UNI Player Quotes
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Friday, November 12, 2010
SU vs. Northern Iowa
Carrier Dome
Student-Athlete Quotes
Kris Joseph, Junior, Forward
What was the difference for you between the first and second half?
“I just stopped thinking. That’s mainly what it was. In the first half, on my first play I drew a charge and it kind of made me hesitant to go to the basket. It was taking away from my game. Dion Waiters eventually told me to just calm down. Coach Boehiem and the rest of the staff just told me to calm down because they were going to need me in the second half. That’s what I managed to do. Right out of the second half I think I hit a three, which got me going.”
What did you think of the opposing defense?
“They were a hard-nosed team. They weren’t afraid to take a charge, get called for a block, or take a swipe for a ball. They were really aggressive, kind of like a Pittsburgh-type team. I think it’s going to prepare us well for what’s coming our way.”
How did the three you hit to open the second half affect you through the rest of the game?
“It got me going, but it got my team going as well. I think we got more productivity in transition after that. I feel like in the first half we didn’t get much going in transition. But in the second half, even if we didn’t convert, we managed to get to the free throw line out of our transition offense. I think that was a big change in the second half.”
Did you decide that you were just going to be a little more aggressive and assertive?
“That’s really what it was. I took on a new role this year because the team needed me to do that. They look to somebody to get them going a little bit and I think I was that guy today.”
Dion Waiters, Freshman, Guard
What was the difference between the exhibition games and this game for you?
“The first one I had to kind of just get out of the way. I’ve been playing basketball all of my life. Coach Boehiem just told me to be ready and that the team was going to need me. That’s really what I was able to do.”
What did you think of the crowd tonight?
“I love the crowd. It really got me going even more than usual. It was exciting. I was like a little kid out there, just playing basketball. The crowd gets you so hyped and makes you want the ball more. You want to keep scoring and scoring. They kept screaming and it was awesome.”
What did you think of the jump shots you were able to convert tonight?
“I can shoot. The first game was a little rough for me. But I think a lot of people underestimate my jump shot. They don’t know how hard I work. I’ve always been able to shoot, but I look to drive first so I can get to the basket with ease. A lot of people can’t stay in front of me. But I work on my jump shot everyday during practice. After practice I’ll stay and just shoot for an hour and a half. Along with Scoop, we’ve just been working a lot this year.”
Did your performance tonight show the kind of basketball player you are?
“I think I really showed my style tonight. I’m a scorer and I’m always going to come out and bring something to the table. Shooting, scoring, defense, or rebounding, whatever it is, I’m going to bring it to the table. Honestly, it’s kind of motivating for me to be coming off the bench. I’ve never come off the bench before, so it has really kind of humbled me. It has let me know I’m a good player, but I am going to have to work.
Rick Jackson, Senior, Forward
What do you think of the two freshmen big men?
“They are both going to get better. They’re used to blocking a lot of shots in high school. They just have to go straight up. Guys are moving around a lot more and passing more. I think in time they will get used to it. They won’t keep getting into foul trouble like they did tonight.”
What was the difference between the first and second half?
“I think in the first half we didn’t really know what to expect. We didn’t really know a lot about the team but they were a tough-nosed team. They weren’t afraid to push us around. They took us by surprise even though we were playing our home opener. I think guys were a little nervous, but we came out in the second half and did a good job on defense. That really helped our offense a lot. We got out and ran. In the first half, we didn’t really get a chance to get out and run because we weren’t making shots or rebounding. In the second half, we did a good job all around.”
What did Coach Boehiem talk about at half time with the team?
“He really talked about finding some ball movement and getting the ball down low. I think we found a way to do that and it opened up a lot. It allowed us to get the ball out and find guys who made open shots.”
