Head Coach Jim Boeheim Quotes - High Point
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. High Point
December 20, 2013
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“We didn’t get our defense going. Our offense was really good in the first half. We were up by three because our defense wasn’t there. We allowed them to shoot 50.0-percent from both the three and inside. In the second half it was 35.0-percent (overall) and 25-percent (from three). You have to play defense. They made some difficult three’s. But you know, that happens sometimes. The second half our defense was just better. First half when you’re not active, you don’t force turnovers. We forced four turnovers (in the first half), in the second half 15. That got us out and got us some easy baskets on the other end. That was really the difference. Just starting to really play defense.
Were you concerned when High Point had the lead and how they played?
“No we just didn’t play defense. I don’t have to figure out what the reason is. It’s just we didn’t play defense aggressively.”
With Villanova coming in a week, is that something that concerns you?
“Nope. Just tonight won’t have anything to do with Villanova.”
With an entire week off, how are you going to keep the guys focused?
“Well you know at this stage of the year we’ve gone hard since September, the whole month of October, the whole month of November, three weeks here. So I think as we always do, we get a Christmas break and it’s something that I think the players need. I think it’s always been beneficial and to be able to go home, it’s a great thing. We got an extra day – usually we’d play on the 21st or 22nd – so they get an extra day. We’ll come back up and start practicing Christmas night and have two full days after that to get ready for Villanova.
What happened to Jerami (Grant)?
“I don’t know. I think his ankle, but I’m not sure. I think he’s alright.”
C.J. (Fair) only had one turnover today and that’s been a little bit of an issue for him so far this year.
“Well those things will work themselves out I think. I’m not worried about him.
Trevor Cooney bounced back from the game down at St. John’s and wasn’t shy at all in the first half.
“Oh he’s not shy. He hasn’t been shy all year. We didn’t get him many shots at St. John’s and tonight he didn’t get many. We’ve got to get him at least seven or eight at least. They (High Point) were in a hard set up tonight. None of them (three-pointers) were really, really easy. I think he got one fairly easy shot. We just have to do a better job of getting him shots and he’s got to work hard and get open. It helps him when we can get some in transition, but we haven’t done a lot of that.”
With St. John’s first and Villanova coming up, how important is it for you to keep those type of matches in the non-conference?
“Well, we’re going to play good teams, non-conference every year. We’re going to play in a tournament every year. We’re going to play at least a couple – you know, a couple at least – that we schedule. And we’ll be in the Big Ten/ACC game. So we’re going to get fix, six games every year that’ll be difficult games. And St. John’s was a real good game.”
The game was close in the first half when you went with Tyler Roberson.
“Well he’s been working in practice and we just want to get him used to it. He wasn’t really ready. It’s hard when you don’t play for a few games. It’s really hard. Practice isn’t the same thing as games. There just haven’t been opportunities for those freshmen. They haven’t been that impressive in practice to say ‘we’re going to put these guys in there.’”
Closing Statement
“We just want to get a good break, come back, get back to work and keep our momentum going. These guys have played well. It’s been a long two-and-a-half, three months already. There’s probably actually about the same left. We’re probably over halfway in terms of when we started working on this thing because we went through summer and really worked August, September, October, November and into December now. So we’ve been at this a long time. We need a break. We really have only played two games in the last couple weeks. But it’s been hectic. It’s been a lot of basketball. I think we need the break, the time now. I think it will be good for us. A lot of things we can still work on when we get back up here. Two more non-conference games to work toward and get ready for the conference. But they’ve had a great start to the year. They’ve done everything we could have asked. We’ve played some really good teams and played some really good basketball. We’ve seen some things we need to improve on as we go forward too.
Have you been surprised by that at all?
“No I don’t get surprised. I don’t think of it, what we’re going to do. So it’s no surprise. We win them all or lose them all, it’s no surprise. I try not to think about those things and figure out what’s going to happen.
Syracuse vs. High Point
December 20, 2013
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“We didn’t get our defense going. Our offense was really good in the first half. We were up by three because our defense wasn’t there. We allowed them to shoot 50.0-percent from both the three and inside. In the second half it was 35.0-percent (overall) and 25-percent (from three). You have to play defense. They made some difficult three’s. But you know, that happens sometimes. The second half our defense was just better. First half when you’re not active, you don’t force turnovers. We forced four turnovers (in the first half), in the second half 15. That got us out and got us some easy baskets on the other end. That was really the difference. Just starting to really play defense.
Were you concerned when High Point had the lead and how they played?
“No we just didn’t play defense. I don’t have to figure out what the reason is. It’s just we didn’t play defense aggressively.”
With Villanova coming in a week, is that something that concerns you?
“Nope. Just tonight won’t have anything to do with Villanova.”
With an entire week off, how are you going to keep the guys focused?
“Well you know at this stage of the year we’ve gone hard since September, the whole month of October, the whole month of November, three weeks here. So I think as we always do, we get a Christmas break and it’s something that I think the players need. I think it’s always been beneficial and to be able to go home, it’s a great thing. We got an extra day – usually we’d play on the 21st or 22nd – so they get an extra day. We’ll come back up and start practicing Christmas night and have two full days after that to get ready for Villanova.
What happened to Jerami (Grant)?
“I don’t know. I think his ankle, but I’m not sure. I think he’s alright.”
C.J. (Fair) only had one turnover today and that’s been a little bit of an issue for him so far this year.
“Well those things will work themselves out I think. I’m not worried about him.
Trevor Cooney bounced back from the game down at St. John’s and wasn’t shy at all in the first half.
“Oh he’s not shy. He hasn’t been shy all year. We didn’t get him many shots at St. John’s and tonight he didn’t get many. We’ve got to get him at least seven or eight at least. They (High Point) were in a hard set up tonight. None of them (three-pointers) were really, really easy. I think he got one fairly easy shot. We just have to do a better job of getting him shots and he’s got to work hard and get open. It helps him when we can get some in transition, but we haven’t done a lot of that.”
With St. John’s first and Villanova coming up, how important is it for you to keep those type of matches in the non-conference?
“Well, we’re going to play good teams, non-conference every year. We’re going to play in a tournament every year. We’re going to play at least a couple – you know, a couple at least – that we schedule. And we’ll be in the Big Ten/ACC game. So we’re going to get fix, six games every year that’ll be difficult games. And St. John’s was a real good game.”
The game was close in the first half when you went with Tyler Roberson.
“Well he’s been working in practice and we just want to get him used to it. He wasn’t really ready. It’s hard when you don’t play for a few games. It’s really hard. Practice isn’t the same thing as games. There just haven’t been opportunities for those freshmen. They haven’t been that impressive in practice to say ‘we’re going to put these guys in there.’”
Closing Statement
“We just want to get a good break, come back, get back to work and keep our momentum going. These guys have played well. It’s been a long two-and-a-half, three months already. There’s probably actually about the same left. We’re probably over halfway in terms of when we started working on this thing because we went through summer and really worked August, September, October, November and into December now. So we’ve been at this a long time. We need a break. We really have only played two games in the last couple weeks. But it’s been hectic. It’s been a lot of basketball. I think we need the break, the time now. I think it will be good for us. A lot of things we can still work on when we get back up here. Two more non-conference games to work toward and get ready for the conference. But they’ve had a great start to the year. They’ve done everything we could have asked. We’ve played some really good teams and played some really good basketball. We’ve seen some things we need to improve on as we go forward too.
Have you been surprised by that at all?
“No I don’t get surprised. I don’t think of it, what we’re going to do. So it’s no surprise. We win them all or lose them all, it’s no surprise. I try not to think about those things and figure out what’s going to happen.
