Syracuse vs. West Virginia Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse vs. West Virginia
January 28, 2012
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“This is the first game, obviously, we did not been shoot the ball well. We got a lot of good looks that you’ve got to make or it’s going to go down to the wire. We just kept missing. We’ve got our guards who need to help us out on the boards. A lot of the bouncing balls, their guards are getting them. One good thing is that we only turned the ball over six times and they turned it over 17. We picked up 11 points there which we had to have or the game would not have been close. We really haven’t shot the ball well from the three since the league started. We are getting good looks; I don’t think James [Southerland] can get better looks from the three. Scoop’s were good, Brandon’s, Dion’s were wide open. You’ve got to make some of them because we are going to get beat on the boards a little bit; We’ve got to make some of those shots. I thought the difference in the game was our defense stopped them a couple times when you had to and we made some free throws when you had to the other night. Tonight we needed to, we made some free throws.
“You knew West Virginia was going to come back like this. They’ve been a good road team the whole year. They wiped Kansas State and they should have beaten Baylor in the tournament. They won by 20 at Rutgers; they just had a bad game the other night. Everyone does that at one time or another in this league. They’re tough; Kevin Jones played great and that’s what he does every night.
“I thought our big guys played okay inside. This was one of those games when you don’t make shots and make a play it is going to come down to who makes a play at the end. Brandon made a huge drive; Kris made a huge drive, Dion made some plays. We had just enough on offense to make up for the fact that they missed some shots at the end. We just haven’t been doing a good job on the boards; we really haven’t all year. But these last two games, Notre Dame and particularly this game; and it is not the center position. Everyone is going to look at that, but Fab was averaging six rebounds a game against the other positions. Our defensive guards have to get some rebounds. It is really about our guards and forwards doing a better job rebounding the ball. That is imperative. The turnover efficiency is good but we’ve got to do a better job getting something. We can get out-rebounded but not by 20 something.”
Can you talk about Baye’s play today?
“Baye was good and he was active. He was coming off of a bad game and I thought he was doing a good job.”
How did you approach the final 30 seconds?
“We did a good job defensively and then when Kris got the ball I don’t know what he was thinking. I don’t know, I have no clue. He just has to hold the ball and the game is over. The offense, and based on that play alone, we probably should have lost the game. We played good defense and we challenged. With that loose ball the game should have been over.”
What did you think about the play of Kevin Jones?
“Kevin Jones is going to get his points. I thought we did a good job on the big guy. I thought we had Bryant pretty good and then he started hitting threes in the second half. Jones got going then and we did not want that to happen. He works hard and he rebounds. He is physical and tough. He has been doing it all year and he is a very good player.”
How about the ability to get steals?
“Well our defense is going to get some steals and that is what we do. We have done a good job all year. There is really no excuse for the rebounding and we have to do a better job.”
Are there things that could have been done differently to stay out of foul trouble?
“Guys are going to get into foul trouble in this game and in this league. They aren’t ready to play in this league yet. They are going to have to foul sometimes. You want to foul guys sometimes when they aren’t making foul shots. We tried to foul some guys the other night and you want to use fouls sometimes.”
“What are your thoughts about the interior defense?
“I think the rebounding was the problem.
“Our defense is not as good without Fab. Hopefully we will find out this week. He is working through his issues.”
January 28, 2012
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“This is the first game, obviously, we did not been shoot the ball well. We got a lot of good looks that you’ve got to make or it’s going to go down to the wire. We just kept missing. We’ve got our guards who need to help us out on the boards. A lot of the bouncing balls, their guards are getting them. One good thing is that we only turned the ball over six times and they turned it over 17. We picked up 11 points there which we had to have or the game would not have been close. We really haven’t shot the ball well from the three since the league started. We are getting good looks; I don’t think James [Southerland] can get better looks from the three. Scoop’s were good, Brandon’s, Dion’s were wide open. You’ve got to make some of them because we are going to get beat on the boards a little bit; We’ve got to make some of those shots. I thought the difference in the game was our defense stopped them a couple times when you had to and we made some free throws when you had to the other night. Tonight we needed to, we made some free throws.
“You knew West Virginia was going to come back like this. They’ve been a good road team the whole year. They wiped Kansas State and they should have beaten Baylor in the tournament. They won by 20 at Rutgers; they just had a bad game the other night. Everyone does that at one time or another in this league. They’re tough; Kevin Jones played great and that’s what he does every night.
“I thought our big guys played okay inside. This was one of those games when you don’t make shots and make a play it is going to come down to who makes a play at the end. Brandon made a huge drive; Kris made a huge drive, Dion made some plays. We had just enough on offense to make up for the fact that they missed some shots at the end. We just haven’t been doing a good job on the boards; we really haven’t all year. But these last two games, Notre Dame and particularly this game; and it is not the center position. Everyone is going to look at that, but Fab was averaging six rebounds a game against the other positions. Our defensive guards have to get some rebounds. It is really about our guards and forwards doing a better job rebounding the ball. That is imperative. The turnover efficiency is good but we’ve got to do a better job getting something. We can get out-rebounded but not by 20 something.”
Can you talk about Baye’s play today?
“Baye was good and he was active. He was coming off of a bad game and I thought he was doing a good job.”
How did you approach the final 30 seconds?
“We did a good job defensively and then when Kris got the ball I don’t know what he was thinking. I don’t know, I have no clue. He just has to hold the ball and the game is over. The offense, and based on that play alone, we probably should have lost the game. We played good defense and we challenged. With that loose ball the game should have been over.”
What did you think about the play of Kevin Jones?
“Kevin Jones is going to get his points. I thought we did a good job on the big guy. I thought we had Bryant pretty good and then he started hitting threes in the second half. Jones got going then and we did not want that to happen. He works hard and he rebounds. He is physical and tough. He has been doing it all year and he is a very good player.”
How about the ability to get steals?
“Well our defense is going to get some steals and that is what we do. We have done a good job all year. There is really no excuse for the rebounding and we have to do a better job.”
Are there things that could have been done differently to stay out of foul trouble?
“Guys are going to get into foul trouble in this game and in this league. They aren’t ready to play in this league yet. They are going to have to foul sometimes. You want to foul guys sometimes when they aren’t making foul shots. We tried to foul some guys the other night and you want to use fouls sometimes.”
“What are your thoughts about the interior defense?
“I think the rebounding was the problem.
“Our defense is not as good without Fab. Hopefully we will find out this week. He is working through his issues.”
