ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Syracuse is a different team with both Rakeem Christmas and Chris McCullough on the floor.

“We have great chemistry,” McCullough said.

And the difference in the Orange playing with just one big man versus two is as simple as it is striking. They bulk up Syracuse’s 2-3 zone and form a two-man post attack that every SU opponent this season has physically struggled with.

But as Syracuse (5-2) gets set to take on St. John’s (5-1) on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. in the Carrier Dome, the Orange will be looking to keep its big men on the floor — and just as importantly — out of foul trouble while they’re there.

“They’re our two best players,” SU head coach Jim Boeheim said flatly.

The 6-foot-10, 220-pound McCullough is Syracuse’s tallest player. And when he plays alongside Christmas, the freshman forward mans the wing of the zone.

While forwards Michael Gbinije and Tyler Roberson have capably played in the same spot on defense for the Orange, McCullough presents an extra problem for opposing players trying to finish at the basket.

Syracuse started its 68-65 loss to Michigan on Tuesday night pushing its guards to just beyond the 3-point arc and its forwards — Christmas, McCullough and B.J. Johnson — almost to the foul line. It left about a 12-foot defensive void between the SU defense and the hoop that Michigan got into, but found little success in.

Two and a half minutes into the game, Christmas stepped to UM forward Mark Donnal at the left block. Donnal threw his shot up, only for McCullough to swat it out of the air.

“When we have our best players on the court, it’s always easier,” freshman point guard Kaleb Joseph said.

In the first half, when McCullough and Christmas played a combined 34 minutes they bossed the lane on both ends of the floor, limiting Michigan to just 16 points in the paint. In the second half, when they combined for 39 minutes and SU’s guards were leaving openings into the key, they held UM to eight points in the paint.

But when Christmas entered the game with 9:20 left in the first half, he did so with two fouls and wasn’t nearly as effective locking up the key. With 9:12 left in the period and McCullough on the floor, Zak Irvin drove by Gbinije, guard Trevor Cooney and finally Christmas to give Michigan a 13-12 lead. And with 7:12 left in the first half, guard Spike Albrecht sunk a floater straight over Christmas.

With McCullough and Christmas playing out the final 6:56 of the game together, Syracuse scored 16 points — or about 2.3 points per minute — as the big men opened up the floor for the Orange’s guards.

In the entire first half, with decreased minutes from SU’s post and best players, Syracuse averaged just 1.6 points per minute.

Of having McCullough and Christmas on the floor, Joseph said: “It gives you more scoring opportunities because the defense sags in, they kick out and it gives you a few seconds to get that shot off.”

Published on December 4, 2014 at 12:20 am

Contact Jacob: jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_