Coach Boeheim Quotes
Syracuse vs. Alcorn State
December 29, 2012
Coach Boeheim Quotes
Carrier Dome – Syracuse, N.Y.
Opening Statement:
“I thought our defense was good, but I think what happens is that sometimes when you lose your first game, you come back and you start thinking about things. I think we got frustrated offensively – really most of the night -- and we were trying to do some things we really aren’t good at. We did try to get it inside a little bit and we’re not ready quite yet for that.
I think obviously we’re not a good free-throw shooting team, but the weakest guys are the guys who got fouled tonight. DaJuan (Coleman) and Jerami (Grant) are struggling and have been struggling from the foul line. They’re the two, going to be the biggest guys. And they were getting the ball and getting fouled. So they were active anyway and that’s a good thing. But you can’t continue to miss half your free throws, or close to it. That’s something that is a concern.
We forced a lot of turnovers, fortunately. Our defense was pretty good and that made it so they weren’t going to get back in it, even though it appeared they’d get back in. But what we need is to have our perimeter guys play well. That’s how we won at San Diego State. That’s how we won against Arkansas. When our perimeter guys play well, I think that everything can work off that.
Our big guys aren’t ready offensively to do things that are going to win games for us. Throwing the ball into them and making post moves, that’s not going to happen. So we’ve got to have our perimeter guys playing well. We’ve got to get James (Southerland) some better looks. Obviously Mike (Carter-Williams) and Brandon (Triche) have got to play well, I think, for this team to be successful.
I thought it was good that Trevor (Cooney) got in there and was in there when it was a close game and made a couple really good plays to give us some space. I think that was good for his confidence. He’s had good practices this week and I think that led to this. He had a very good game.
We obviously need to play a lot better and I think we will. I think coming back right away with another game is a good thing and another couple days back and we’re starting the league. I think we’ll learn from this experience and be ready Monday to play again. I think that will be good for us.”
The end of the Detroit game, then Temple and tonight, would you say your team is struggling at this point? Or how would you characterize its play?
“Temple we played pretty well. We missed too many free throws to win the game, that’s all. Temple’s a good team, but we missed a lot of free throws and that’s going to happen.”
Are you concerned about three-point shooting this year? You’ve struggled to shoot it a bit.
“Well, you know, it is what it is. Whatever the stats are, they don’t lie. Shooting stats don’t lie.”
Michael (Carter-Williams) struggled tonight. What did you tell him?
“You know everybody struggled tonight. Everybody struggled. Michael struggled two games in a row if you were there, not just tonight. He was good tonight compared to the last game. He’s a sophomore. He’s never played in college in a meaningful game until this year. This is how he is going to play.”
December 29, 2012
Coach Boeheim Quotes
Carrier Dome – Syracuse, N.Y.
Opening Statement:
“I thought our defense was good, but I think what happens is that sometimes when you lose your first game, you come back and you start thinking about things. I think we got frustrated offensively – really most of the night -- and we were trying to do some things we really aren’t good at. We did try to get it inside a little bit and we’re not ready quite yet for that.
I think obviously we’re not a good free-throw shooting team, but the weakest guys are the guys who got fouled tonight. DaJuan (Coleman) and Jerami (Grant) are struggling and have been struggling from the foul line. They’re the two, going to be the biggest guys. And they were getting the ball and getting fouled. So they were active anyway and that’s a good thing. But you can’t continue to miss half your free throws, or close to it. That’s something that is a concern.
We forced a lot of turnovers, fortunately. Our defense was pretty good and that made it so they weren’t going to get back in it, even though it appeared they’d get back in. But what we need is to have our perimeter guys play well. That’s how we won at San Diego State. That’s how we won against Arkansas. When our perimeter guys play well, I think that everything can work off that.
Our big guys aren’t ready offensively to do things that are going to win games for us. Throwing the ball into them and making post moves, that’s not going to happen. So we’ve got to have our perimeter guys playing well. We’ve got to get James (Southerland) some better looks. Obviously Mike (Carter-Williams) and Brandon (Triche) have got to play well, I think, for this team to be successful.
I thought it was good that Trevor (Cooney) got in there and was in there when it was a close game and made a couple really good plays to give us some space. I think that was good for his confidence. He’s had good practices this week and I think that led to this. He had a very good game.
We obviously need to play a lot better and I think we will. I think coming back right away with another game is a good thing and another couple days back and we’re starting the league. I think we’ll learn from this experience and be ready Monday to play again. I think that will be good for us.”
The end of the Detroit game, then Temple and tonight, would you say your team is struggling at this point? Or how would you characterize its play?
“Temple we played pretty well. We missed too many free throws to win the game, that’s all. Temple’s a good team, but we missed a lot of free throws and that’s going to happen.”
Are you concerned about three-point shooting this year? You’ve struggled to shoot it a bit.
“Well, you know, it is what it is. Whatever the stats are, they don’t lie. Shooting stats don’t lie.”
Michael (Carter-Williams) struggled tonight. What did you tell him?
“You know everybody struggled tonight. Everybody struggled. Michael struggled two games in a row if you were there, not just tonight. He was good tonight compared to the last game. He’s a sophomore. He’s never played in college in a meaningful game until this year. This is how he is going to play.”
