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Syracuse Coach and Player Quotes
Syracuse vs. Texas, NCAA Semifinal
Saturday, April 5, 2003
Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Head coach Jim Boeheim
On the game:
"So much for the 2-3 zone concept. I knew that it would be an offensive game. Texas can score points against any defense. We haven't really been sharp in the tournament on the offensive end. And tonight we were right from the beginning. We were able to maintain it the whole game. Our offense was good. Our defense picked up a little bit in the second half, but it was really our offensive game."
On Syracuse's freshmen:
"This year, these two guys got an extraordinary opportunity because we obviously had to run the things that we do through them. They're unusual freshmen. I felt that from the beginning. Gerry (McNamara) won the state championship last year in Pennsylvania - 44 points in the first half against a team that I thought would beat them by 20. He's a big-game player, wants to take big shots. He has no fear. He was second or third in our conference in steals. So, I mean, he's a pretty good little defensive player when he makes up his mind.  The other guy (Carmelo Anthony), I don't think I need to say anything about him anymore. I think he's shown what he is all about."
On how Texas defended Anthony:
"Texas is a very good defensive team. They came at him with at least two guys on every play. You know, he was really tremendous tonight. Our other guys really picked it up. This was our best offensive game. We haven't played well offensively in the tournament. You're not going to stop a Texas or Marquette or Kansas. You're going to have to score."
On SU's bench:
"Our bench has been huge in this tournament. Josh Pace really made the key shot of the game tonight - real tough shot he made. It really played well on both ends. He's played tremendously in this tournament. Billy (Edelin) didn't get it going tonight. But he's a guy that's been good for us. Hakim (Warrick) stepped up tonight. I thought he got us off to a great start, then he made some big plays down the stretch when they were really cheating to Carmelo."
On the possibility of winning a championship:
"That's what you're in this game for - you want to win it, you don't want to just get there. That's what we (him and Kansas coach Roy Williams) both want. That's what all the players want. This really comes down to a player's experience. The first phone call tonight again in the locker room was Derrick Coleman. He still remembers that one-and-one he missed out here. He wants us to win this one so he can not think about that one so much anymore.
"Nobody's going to believe this, that's fine. But it's about what this is going to mean to these players. I've had a great career. If I never coached another game after tonight, I'd be very happy. People won't believe that. I don't really care. These guys have put their heart and soul into this season. They want to win, and I want them to win for themselves because I know how tough it is sitting in that locker room when you lose. I'm a grown man. I've lost a lot of games. That's just the way I feel about it."
Freshman forward Carmelo Anthony
On the team's confidence heading into the final:
"Our confidence is pretty high right now. We made it to the championship. We're looking forward to playing Kansas in the championship."
On playing for the national title as a freshman:
"It don't get better than this, playing in a championship game. The Final Four is the biggest event ever besides the Super Bowl. Just being a part of the championship game... Hopefully we get a ring, a championship out of it."
On his game:
"I'm not satisfied with my game. I think I played pretty well. I took shots. My field goal percentage wasn't bad. I got my teammates open. That was the most important thing of the night, getting my teammates involved."
On his experience at Syracuse:
"That's what players come to college for, to try to be in a situation like this, to play in a championship game. We lost our first game of the season. Here we are playing the last game of the season. So my experience has just been great."
Senior guard Kueth Duany
On playing their fourth Big 12 opponent of the tournament:
"All teams are different. It's not like we're facing the same team. You know, it's just another match-up. We have to change with whoever we play."
Freshman guard Gerry McNamara
On Syracuse's season:
"It's hard to believe that we're at this point right now. But we've worked hard all year. We came down here for a reason. That's to win a championship. I think we worked hard for it, and it's paying off."
