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Player Quotes Iona
Syracuse vs. Iona
December 18, 2010
Syracuse, N.Y. – Carrier Dome
Student-Athlete Quotes
Scoop Jardine, Junior, Guard
Coach Boeheim talked about how this team doesn’t have a definitive point guard, but instead a lot of guys who can handle the job. Do you agree?
“That’s true, very true. We all have the ability to get us going on offense. I really just try to be the most vocal player on the court. But really, all of us have the ability to get us into our offense, make plays, and find the open shots. Coach (Boeheim) is right, there is no definition point guard out there this year.
How does the versatility at the point guard spot help the team?
“It makes us a lot more dangerous because we can swing the ball out to the wing and still have a ball handler. I can swing it to guys like Brandon (Triche) or Dion (Waiters) and you know they can handle the ball. Even a guy like Kris Joseph is a good ball handler. It is a really big plus for our team and what we can do.”
How good would you say Iona as a team was, and more specifically Michael Glover?
“Michael Glover is a great player. I’ve known him since high school when he used to play with Tyreke Evans, and he has always been a good player. He’s really polished off his game and he is becoming a force. He is going to be one of the top players in the country. Iona as a team though, they were really a tough team to play. They slowed us down. Once they did that, our zone got a little bit stagnant. They made plays. They had a good shooter. They also had some really good drivers who could get shots.”
What do you think about Morgan State and the challenges they’ll present on Monday?
“All these games coming up, they’re going to be tough. Both Morgan State and Drexel will present some challenges. We have to play the right way because if we don’t we can lose these kinds of games. As you can see by teams like Tennessee losing to a couple of mid-majors, everyone knows you can be beaten if you don’t play the right way. We just have to go in there and play Syracuse basketball. If we play smart we should come out with victories.”
Kris Joseph, Junior, Forward
Do you feel like you’re starting to find your role on this team and become more comfortable with what the team needs you to do?“Definitely. I haven’t been called for a charge in a while. I think the week off helped me. It gave me some time to think and get my mind right and focus on what I want to do. Tonight I let the game come to me; I really didn’t try to force it. I think in the end it benefited the team as well as myself.”
Tonight your game seemed to revolve around driving and finding guys to kick the ball too. Is that a fair assessment?
“Yeah, it is something that Coach Boeheim has really been telling me to do. I’m sure most scouting reports say to take the charge on me. So when the defense collapses I can have the alley-oop to one of our big men or I can kick it to one of the guards. Whether it is me making the shots or my teammates, I want to just play a good all-around basketball game.”
Do you have a better feel now for when the team needs you to shoot and when the team needs you to pass?
“Yeah I absolutely have a better feel now. Last year, the defenses were more keying in on Wes (Johnson) and Andy (Rautins), which gave me an opportunity to score easy baskets or transition baskets just from the flow of the game. This year it is a matter of me picking and choosing my spots. I’m not going to be able to take every shot. But once I get an opportunity, I have to take it.
What did you think about Iona’s Michael Glover’s effort tonight?
“Michael Glover was really good. They ran the same play twice in a row on us. We call it the instant replay. They converted it both times. We didn’t underestimate him but he definitely had some success against us. Coach (Boeheim) said he was a BIG EAST caliber player. Glover is a good player overall."
Rick Jackson, Senior, Forward
How tough was it to find a balance between stopping the penetration and shutting down the outside shooters that Iona possessed?
“It was definitely tough. Their guards were doing a great job penetrating and finding the shooter, dumping the ball low to guys, and it’s hard when you don’t stop that. Baye Moussa-Keita was doing a great job though keeping guys out of the middle. But when guys get in the middle too much, it lets the other team hang around.”
They seemed complacent to settle for the outside shot, that’s a lot better than them trying to attack the basket though, right?
“I think they had a lot of big threes. Three’s that really helped them stay in there. Their big guy did a great job of catching and finishing. I think their point guard wasn’t really looking to shoot too much, but instead he wanted to find guys to get shots and open lay-ups.
As you look around the country and see team’s falling to mid-majors like Iona, does it feel good just to maintain your perfect record, even if you guys aren’t playing to your full potential?
“It does feel great; a lot of team’s have lost to mid-major teams just like the one we played tonight. If you go out there and you’re not right on cue, these games can get really tough. These are the team’s that can sneak in there and surprise you. Morgan State on Monday night is the same type of team.”
James Southerland, Sophomore, Forward
Does getting into more and more games help get rid of the jitters you seemed to have earlier in the season?
“Definitely. It makes it feel like your teammates trust you a little bit more when they know you’re not rusty. Straight from when I got out there, Scoop (Jardine) told me to shoot the ball. He knows what I can do from practice. That’s what I did today and got on a little bit of a roll.”
Did you feel good today out there, since you looked as good as you have all season?
“Everything felt comfortable. The first touch seemed to help me out and then I got an early dunk. They called an alley-oop play for me; as soon as I got in the game they made sure I got involved. It really helped.”
Does the alley-oop get you mentally psyched for the rest of the game?
“Absolutely, plus it tells your teammates that you’re ready to go. As soon as you’re in the game, they know what you can do.”
What did Coach (Boehiem) tell you about trying to guard the baseline against this Iona team?
“I think they had a lot of success getting to the rim and getting dunks. But the funny thing is, once I took that away, (Kyle) Smyth started hitting threes. It got a little bit frustrating. After a while, I got used to it. Talking out on the court really helped us to kind of shut that down.
