Student-Athlete Quotes - Notre Dame
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. Notre Dame
February 3, 2014
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Syracuse Student-Athlete Quotes
Trevor Cooney, Guard, Redshirt Sophomore
How about the preparation for this one coming off of Duke? What did you guys talk about, what did you go through? It was a quick turnaround obviously.
“We knew that Notre Dame was a good team and we knew that we just had to come out and be ready to play coming off a high like that and a win (against Duke). Sometimes it’s tough, but the ACC’s got tough teams and we knew about Notre Dame. We had to come ready to play, we did in the first half, but then we kind of slacked off and you can’t do that. We were lucky enough to make some shots and our defense wasn’t that bad. We made some points at the end.”
Does the basket look a little bigger after a night like this?
“Yes, I think so. I definitely felt really good. I felt good coming in to the game and I got into a good rhythm early. To shoot like this you have to get in to a good rhythm early.”
When did you know?
“When I hit the third or fourth, I definitely felt something, but (after) the one going in to halftime, I definitely thought I’m in to a good groove now. But, then we came out of halftime and I missed my first one, but I stayed with it and continued to shoot and I got going again.”
Jerami Grant, Forward, Sophomore
When Trevor Cooney is making shots like that, what does it do for you and Tyler Ennis and the rest of the team?
“It allows you to get to go one-on-one with your man. When somebody is following Trevor it is always good for everybody.”
You go from the best game you guys have had on Saturday, followed by needing a great game by Trevor Cooney. Was it an emotional toll from three games in six days catching up with you?
“I think defensively we were good tonight, it was offensively that we couldn’t get in a rhythm. They had a game plan and we didn’t really know what it was. It was tough to get easy baskets like we usually do.”
With Trevor (Cooney), is it kind of like when pitchers throw a perfect game, you just have to let him do is thing?
“With Trevor hitting three’s like that the only thing we do is go screen for him. Every time we got the ball we were looking for him and screened for him. He just kept making them.”
Tyler Ennis, Freshman, Guard
Do you and the players talk about being number one?
“No not at all. Coach (Boeheim) let us know that right now this really means nothing and we want to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season. So whether we’re ranked or not, right now that really doesn’t matter.”
Did it feel like a weird vibe in the Dome tonight? Was it weird coming back after the Duke game?
“I didn’t think so. A couple guys were tired, including myself, but we just have to bounce back. It’s a quick turnaround and Notre Dame is a good team and Trevor (Cooney) got hot for us in the first half to get us the early lead.”
How about that fast break lob for Grant?
“Yeah. I always tell my guys to run the floor and the coaches tell them to run the floor and when people run the floor like that you have to reward them.”
C.J. Fair, Senior, Forward
Can you talk about Trevor’s performance tonight?
“Trevor saved the game for us. He hit nine threes. He had the hot hand and not too many people do that. Usually when you have the hot hand you make five or six threes, he made nine.”
How hard was it to come back after the Duke game?
“Every game you get excited to play. When things aren’t going your way and it’s a totally different style of game against Notre Dame – they like to slow it down. We couldn’t get in a rhythm and it’s hard when you don’t get that many possessions. So it’s kind of tough on us, especially me.”
Talk about your game tonight – Coach said you’re allowed a bad game.
“Yeah I had a bad game, but we got the win so I’m happy. It was tough to get going because I wanted to make the jump shots I normally make. But the way they were playing me - they weren't letting me shoot and they weren’t letting me drive. They were packing the defense in and once you’re not making those jumpers it’s hard to do stuff but pass it back out.”
Syracuse vs. Notre Dame
February 3, 2014
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Syracuse Student-Athlete Quotes
Trevor Cooney, Guard, Redshirt Sophomore
How about the preparation for this one coming off of Duke? What did you guys talk about, what did you go through? It was a quick turnaround obviously.
“We knew that Notre Dame was a good team and we knew that we just had to come out and be ready to play coming off a high like that and a win (against Duke). Sometimes it’s tough, but the ACC’s got tough teams and we knew about Notre Dame. We had to come ready to play, we did in the first half, but then we kind of slacked off and you can’t do that. We were lucky enough to make some shots and our defense wasn’t that bad. We made some points at the end.”
Does the basket look a little bigger after a night like this?
“Yes, I think so. I definitely felt really good. I felt good coming in to the game and I got into a good rhythm early. To shoot like this you have to get in to a good rhythm early.”
When did you know?
“When I hit the third or fourth, I definitely felt something, but (after) the one going in to halftime, I definitely thought I’m in to a good groove now. But, then we came out of halftime and I missed my first one, but I stayed with it and continued to shoot and I got going again.”
Jerami Grant, Forward, Sophomore
When Trevor Cooney is making shots like that, what does it do for you and Tyler Ennis and the rest of the team?
“It allows you to get to go one-on-one with your man. When somebody is following Trevor it is always good for everybody.”
You go from the best game you guys have had on Saturday, followed by needing a great game by Trevor Cooney. Was it an emotional toll from three games in six days catching up with you?
“I think defensively we were good tonight, it was offensively that we couldn’t get in a rhythm. They had a game plan and we didn’t really know what it was. It was tough to get easy baskets like we usually do.”
With Trevor (Cooney), is it kind of like when pitchers throw a perfect game, you just have to let him do is thing?
“With Trevor hitting three’s like that the only thing we do is go screen for him. Every time we got the ball we were looking for him and screened for him. He just kept making them.”
Tyler Ennis, Freshman, Guard
Do you and the players talk about being number one?
“No not at all. Coach (Boeheim) let us know that right now this really means nothing and we want to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season. So whether we’re ranked or not, right now that really doesn’t matter.”
Did it feel like a weird vibe in the Dome tonight? Was it weird coming back after the Duke game?
“I didn’t think so. A couple guys were tired, including myself, but we just have to bounce back. It’s a quick turnaround and Notre Dame is a good team and Trevor (Cooney) got hot for us in the first half to get us the early lead.”
How about that fast break lob for Grant?
“Yeah. I always tell my guys to run the floor and the coaches tell them to run the floor and when people run the floor like that you have to reward them.”
C.J. Fair, Senior, Forward
Can you talk about Trevor’s performance tonight?
“Trevor saved the game for us. He hit nine threes. He had the hot hand and not too many people do that. Usually when you have the hot hand you make five or six threes, he made nine.”
How hard was it to come back after the Duke game?
“Every game you get excited to play. When things aren’t going your way and it’s a totally different style of game against Notre Dame – they like to slow it down. We couldn’t get in a rhythm and it’s hard when you don’t get that many possessions. So it’s kind of tough on us, especially me.”
Talk about your game tonight – Coach said you’re allowed a bad game.
“Yeah I had a bad game, but we got the win so I’m happy. It was tough to get going because I wanted to make the jump shots I normally make. But the way they were playing me - they weren't letting me shoot and they weren’t letting me drive. They were packing the defense in and once you’re not making those jumpers it’s hard to do stuff but pass it back out.”
