Coach Jim Boeheim Quotes
SU Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Syracuse vs. Seton Hall
January 8, 2005
Opening Statements:
“Craig Forth led us defensively, keeping the ball out of the middle all night. We have been fortune this year, Hakim hasn’t had a bad game all year and to be able to overcome that is a real good thing for our basketball team.
I think this is the first game that Gerry (McNamara) has really looked like he had his rhythm shooting the ball at the highest level. When he is shooting it like that and they (Seton Hall) are a good defensive team, that is a good sign.
I thought Billy (Edelin) was comfortable out there -- the best I have seen him in a game situation and I think that is a good positive sign.
Our defense was good all night. We just really did a good job defensively and offensively we were patient and moved the ball. I think we got pretty good opportunities and took advantage of them. It’s a good win and we just have to put it behind us real quick and get ready to go out and play Notre Dame.”
On Billy Edelin:
“We are trying to get him back in there and he has to get in the game to see what he can do, practice only does so much. I thought tonight he made a couple plays and he was moving better. Watching his defensive movement, I just think he is doing a better job there and that is a good sign.”
On Gerry McNamara:
“He had it going. He hasn’t really had a great shooting night yet. He had some good ones, but he hasn’t really come out and shot the way I think he is capable of. He definitely looked better tonight in terms of his shots and they are a team that gets up on him and pressures him and tries to be physical with him. I thought he handled that well. We made some good passes and got him some open looks. He made a couple tough three’s too.”
On the defense:
“Our defense was good and they were trying to get it to (Kelly) Whitney. I just thought we did a good job and were active for the whole game. Even when we had the lead, we still came out and were active. We just did a good job on defense.”
On Craig Forth’s defense:
“He was great tonight and good on offense too. He made some good plays, good passes and set some good screens. He was very good night. You don’t get many easy games in this league and we are happy to at least get one of them.”
On Notre Dame:
“Neither team has a lot of time so it is tough when you are the road team. They played at home and it’s a little bit of an advantage, but we will just have to do the best we can. They are a good team, a real good team. They have won two good games and have most of the same guys back from last year. (Dennis) Latimore really helps them inside. They are a real good basketball team.”
On Seton Hall’s physical play:
“They are physical and we have seen that this year with Oklahoma State and Mississippi State, so we have seen that pretty much this year already. I thought Terrence (Roberts) really finished a couple plays well in the first half when he got banged and that was good.”
On if he was surprised by the BIG EAST upsets so far:
“Not really. Rutgers had Pittsburgh today and Pittsburgh made a couple great plays at the end of that game or they would have lost. It is just a real tough league. St. John’s played West Virginia very tough down there. Villanova played Notre Dame tough out there without one of their best players, (Chris) Sumpter, who got hurt in practice yesterday. Everyone in this league can play that’s the bottom line. They are all good and every night you go out there you better play well. We played extremely well tonight and that is what you have to do.”
