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Syracuse Player Quotes
Rutgers at Syracuse
Sunday, March 9, 2003
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Freshman forward Carmelo Anthony
On the team’s confidence level:
“We have a lot of confidence right now. We know that the first half of our season is over. It’s a new beginning.”
On the second-half comeback against Rutgers:
“We knew Rutgers didn’t really have a point guard out there to handle the ball because (Jerome) Coleman was on the bench. Coach Boeheim told us to just go out there and press.”
On finishing the season undefeated at home:
“To finish 17-0 (at home), with all the great players who have been here, is a great accomplishment.”
On breaking the Syracuse freshman single-season scoring record:
“I didn’t know about it until it was announced during the game.”
On being compared to former BIG EAST greats Allen Iverson and Lawrence Moten:
“This is a great accomplishment for me knowing that I worked so hard to get where I am right now.”
Senior guard Kueth Duany
On his last game in the Carrier Dome:
“It’s kind of sad. But we have a new beginning with the BIG EAST Tournament coming up. We want to end this season the right way.”
On the standing ovation he received at the beginning of the game:
“I almost shed a tear. That hits you so deep inside. They (the fans) showed their gratitude for everything I’ve done. I try and play hard for them every time I go out there. I sweat and shed blood to try and show my gratitude for them. The fans, I just love them. All 30,000 of them. There is nothing like it.”
On having his family at the game:
“That’s the best. Just having them there supporting me and being there physically. I’ll never forget this day.”
On coming back from a 12-point deficit in the second half:
“When plays don’t go your way, sometimes you lose focus of what you’re playing for. We had to regroup and focus on what we were playing for - the BIG EAST regular season championship. Once we refocused and realized what we were playing for, our intensity picked up. When our intensity is up, there are not too many teams that can beat us. We won the BIG EAST regular season and want to go on and win the BIG EAST Tournament. We just want to keep playing good basketball and that’s the way to cap this season off.”
