Syracuse Player Quotes
NCAA Selection Sunday
Sunday, March 16, 2003
Senior forward Kueth Duany
On being back in the NCAA tournament:
“It feels great. Getting the opportunity to compete for the National Championship is what college basketball is all about. A lot of these guys didn’t get the opportunity to go last year. We worked hard this year and things started to work out for us."
On what advice he would give to his younger teammates:
“Just to enjoy it. I have had the opportunity to go to the Sweet 16 and if you win, you just enjoy the time with your teammates.”
On what the team has learned from the BIG EAST Tournament:
“We just have to be ready to play. The other night we started out a little slow, dug ourselves in a hole and that’s something we don’t want to do.”
On what the tournament means to him as a senior:
“We are not trying to think about losing. We are trying to win every game. We don’t want to end this season with a loss.”
Sophomore forward Hakim Warrick
On other teams focusing on SU's youth:
“Yes, I think they will talk about it a lot, especially since Kueth is the only starter to make it to the tournament. We have been through so much this year. We just have to play like we have been playing the whole season.”
On the potential pressure that comes with being a No. 3 seed:
“There's no pressure at all. It feels good to get some recognition. We have been underdogs the whole season, and we just want to go out there and not let anyone down.”
Freshman guard Gerry McNamara
On the pressure of postseason:
“We can’t come out slow like we have been. We have to come out every game and play it like it’s our last.”
On his fans from Scranton getting to Boston:
“I am sure I will have a few fans in Boston.”
On his high school state championship experience helping him in the NCAAs:
“I have been in a lot of big games in high school. Coach Boeheim always tells me that I am used to these situations. I think all of us, as young as we are, have been in big situations and are expected to take big shots. I think everyone makes a big deal about how young we are. We have all been there so I think we can get it done when it comes down to it”.
On playing close to home:
“It doesn’t hurt. I think we have a great fan base and great support. I think the closer we are to home the better.”
Sophomore center Craig Forth
On making the NCAA Tournament this year, after not making it last year:
“This year we walked in to watch the selection show laughing and smiling and ready to go. Last year we just kind of left the room after we found out we weren’t going. It makes it a lot more fun to be one of the 65 teams in the tournament, playing for a national championship.”
On the possibility of getting to his hometown of Albany, N.Y. for the third round: “I’m sure we would have a lot of fun. I’m just thinking about Boston right now. We have Manhattan to deal with.”
On playing Manhattan in the first round: “They are a scrappy team and they are a full-court team. We have game film and things we can study from them and get ready as much as possible. After that, we just have to go out and play. That’s all it is, to see how much heart we have. I think we have a lot of heart on this team. All fifteen deep have a lot of heart.”
Freshman forward Carmelo Anthony
On playing two games in three days (Friday and Sunday) in the NCAA Tournament:
“We’ve had two times this year where we were playing on Saturday and Monday, and we won. I think we are used to this. You have to take one game at a time. The most important thing is getting rest in between the games.”
On Manhattan guard Kenny Minor:
“That’s my best friend. But I don’t know him on the court. He’s a scrappy little guy.”
On putting the loss to Connecticut in the BIG EAST Tournament out of the team’s mind heading into the NCAAs:
“After the game we were taking the loss hard. Then we got on the bus and the plane and started thinking about it (the NCAA Tournament). We are blessed to be in this tournament right now. We know that we have things to take care of.”
