Head Coach Jim Boeheim Post-Game Quotes
Coach Jim Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse vs. Oakland (Mich.)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Carrier Dome/Syracuse, NY
Opening statement
“I thought our defense was really good in the first half. I thought we did a good job on the boards early. This team (Oakland) scored a lot of points the other night at Oregon, and they have to be tired, it’s a tough trip coming back from there. But, I thought we played well defensively.
“We moved the ball pretty well in the first half and took control of the game. I think whenever we built a big lead in the second half, we tended to ease up a little on the defensive end and they scored and we scored. But, we got a lot of good looks. We made some early to get some separation. We have to keep moving the ball and keep working hard, we can still get better.
“We still made too many turnovers and that’s something we certainly have to correct going into Monday. Obviously we’re looking forward to going to Kansas City. It’s a really good early season tournament and we had a good warm-up period where we’re now ready to go out there and play some outstanding teams.”
On Kris Joseph’s play
“He’s doing some good things on offense, he just has to get better defensively. It’s a learning process, and you have to pick up some things there. Offensively, he has a good knack for getting on the boards and getting in the right spots down there.”
On Rick Jackson’s blocks
“He’s got to help us inside. We put him and Arinze [Onuaku] together today, but he’s got to help us inside and be a factor. I thought he rebounded well in the first half, I thought he was real good on the boards. We got it out and down the court because of that. It’s real important for him and Arinze to protect the basket for us.”
On the team’s passing in the first half
“I thought we moved the ball exceptionally well in the first half. In the second half, I think we dribbled a little too much, but we did real well in the first half. We had some real good open looks that we didn’t make. We just have to keep moving the ball and we’ll eventually get those shots.”
On Andy Rautins’ shooting
“It’ll take some time to get back. He’ll get back, he’s playing really well. He’s moving very well, his defense has been very good and he’s been passing the ball really well. He’ll get his legs back eventually, it just takes some time.”
On Monday’s game in Kansas City
“I think we’re ready in the sense that we have to go. We’ll see how ready we were when we get back from the game.”
On Oakland’s play
“They did a lot of isolation dribble stuff. It’s different from Richmond’s game, where it had a lot of plays and a lot of sets. This game was completely different, it was just dribble-drives and one-on-one basketball. For the most part, we did a nice job and kept guys in front of us and forced them to take a tough shot.”
On Kris Joseph’s potential
“He’s got to keep working and get better on the defensive end. He’s got some talent, but he still has a lot to learn. I think Mookie [Jones] did really well tonight, too, for not getting in the first game. He went in there and made a real good offensive play and then made two really good plays on defense, too. So, I think it was important for him to get in there and get the taste of playing.”
On the lineup
“We’re going to play eight guys every game, sometimes nine. We have a good idea of who we want to play. How they play will determine who gets the most minutes in there. It could change from night to night, we just have to see how the guys play.”
On Paul Harris’ shooting
“I thought he was very active tonight and got us off to a great start running the court. I thought he was more aggressive than the other night. He can make that pull up jumper and he’s got to keep working the boards and playing good defense for us.”
