and now you're grown up and doing the same thing and play basketball out there for people cheering for you. It's just an unexplainable experience."

Reese grew up in Davie, Fla., about 40 minutes from the American Airlines Arena. As a kid, he made countless trips down I-95 to watch the Miami Heat play. He's shown his teammates around the city including South Beach, and has returned to his high school to seen friends and family.

As he returned as a member of the Orange, friends and family wanted to be there to take his spot in the stands.

"Everybody calling me, can I get a ticket?" Reese said "When's the game going to be? Can we hang out? Can you do that? What time do you have practice? Just calls from everybody saying congratulations for making the tournament."

Reese didn't record an actual stat in Friday's game, but hearing his name echo through the arena was meaningful nonetheless.

"Coming to heat games and stuff, just watching great players, and hearing the announcer call out their names," Reese said. "And then I come out yesterday and hearing the announcer announce your name and you're out there and people are cheering for you, it's like living a dream."

mibonner@syr.edu

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