Syracuse Player Quotes from Media Day
"I was ready to start the season right after last year ended. Each year has made me a little hungrier. It's good to be back. I'm ready to start."
Shumpert on being relied on a little more this year:
"I don't really feel the pressure too much. I just try to lead by example and let my playing do the talking instead of worrying about pressure and what position I'm gonna play."
Shumpert on leading this year's group of young players:
"It's different. They're looking up to me now. They know what this program is about and what needs to be done on the court and off the court. The young guys are starting to learn, it's just gonna take time."
Shumpert on what piece of advice he would give to the new players:
"Just go out and try to get the most out of practice. In games, just try to accomplish as much as you can for your time. So far, we've all been helping each other. Pick-up's been good, very competitive."
Shumpert on what will be different in his game this season:
"I'm gonna put it on the floor a little more and get more free-throw attempts."
Shumpert on how he will handle being the player with the bulls eye on his back and handling possible double teams:
"We have some guys that are very versatile. Because we have guys with the ability to knock down shots, create plays and make plays, I don't think other teams will be able to focus just on me. With those guys are on our team, I think it's going to make things easier for me. Even though they are young, they're very talented."
Junior swingman Kueth Duany on what it's like starting a new season under Coach Boeheim:
"I don't think Coach Boeheim changes that much. What you see is what you get. He's a great coach, a Hall of Fame coach."
Duany on sophomore point guard James Thues:
"I expect a lot from him. This year he's going to show what he can do out on the floor."
Duany on his expectations for the upcoming season:
"Our expectations are always high. Our expectations are to win the BIG EAST and the BIG EAST Tournament also. Then go to the national tournament and do as much damage as we can."
Duany on what he did during the offseason to improve his game:
"I put on a little more weight. I worked on my shooting to become more consistent. I worked on ball-handling, but I really focused on my shooting."
Duany on his assistant coaches, Mike Hopkins and Troy Weaver, as recruiters:
"They're young, wild coaches. Hop (Mike Hopkins) is a character. He always keeps everybody in good spirits. They're the new wave of coaches coming up. They're young, fiery coaches."
Sophomore point guard James Thues on what he worked to improve this summer:
"I worked on my shooting and free throws. I worked a lot on my strength this summer, just tried to get bigger. I worked on my ball-handling skills, shooting free throws and working on my jump shot."
Thues on his confidence in stepping in and starting at point guard this season:
"I know I can step in. It's just a matter of what my coach needs from me. But I know that starting is not a problem for me because I've been here a year and I already know how the system works."
Thues on the adjustment from high school to college ball at Syracuse:
"I was surprised. Coming to Syracuse, I thought it was going to be different from what it was. I thought I would get a lot more playing time, but things just didn't work out that way. I matured from it. It made me a better person."
Freshman Craig Forth on what it was that brought him to Syracuse:
"This coaching staff knows how to coach. That's one of the biggest things I looked at."
Forth on how the relationship of the freshman class has developed:
"We're all pretty tight. When we're together we get along and talk. We're gelling together pretty well, the whole team is."
Forth on coming from high school and now having to accept a different role:
"With me, I got the ball nearly every time down the court in high school. Here, there's two guards or three guards that shoot and look me off, which isn't a bad thing. They can shoot, that's the best part. I love being here because when they're shooting, they're making them. It's fun for me because getting rebounds is what I do. I'm not much of a huge power post player. I'm more of a high post player. I go down to the low post when I can. So far, I've just enjoyed playing and running up and down the court with them."
Sophomore forward Jeremy McNeil on his summer workouts:
"First session, I was here and the people who were here with me, we did a lot of running and lifting. When I went home, I worked out pretty hard and then I went to Greece. I played a lot of basketball in Greece."
McNeil on what he concentrated on this summer in order to get better:
"I worked on running and I worked on jumping quicker with my hands up."
