Coach Boeheim Quotes vs. South Alabama
Coach Jim Boeheim Post Game Quotes
Syracuse vs. South Alabama
March 14, 2007
Carrier Dome-Syracuse, N.Y.
Opening statement:
“I want to thank our fans. There is no question in my mind that they lifted us up. It wasn’t because we weren’t ready to play or we weren’t thinking about playing. South Alabama just played tremendous. They really were in sync. When it was 59-50, we did a tremendous job on defense. We really didn’t let them get anything. We finished a couple of plays down near the basket. Eric (Devendorf) was tremendous tonight. He kept us in the game. We were searching for any way to score for a long time. We missed a lot of easy opportunities around the basket. Eric just kept us in the game when we had nothing going. I just think that our defense saved us and the fans had a lot to do with that. They were tremendous tonight. I watched the games last night in this tournament and from the games tonight, there’s not going to be a lot of easy games. The one-seeds last night had a couple of easy games, but other than that, every game that I watched was a battle. South Alabama is a very good basketball team, very well coached. They do a tremendous job on offense and a tremendous job on defense. Demetris didn’t have many shots. He had fewer good looks then in any game we played this year. Andy (Rautins) got a lot of good looks again, but he just isn’t quite there. His leg is getting better, but he’s not getting the lift he was when he was shooting it really well.”
On the fans’ support:
“When you don’t make the NCAA Tournament and you finish poorly, as we did in 2002, then you have nobody show up (for the NIT). The people that did come were very into the games. Tonight they were spectacular. That was the story of the game that so many people came. I think they came because we finished the season strong and they appreciated the way we played. We didn’t have any clue how many people would come when this was announced. It was easy to think, ‘Well, the students have gone home. How many people are going to come?’ Our fans proved again how loyal they are. I really, truly believe that when you let the fans get into those seats, it’s much nosier than it is any other time of the year. You don’t need the top part of the end zone part, you need the 15,000 in the middle. When people are in those seats and want to make noise, it makes a tremendous difference. That was as good of a home crowd as we’ve had all year, right up there with Georgetown and Connecticut when we had more than 30,000. You never know how much fans mean or don’t mean, but tonight they really picked us up. You still have to make plays, though. We had great fans against Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. Fans don’t score too many points.”
On the play of the seniors:
“They struggled in the first half, I think they only had about five or six points combined. They had a similar game, against Connecticut, I think, I’m not really sure, where they struggled early and picked it up in the second half. It’s difficult for Terrence (Roberts). He’s hurt, he doesn’t have his legs. He’s getting around the basket and he can’t finish because he doesn’t have it. He’s a great factor on defense for us. He knows how to play our defense.”
On Eric Devendorf’s performance:
“Eric and Demetris (Nichols) are very similar. When they feel they are going to make it, they make it, generally. They make tough plays. Eric’s doing a better job of penetrating. Tonight he was really close to getting four or five more assists. He made some pretty good passes that weren’t finished. For us to play better we have to play better inside and we have to get Andy going. We are fortunate that we have a few days to work and rest. It always helps Terrence when he has some time.”
On the NIT:
“This is a great tournament. I think the NIT has changed. It used to be there were a couple of games that were really nothing games, then you played a tough game and won. Now, they are all hard games and good games. It goes back to the fact that there are more good teams. You watch the quality of play and the intensity that people play with. This was as good of a game as any that we played in our league, in terms of people going after it, working hard, and making good plays.”
On being prepared for the NIT:
“Our players 9:00 in the morning, you are expected to play all out. They do that. We practice at 9:00 and they go hard. If you have a game on national television and you can’t get ready to play, then you are not a basketball player. We could have lost this game. We were trying hard. When it was a nine-point game, they missed two pretty good looks. They make those two, we might not have been able to come back. Too many times when you lose a game in this situation, people tend to say you didn’t come to play. That’s not always the case. We’re playing basketball. We want to keep playing and do the best we can. We think this is a good tournament. South Alabama was in the NCAA Tournament and at one point they won 13-straight games. They finished the year with two or three overtime games that they lost.”
