Coach Boeheim Quotes
Madison Square Garden
2K Sports Classic
November 20, 2009
Syracuse Orange
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
On tonight’s game:
“I have been coming down here (Madison Square Garden) for a long time. I think the second half was one of the better halves we have played down here. We really competed defensively and rebounding the ball.
"We are really unselfish on the offensive end. We got the ball to A.O. (Arinze Onuaku) and he has to do what he did tonight every night. When he is a force in there, it makes us a different team. I think offensively we played as well as we can play in that second half and defensively.
"North Carolina has a lost a number of players. They are going to be a very good team but they are not the team they were last year. They lost great players.
"I am proud of the way we played down here. We played hard on defense and played very, very unselfish on the offensive end. That is all you can ask of your team as a coach. I told them one thing, Tuesday night (at Cornell) is going to be the toughest game they have all year so hopefully they will get ready for that the next there days.”
On the next game:
“We are playing at Cornell. They got us 18 down last year so we will be ready for them. You have to understand that (North Carolina) is not the national championship team. If that team was here, it would be a whole different story. They have practically, completely, a whole new team. I was impressed with the way they played last night. I think Ohio State is a very, very good basketball team and North Carolina had control of that whole game. Again, they are not the national championship team. That team has graduated and is playing somewhere. They are a good team. We just have to go home and get ready to play Tuesday.”
On the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer tournament:
“It is always good to get wins. When you can beat good teams early it is a great thing.”
On the guards:
“Andy (Rautins) has been great. He has been a vocal guy. I think we have a lot of guys…Scoop (Jardine), Brandon (Triche). Brandon Triche made a huge play to start the second half. He is a freshman, got in the lane and made a play. He is a very good player. They are guards, they will get better. We will get better. We have to get a lot better but we will get there.”
On Kris Joseph:
“I was waiting for him to make a three. I told him he was either going to make one soon or he isn’t going to be taking them. He made a few. We needed those threes to get that separation because they (North Carolina) are going to keep coming back.”
On Wesley Johnson:
“Wesley has good patience. He doesn’t force things. He is a very good defensive player. He is a good rebounder. He can block a shot for you. He is very patient. He waits for things to come to him. He was very aggressive tonight. It is the most aggressive I have seen him. I think he is still trying to figure out what he has to do and how to get there. He will get there.”
