.png)
Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse vs. Massachusetts
March 25, 2008
Syracuse, N.Y. - Carrier Dome
Opening Statement:
"The first half, I really think we did the things we needed to do to get in the lead. Our defense was good, we made some bad turnovers, but overall our defense was good. The second half, we just broke down defensively and gave them some wide-open threes, and they're going to make them. First half, we didn't. They shot 2-for-15 because we were there. Second half, we didn't. The pressure is going to hurt you, they're going to get some errors, we made a couple. We handled the pressure, but we missed 20 layups. When people are pressing you, you have to keep scoring. You have to keep going to the basket, you have to keep scoring, you can't hold the ball. We did a good job of getting the ball inside, and Ricky [Jackson] and Arinze [Onuaku] got what we wanted, but you have to make them. They're going to make some threes, they're going to get some turnovers, they're going to get openings because they can push it so well, and we're going to wear down a little bit. But, you have to make your layups, and we didn't do that, and that was the ballgame."
On Donte Greene's last play:
"We wanted him to go to the basket. He just didn't get a good angle on it."
On UMass pressing Arinze Onuaku:
"They had to do that, and that's the only way they could get back into the game – to pressure. We have seven guys – we got tired a little bit. But, we handled the pressure alright overall. We actually had less turnovers in the second half than in the first. But, we missed too many layups. It wasn't just Arinze, Ricky missed some easy layups, too. We just missed too many layups. When a team pressures you and gambles like they did, you have to score. We just didn't score."
On UMass's three-point shooting in the second half:
"The second half, they had more coming at us in transition, when we were fighting to get back, and didn't get back. Paul [Harris] and Kristof [Ongenaet] were back there a couple times, and didn't get to the three-point shooters. You can't do that. They're going to score, and they're going to make some threes, when they're running and pushing it like that. You can't miss 25 layups. You just have to keep scoring. We missed too many easy shots around the basket."
On Paul Harris's critical turnover:
"Paul didn't get back on the three-point shooter, then he caught the ball and threw it right to him. Same thing he did against Pittsburgh. It was the exact same play."
On losing big leads throughout the season:
"We haven't blown a lot of leads, actually. Pittsburgh and this game are the two games. Some of it is that we do wear down a little bit. Paul Harris is not a guard, never has been a guard. We're playing two freshmen guards, and they're going to make some mistakes in those situations. I'm more concerned about the amount of missed layups. You cannot win college basketball games when teams are pressuring you and you miss layups. Until Paul [Harris] turned it over on that play, we hadn't turned it over because of their pressure. Get the ball down, get it inside, and you have layups. We just didn't finish layups. You cannot miss layups and win college basketball games."
