Syracuse vs. Marshall Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse vs. Marshall
December 6, 2011
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Coach Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“The entire game we did a really good job and they did not make anything, which helps, but I thought we kept moving and kept the ball out of the middle. Offensively we probably had ten fast break opportunities, but we did not convert and you just have to convert those. We made some bad decisions and that’s disappointing.
“I thought we played pretty well for a while. We were probably up eight or ten, we had three or four right in a row with our best players with the ball coming down and we just made bad decisions and bad plays and it’s just something you can’t do.
“I think one thing I’ve been impressed by watching Marshall was they were a rebounding physical team, they got on the boards and exposed of a weakness ours. We forced a lot of missed shots and then didn’t get the ball back. And that’s obviously something that’s of a concern. This is probably the first bad game C.J. Fair had since he’s been with us and he just couldn’t get it going tonight and I thought Dion Waiters and our guards did a good job, including Michael Carter-Williams.
“It was a defensive struggle and they were a good defensive team and if we had taken advantage of those fast break opportunities I think we would have been alright, but that is something we can work on and we will.”
Can you talk to us specifically about Brandon Triche?
“I think Brandon has played really well, but tonight he wasn’t very aggressive, he just wasn’t going in and I thought we would give Michael some time and he did a good job for us. Michael got the ball to people and didn’t turn it over. He had a couple nice assists and made his free throws. I thought it was a good opportunity and a good learning experience for him, not getting him in during the last game and we got him in for a while and I thought that he did a good job. But Brandon is really playing at a high level, he missed some shots tonight that he is normally going to make, but he’s playing and he’s aggressive and playing at a high level.”
What did Marshall do, especially with Dennis Tinnon, and how did you react on defense?
“He is a good rebounder, and whenever you play zone there’s going to be some opportunity because of the way we play our zone to cover people, we’re covering people, and there are some opportunities in their for the offense to get on the boards. I think we could have done a better job than we did, but he’s a good offensive rebounder and he did a good job.”
You had 12 steals today and lead the nation in steals:
“We normally are pretty high in the league with steals; I think this year we have been a little bit more active. I think it may be just a comfort level of guys being in the defense for a while now. I just think we’ve been more active, we’re covering areas better, I think our zone is better than it’s been, but we normally are pretty good in terms of forcing turnovers, making steals.”
How does playing a team like this prepare you for when the BIG EAST comes up?
“Well it’s a physical game and they are coming at you, and there are going to be a lot of games like that down the road. “
On defense in the second half compared to the first half:
“I think that generally your defense is better in the first half and that teams get used to play against whatever defense you play. We normally get better in the second half but we didn’t do that today. I think in the last few games we scored about 40 in the second half and about 30 in the first half because your offense gets going better in the second half, normally. It didn’t work so well for us tonight because of the problems we made in the fast break situations. “
What do you hope to improve for the next game regarding rebounds against you?
“Well I think our guards should have helped us a little bit more, I think that would be something that would be helpful. I think Dion has got to help us and he did not help us tonight on the board. I felt this was the first game that C.J. was just not really in there and he didn’t play like he normally plays. He played 20 minutes with limited rebounds and that’s not his game. I think we can rebound better.”
On Michael Carter-Williams:
“Michael really inspired a lot of confidence with me with the way he played tonight. He made good decisions and he is a very good defensive player and he did a very good job down there, so that’s a big positive. We’re trying to give him time and experience. The last two teams we have not played well, we have not played good offense. We should score, not turn it over. It’s just some offensive errors. I think we have to feel fortunate that we’ve won both but I think that we have also have to get better on offensive.”
What do you think Marshall did best?
“They are a very good rebounding team. In the game they lost, they missed 18 free throws. They were a very good rebounding team and a very physical team. I think they struggled with shooting the ball at times and I think some of it was our defense and they didn’t get a shot for a long time. They are a physical team and a very good rebounding team and are probably up there in the country with rebounds.”
December 6, 2011
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Coach Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“The entire game we did a really good job and they did not make anything, which helps, but I thought we kept moving and kept the ball out of the middle. Offensively we probably had ten fast break opportunities, but we did not convert and you just have to convert those. We made some bad decisions and that’s disappointing.
“I thought we played pretty well for a while. We were probably up eight or ten, we had three or four right in a row with our best players with the ball coming down and we just made bad decisions and bad plays and it’s just something you can’t do.
“I think one thing I’ve been impressed by watching Marshall was they were a rebounding physical team, they got on the boards and exposed of a weakness ours. We forced a lot of missed shots and then didn’t get the ball back. And that’s obviously something that’s of a concern. This is probably the first bad game C.J. Fair had since he’s been with us and he just couldn’t get it going tonight and I thought Dion Waiters and our guards did a good job, including Michael Carter-Williams.
“It was a defensive struggle and they were a good defensive team and if we had taken advantage of those fast break opportunities I think we would have been alright, but that is something we can work on and we will.”
Can you talk to us specifically about Brandon Triche?
“I think Brandon has played really well, but tonight he wasn’t very aggressive, he just wasn’t going in and I thought we would give Michael some time and he did a good job for us. Michael got the ball to people and didn’t turn it over. He had a couple nice assists and made his free throws. I thought it was a good opportunity and a good learning experience for him, not getting him in during the last game and we got him in for a while and I thought that he did a good job. But Brandon is really playing at a high level, he missed some shots tonight that he is normally going to make, but he’s playing and he’s aggressive and playing at a high level.”
What did Marshall do, especially with Dennis Tinnon, and how did you react on defense?
“He is a good rebounder, and whenever you play zone there’s going to be some opportunity because of the way we play our zone to cover people, we’re covering people, and there are some opportunities in their for the offense to get on the boards. I think we could have done a better job than we did, but he’s a good offensive rebounder and he did a good job.”
You had 12 steals today and lead the nation in steals:
“We normally are pretty high in the league with steals; I think this year we have been a little bit more active. I think it may be just a comfort level of guys being in the defense for a while now. I just think we’ve been more active, we’re covering areas better, I think our zone is better than it’s been, but we normally are pretty good in terms of forcing turnovers, making steals.”
How does playing a team like this prepare you for when the BIG EAST comes up?
“Well it’s a physical game and they are coming at you, and there are going to be a lot of games like that down the road. “
On defense in the second half compared to the first half:
“I think that generally your defense is better in the first half and that teams get used to play against whatever defense you play. We normally get better in the second half but we didn’t do that today. I think in the last few games we scored about 40 in the second half and about 30 in the first half because your offense gets going better in the second half, normally. It didn’t work so well for us tonight because of the problems we made in the fast break situations. “
What do you hope to improve for the next game regarding rebounds against you?
“Well I think our guards should have helped us a little bit more, I think that would be something that would be helpful. I think Dion has got to help us and he did not help us tonight on the board. I felt this was the first game that C.J. was just not really in there and he didn’t play like he normally plays. He played 20 minutes with limited rebounds and that’s not his game. I think we can rebound better.”
On Michael Carter-Williams:
“Michael really inspired a lot of confidence with me with the way he played tonight. He made good decisions and he is a very good defensive player and he did a very good job down there, so that’s a big positive. We’re trying to give him time and experience. The last two teams we have not played well, we have not played good offense. We should score, not turn it over. It’s just some offensive errors. I think we have to feel fortunate that we’ve won both but I think that we have also have to get better on offensive.”
What do you think Marshall did best?
“They are a very good rebounding team. In the game they lost, they missed 18 free throws. They were a very good rebounding team and a very physical team. I think they struggled with shooting the ball at times and I think some of it was our defense and they didn’t get a shot for a long time. They are a physical team and a very good rebounding team and are probably up there in the country with rebounds.”
