Coach Boeheim Postgame Quotes
St. John’s vs. Syracuse
February 24, 2009
Madison Square Garden
Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim
On tonight’s game:
“The difference tonight was our defense. We haven’t been playing very well at the defensive end; our offense has been good all year. Defensively, we have not forced any turnovers. Tonight we got back in. We forced turnovers, we trapped, we got some steals and that led to easy baskets at the other end. I thought the first half we played just about as well as we’ve played all year. St. John’s has been difficult in here for people. They beat Seton Hall, they beat Notre Dame in here. They have been in every game. I just thought we played well defensively. Jonny (Flynn) made some shots in the first half that were back breaking kinds of shots. He was defended pretty well and he was still able to get a shot up and make it. I think the whole thing was defense tonight. We got some offense off of our defense and we just did a much better job than we have in awhile defensively and that was the difference in the game.”
On team’s defense:
“We were trapping the short corner and we haven’t done a good job with that. I am sure they haven’t seen us in any game do that. We haven’t been good at doing that and tonight I thought that was the difference. We forced five or six turnovers down there and got fast break opportunities off them too. I thought in the first half we played very well. We made some real bad turnovers in the second half, we started right out with, we should have had two easy layups inside and we turned it over both times. But defensively, we were good for the most part, the whole game tonight.”
On game’s atmosphere:
“We’ve always drawn a pretty good slew of fans down here, but tonight there was probably the most I can remember that we’ve had down here. But again we’ve been playing well offensively we just have to keep working on the defensive end of the court.”
On sophomore guard Jonny Flynn:
“It’s just an unfortunate break. He was sicker than anyone thought. He’ll come to practice when he’s sick, but he literally could not get on the practice court for two days. You can’t go into a game without practicing, especially Villanova, a very good defensive team, they pressure a lot and he just didn’t have any energy. Johnny can do this every night. He is a tremendous player. Early in the year against Kansas and Memphis he made shots in those games and that was the difference. The games that we had that were tremendous wins, he made big shots, and that was the difference really. (Tonight) I think he hit a couple and got it going, but he was very good. He got people the ball, he scored, he got some steals, I thought he was very good out there.”
On recording his 31st 20-win season as a coach:
“I never evaluate myself. I am not going to start now. In coaching, I am sure everyone is going to think this is a cliché thing, but you worry about the next game you’re playing. I am already starting to think about Cincinnati. They have played great this year and we’ve got to focus on that game and that game alone. Nothing else really matters. I remember thinking once that Adolf Rupp, with the 800-something wins he had, I said that’s like 20 wins a year for 40 years. I said I won’t even last ten. At least I lasted more than ten.”
