Player Quotes Colgate
Syracuse vs. Colgate
December 11, 2010
Syracuse, N.Y. – Carrier Dome
Student-Athlete Quotes
Brandon Triche, Sophomore, Guard
How did it feel to knock down back-to-back threes at the start of the game?
“It felt great. I have not made a three pointer since about early November, so my first one gave me a lot of confidence. It showed me that I need to just keep shooting.”
With Coach Boeheim trying to get everyone minutes today, was it hard to get an individual flow going today playing so few minutes?
“It does not matter to me how many minutes I play as long as we win. I just go out there and try to play well. I think as a group we played well. We are not as bad of shooters as our stats say. Coming out here and hitting 11 threes, that’s a huge confidence booster for our team.”
What was the difference for you today that allowed you to knock down the outside shots?
“I’m not really sure. It just felt better today. I think going further my stats are going to rise. I hit a little slump early, but everyone goes through that. I think in the upcoming games, you’ll see me knock a few more threes down. I think it will help us as a team. When we are not hitting threes, we have to go one-on-one. As a team, that’s not something we want to do.”
Has it been an adjustment for you this season playing off the ball, in the shooting guard position rather than your natural spot at point guard?
“It has been a little bit of a change for me. I still have the mindset of being the point guard, even when I’m not dribbling or even have the ball in my hands. So a lot of times I might pass up a shot to get another shot. So I am trying to transform myself a little bit.”
Scoop Jardine, Junior, Guard
After such a huge win against a quality opponent in Michigan State, what were the chances you guys were going to come out flat today?
“No chance at all. We have one of the best coaches in the country. He keeps us grounded, no matter what. He never lets us get too high or too low. All year, he has been like that. Michigan State was a great game for us to go out there and see where we were at. We got a great win down in the Garden. But to come out and get a win like this where we jumped on them like we were supposed to. We beat them, like we were supposed to. That was the great thing about tonight.”
The team now has a week off before you have to take the court again, how important is it for the team to rest up and improve in that time?
“For us, yeah, there is a week off of games. But there are no days off. We’re going to get back in the gym tomorrow and just get better. We’re going to always get better. No matter what we do, we’re always going to be ready for whoever is next on our schedule.”
Is tonight a testament to how good you guys can really be?
“When we stick to our principles and play the right way by taking the right shots and so on, we’re a really good team. When we play the right way, I don’t think anyone in the country can beat us. When we play the wrong way, we can be beaten. We just have to stick to our principles and do what coach (Boeheim) says. Continue to do what we have to do to get better. Just take everything one game at a time.”
James Southerland, Sophomore, Forward
Tonight seemed to be a way for you to work your way back into game play, what were you focusing on?
“Mainly defense and rebounding. I really wanted to try and get some steals here and there. My shot has not been falling, but I know eventually I will start to knock down the open looks. I’ve been shooting them well in practice. Every time in the game, it seems to be just in and out. They’ll start to fall.”
How tough has it been to not be getting as many minutes as you’d like?
“It is really tough, but the key is to just stay mentally focused. Just know that you’re going to get another opportunity, and when you do, just give it your all.”
It seems like you’ll be seeing some increased minutes in the next few games, is there any pressure going forward?
“There is no pressure. But if I keep working hard and stay consistent everything will work out. Coach just tells me I need to go out and make shots, rebound, and most importantly do stuff defensively. You can’t always depend on your shots to fall. You have to bring something else to the table.”
C.J. Fair, Freshman, Forward
The team is now 10-0, how about that?
“It’s really nice. But we still have a lot of work to do. A lot of good teams are coming up on our schedule, so we just have to continue the good work.”
From the tip you guys totally dominated every facet of the game, what’d you think about it?
“Straight off the tip we scored. It got everybody involved, even the bench. The guys who might not get that many minutes got in a lot tonight. Hopefully that will help us improve as a team.”
Michigan State only beat Oakland by one today, whereas you guys come out and absolutely crushed this Colgate team. What does that say about your team?
“Obviously the Michigan State game is an example of playing down to your competition. They’re a better team than what they showed. Coach (Boeheim) makes sure that we do not come out and play down to the level of the other team. Instead, we want to go hard from the start.”
How was your first experience down in New York City against Michigan State? Did Madison Square Garden live up to the expectations?
“It was amazing. That was my first time ever playing there. Just playing on that court, I was in awe.”
