Syracuse Player Quotes
Syracuse Basketball
Syracuse vs. Connecticut
Saturday, February 11
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Player Quotes
Senior Scoop Jardine
How did you think the team performed today?
“For the most part, my teammates -- this is the best we have played offensively in a while. I want to give my teammates a lot of credit. C.J. Fair really battled on the boards. UCon -- it’s always tough playing them. I don’t care how they look or what their record is, they’re one of the best teams in the country and in our league, so this was a great win for us.”
Can you talk about the team’s three-point shooting?
“We’re streaky. When you’re a streaky shooting team like ourselves, you’re going to have some bad games, some good games, but the most important part about coach is, he continues to coach us with confidence and continues to tell us to shoot the ball. Like tonight, we can have games like this and we can also have bad games and still win games, so right now we are one of the top teams in the country, but we continue to have to work on our shooting and work on our defense to be the best team.”
What was your role in final run to end the game?
“They were three’s in the offensive flow. We ran two plays where I got myself set, my feet were under me and I just went up and shot the ball with confidence. That’s why I made my shots today. I shot everything with confidence. I played with confidence and when I’m playing like that, I don’t think any one can stay in front of me.”
Can you talk about your play as your career is winding down?
“I’m just playing basketball with confidence and it’s really sad that it’s about to be over for me. I appreciate everything I got here at Syracuse, from the fans perspective, even from you all (the media). This is it for me so I want to play and leave everything on the floor, on Jim Boeheim Court. Every game I play here, I’m going to do that.
“I never thought coming here, I’d be as big as I am, so I want to cherish everything that coach gave me and everything I got from everybody, because this is a special moment for me and my family and I’m going to cherish every moment.”
Sophomore Dion Waiters
How good was C.J. Fair today?
“I call C.J. the silent assassin. A lot of the times, he doesn’t get open looks on some things he’s doing, but he had a quiet 14 and 8 rebounds or things like that. From a guy like C.J., we expect all that. We know he can do it. We know he is one of the best players on the team. But just for him to come out and rebound the way he did today, we need that every game.”
How did the guards play today?
“We know each other. We know where each other likes the ball. Scoop at the point guard, he gets us into our offense and he was feeling it. We went right back to him and he hit two big shots. I just try to get going by rebounding and anything I can do to get myself in the game. We have great chemistry out there.”
Can you talk about the run to end the game?
“That’s the best thing about this team this year. Anybody can get it going. We don’t even know that we’re going on those tight runs until you look up and somebody tells you. I didn’t know we went on an 18-1 run. You’ll be so caught up in the game, you’ll be focused on defense and rebounding, you don’t even look at things like that. We were hitting our shots. It’s tough to stop us if everybody is hitting their shots. Everyone was hitting today.”
Senior Kris Joseph
What was the difference in the team’s shooting performance today?
“I think it’s the level of concentration over the last couple practices. Everyone is locked in. We’re taking game shots, game speed, things like that and I think it is translating into the games.”
What did you think of Fab Melo’s jump shots?
“He was shooting all these jump shots and making them. He’s shooting the ball well. He was practicing that shot all of practice, so I’m not surprised he made it today.”
What did you think of today’s crowd of more than 30,000?
“It’s overwhelming. Just to know that we have so much support and all the fans come out and appreciate what we’re doing, for the school, for the community, it’s just a great thing and a great feeling.
“It’s overwhelming. Sometimes I just get the chills. It’s a great feeling. I can’t even explain it. Words can’t explain how it feels to be out there when you score a basket or you know you make a big play in the hole – 33,000 fans just screaming, chanting, it’s a good feeling”
Can you talk about your career winding down?
“I don’t want to think about that. It’s sad. It’s a sad thing to think about.”
What has been the difference in your shooting the last couple of games?
“Shots are going in. I’m shooting the same shot but I think what I’m doing better is my balance. I’m landing where I shoot from and I think that’s what’s helping me a lot.”
Sophomore Fab Melo
How good was C.J. Fair today?
“C.J. was great. He helped us on rebounds. He got points. He helps us a lot.”
Can you talk about your jump shots today?
“I made the first jump shot so I was confident and I kept shooting. I told the coach I’m going to shoot until I miss. When I missed the fourth one, I stopped shooting. It was a good thing today, to show the fans that I can shoot.”
Syracuse vs. Connecticut
Saturday, February 11
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Player Quotes
Senior Scoop Jardine
How did you think the team performed today?
“For the most part, my teammates -- this is the best we have played offensively in a while. I want to give my teammates a lot of credit. C.J. Fair really battled on the boards. UCon -- it’s always tough playing them. I don’t care how they look or what their record is, they’re one of the best teams in the country and in our league, so this was a great win for us.”
Can you talk about the team’s three-point shooting?
“We’re streaky. When you’re a streaky shooting team like ourselves, you’re going to have some bad games, some good games, but the most important part about coach is, he continues to coach us with confidence and continues to tell us to shoot the ball. Like tonight, we can have games like this and we can also have bad games and still win games, so right now we are one of the top teams in the country, but we continue to have to work on our shooting and work on our defense to be the best team.”
What was your role in final run to end the game?
“They were three’s in the offensive flow. We ran two plays where I got myself set, my feet were under me and I just went up and shot the ball with confidence. That’s why I made my shots today. I shot everything with confidence. I played with confidence and when I’m playing like that, I don’t think any one can stay in front of me.”
Can you talk about your play as your career is winding down?
“I’m just playing basketball with confidence and it’s really sad that it’s about to be over for me. I appreciate everything I got here at Syracuse, from the fans perspective, even from you all (the media). This is it for me so I want to play and leave everything on the floor, on Jim Boeheim Court. Every game I play here, I’m going to do that.
“I never thought coming here, I’d be as big as I am, so I want to cherish everything that coach gave me and everything I got from everybody, because this is a special moment for me and my family and I’m going to cherish every moment.”
Sophomore Dion Waiters
How good was C.J. Fair today?
“I call C.J. the silent assassin. A lot of the times, he doesn’t get open looks on some things he’s doing, but he had a quiet 14 and 8 rebounds or things like that. From a guy like C.J., we expect all that. We know he can do it. We know he is one of the best players on the team. But just for him to come out and rebound the way he did today, we need that every game.”
How did the guards play today?
“We know each other. We know where each other likes the ball. Scoop at the point guard, he gets us into our offense and he was feeling it. We went right back to him and he hit two big shots. I just try to get going by rebounding and anything I can do to get myself in the game. We have great chemistry out there.”
Can you talk about the run to end the game?
“That’s the best thing about this team this year. Anybody can get it going. We don’t even know that we’re going on those tight runs until you look up and somebody tells you. I didn’t know we went on an 18-1 run. You’ll be so caught up in the game, you’ll be focused on defense and rebounding, you don’t even look at things like that. We were hitting our shots. It’s tough to stop us if everybody is hitting their shots. Everyone was hitting today.”
Senior Kris Joseph
What was the difference in the team’s shooting performance today?
“I think it’s the level of concentration over the last couple practices. Everyone is locked in. We’re taking game shots, game speed, things like that and I think it is translating into the games.”
What did you think of Fab Melo’s jump shots?
“He was shooting all these jump shots and making them. He’s shooting the ball well. He was practicing that shot all of practice, so I’m not surprised he made it today.”
What did you think of today’s crowd of more than 30,000?
“It’s overwhelming. Just to know that we have so much support and all the fans come out and appreciate what we’re doing, for the school, for the community, it’s just a great thing and a great feeling.
“It’s overwhelming. Sometimes I just get the chills. It’s a great feeling. I can’t even explain it. Words can’t explain how it feels to be out there when you score a basket or you know you make a big play in the hole – 33,000 fans just screaming, chanting, it’s a good feeling”
Can you talk about your career winding down?
“I don’t want to think about that. It’s sad. It’s a sad thing to think about.”
What has been the difference in your shooting the last couple of games?
“Shots are going in. I’m shooting the same shot but I think what I’m doing better is my balance. I’m landing where I shoot from and I think that’s what’s helping me a lot.”
Sophomore Fab Melo
How good was C.J. Fair today?
“C.J. was great. He helped us on rebounds. He got points. He helps us a lot.”
Can you talk about your jump shots today?
“I made the first jump shot so I was confident and I kept shooting. I told the coach I’m going to shoot until I miss. When I missed the fourth one, I stopped shooting. It was a good thing today, to show the fans that I can shoot.”
