SU Player Quotes vs. Connecticut
Syracuse Player Quotes
Syracuse vs. Connecticut
January 16, 2006
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Junior Guard Louie McCroskey
On battling back in the second half…
“It’s really hard because sometimes, like any team would, we try to get it back in one play. It’s tough when you spot a great team like that 20 points. We didn’t give up. We could have folded. I think we played with heart and courage in the second half. We played as hard as we could.”
On coming out strong in big games…
“As a whole, this is the first time that we’ve had a big game like this, and with the students back…Maybe guys got too antsy. It’s happened to me before, you get so excited to do well that when you get out there, it takes awhile to relax. The problem is, a team might get up on you ten or twenty points.”
On the play of Connecticut…
“I think we’re a strong team. We have some road games that we’ve won, and hopefully we can take some positives out of this. UConn is probably one of the best, if not the best team in the country. “
On moving forward…
“The BIG EAST is tough, but we’ll be learning. In the last couple of games, we didn’t get anything. I think we battled, though. It’s a tough loss, but we can’t dwell on it.”
Senior Guard Gerry McNamara
On playing Saturday night on the road, then Monday night at home…
“We can’t use that as an excuse. NBA guys play every night. They have to go out there and play eight more minutes than we do and do it every single night for 82 games. We’re pretty well conditioned. Your body is going to take some hits and bruises, but that’s no excuse to come out like we did. We had some tough games on the road, but to come home and play flat in front of the fans is disappointing.”
On playing with patience…
“It’s tough to break habits. I think once you get into something, you tend to keep doing it. We were going right away and trying to get at them, and they have probably two or three of the best defenders in the league. It was difficult. In the first half we were just trying to go too soon and not moving the ball and finding each other like we have been. In the second half we did a little bit better job of that, and of being more patient, but at that point it was a little too late. We have to learn from it, and overall it should make us a better team. It depends on Wednesday. We have to come in ready to practice and if we don’t, this meant nothing to us. Perhaps impatience was because of the setting. We were thrilled to be in the situation we were in, coming off two road wins and playing on Big Monday against UConn, who is as good as any team in the country. I think impatience came with us being so excited. That was just a little bit of nerves, itching to get on the floor and play. You can’t really hold people accountable when they want to play and they want to make things happen, but at the same time you have to because that’s not how we win games.”
On playing hard until the end of the game…
“You have to have pride in what you do. Any time you don’t have pride, you shouldn’t be doing it. We’re not going to hang our heads if we’re losing by 20. We’re going to battle back and try and get it to ten. That’s what you have to do.”
