Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse vs. Tulane
December 1, 2007
Syracuse, N.Y. - Carrier Dome
“I thought we made a tremendous effort to play defense tonight. I think it is going to help us in the long run, particularly early. I thought we really did a tremendous job and I thought Arinze (Onuaku) did a tremendous job on the post guys inside. I really thought it was a tremendous effort.”
“We shot the ball well, and in a game like this where you’re really not making the three, you have to find another way. We rebounded. We got on the boards and we got some penetration in the second half. Jonny (Flynn) and Eric (Devendorf) both didn’t get the assist, but they got the ball up on the backboard and Arinze was right there and finished. I think that penetration is the same thing. This team did not allow you to get that penetration and they did not allow you to get back in there or get that 3-point shot. For most of this year, we were making those shots, but you’re going to have games like this. I would not take back any of those three’s. They were wide open three’s, but when they needed one at the end, Eric got Jonny open for one and then Jonny got Eric open for one.”
“I just thought overall we wanted to do something on the defensive end tonight and I think that was very positive and obviously, if we shoot the ball well from the three, it’s a little bit easier of a night. We’ll take the win and we just have to get ready for Virginia.”
On Josh Wright getting in the game tonight:
“It’s going to take a while. He made a couple turnovers, but his practice yesterday was good and I think if he gets some more time, he will catch back up. I think he needs at least two or three more good practices. He was aware of what to do. He just made a couple bad turnovers, but he wasn’t the only one.”
On Paul Harris tonight and all year so far:
“I think he is doing well rebounding and making plays. I’m just trying to get him to take that pull-up jumper in the lane. That’s the one that he can make, but he is still trying to take the stand still. We just have to get that out and pick his spots a little better. Defensively, he was good. I thought overall it was the best we’ve played defense so far. We gave them four points on technical fouls, and it would have been even better if we didn’t. I think he has to do what he is doing. Keep working the boards and making plays. The good thing in this is I think both our man and our zone were pretty good and I think we rebounded better and that’s important for us.”
On what the referee said on the technical foul:
“He said it was my fault because there is supposed to be no gesturing, but I thought that meant if somebody walks you’re not supposed to jump up and give a walk (signal). All I was trying to do was point out that the guy was hitching at his foul shot, which is illegal, and then he was shooting it. Our guys were being drawn off. The rule is you’re not supposed to gesture to the official. I was just showing what he was doing and I don’t think that was the interpretation of the rule. The rule is you’re not supposed to show up an official by making calls, but I was just trying to point out what he was doing because it happened twice.”
On whether he expected Arinze to be this good:
“I think he has great hands around the basket and I think when he gets it around the basket he is able to finish with either hand, which I think is always a good quality. I think we are still not really good at getting the ball in the right spot sometimes and that is something that takes a lot of time. It’s hard for young players to know when it is their turn or when we should get it inside. We have a lot to learn. We are still making mistakes on both ends of the court. I don’t have the patience for it and some of the mistakes we shouldn’t be making, but others we are just going to have to learn to live with as we go throughout the year.”
On having all five starters play so much:
“I think it was the pace of the game and we could never get comfortable. The game was always on the fringe of six to eight points and when you’re in that area and you put a couple guys in and they make a couple mistakes, now it’s four.”
On fixing the offensive rebounding:
“You can’t fix everything. We are going to make mistakes all year. People think I’m really smart, but I can’t fix things that young players do in a day, a week, or two months. Good teams have veteran guys that help them get through that. We do not have that so these guys are in their first year of having to play in games except for Eric. Everybody else is in their first time of being in there and having to make plays. Last year, Demetris (Nichols) made all the big plays and Eric made some. Our defense was anchored by the two inside guys. Andy (Rautins), to his credit, at the end of last year started to step up and make big shots for us. That was at the end of the year and he was a sophomore. These guys are in their first year and I don’t know if they will get there this year. They may not. It certainly will not be next week. We have the month of December to work on everything. We defended better tonight, but we obviously have not defended the last six games. This is one game and Tulane is not a great offensive team. We have to get better and we are a long way from being where we need to be to be competitive in the BIG EAST.”
