Head Coach Jim Boeheim Quotes - Villanova
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. Villanova
December 28, 2013
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“I think the number one thing in this game - you know obviously we didn’t get off to a great start - but part of it was they made four really hard threes and when people do that... We didn’t respond very well on offense. We didn’t get our offense going. They bothered us a little bit with the trap and we tried to dribble in some tough situations. We finally got our offense going and Trevor (Cooney) a couple of good looks, and C.J. (Fair) a couple looks and then our defense started to pick up. We didn’t give them any looks. That’s what I’m most proud of. You’re down 25-10, that’s a big hole. The good news is though you’re only 10 minutes into the game and I think we went 17-0 on them right then and then we played really well at the end of the half. They threw a luck shot up, but we went down and responded and scored. I think that’s a huge thing. But Villanova is a very good team, they’re very physical, they get after you, they’ve got good veteran leadership, guys that have played a lot of games and the way we responded I thought was tremendous. I think our back court played well all year, they were really, really tremendous today. Tyler made some drives when we really were stuck, they were denying. Whenever they’re denying, pressuring that much, there is an area of open lanes there and he (Ennis) just gets to the basket better than most. But I thought Trevor and Tyler (Ennis), they were the difference today, they were absolutely tremendous today. This was really obviously a very physical, tough game and I think we started slow, who knows why. We haven’t played a lot, but we just got off to a slow start and they got off to a great start. But it’s a great win and we think about it and get ready for Eastern Michigan.”
The team went 14-of-16 to end the game from the free throw line, what can you say about how important that was?
“If they’re fouling the right guys we’ve got good free throw shooters. Our guards had the ball and C.J. has the ball, they’re good free throw shooters. Jerami Grant has made some big ones this year. He’s very good in those situations. He started out this summer making some when we needed them and he made them in Hawaii and he has continued to make those.”
Can you just discuss the way Tyler was able to change speeds?
“Well he’s just clever and really good with the ball. He kind of lulls people to sleep like he’s not going. We’re getting movement to be able to create lanes for him through pressuring. That’s one of the reasons I put Trevor back in. Mike (Gbinije) was playing good but they just leave Mike and it takes away that lane so when he’s (Trevor) in the game they’re going to play him and it opens up that lane for Tyler to get to the basket. I thought he really was tremendous. They’re a good defensive pressure team. We didn’t get a lot of assists because they weren’t helping and he was finishing, but that’s what he does. He’s very good with the basketball.”
It’s a game of runs sometimes, but is there ever a point where it’s going to be too much?
“Well you never know what’s going to happen in a game. All games are like that, some are not that long, but that’s the way basketball is. There was no indication that we were going to get going. When it was 25-10 we got two traps on defensive plays that we got turnovers on and got in transition. Jerami got Trevor an open three, he got another three in transition and that kind of got us going. We just kind of eased into it and then our defense picked up. They really didn’t get a lot to look at the last ten minutes of the first half, they didn’t get a lot of looks. They should have had 31 at the break, which is six points in the last ten minutes. It’s what they really should have had. It’s one thing to bank it, but when you bank a one hander off of an out of bounds, that’s really hard to believe.
DaJuan didn’t play in the second half.
“His knee’s been bothering him a little bit. We didn’t want to push it. They’re so small and quick, two big guys isn’t going to help against them, that’s all it was.
The decision to bring in Jerami at the end there with four fouls with five minutes to play, just talk about that.
“Well we wanted to go high-low with Jerami passing it down to Rakeem (Christmas) and I knew he’d be good and if he did foul out we were ok. Rakeem and Baye (Moussa Keita) can play together so that wasn’t a hard decision.”
It seemed like Keita’s hustle really helped you guys out when he got in, can you talk about that?
“Well Baye’s been doing that every game, he does what he does. He’s active, he’s a tremendous defensive player. He’s been good. Every year we’ve had him he helps us win.”
Closing Quotes:
“We did a real good defensive job, particularly on Pinkston. He’s hurt us in the past. I just thought we really did a good job on him inside. Our interior defense was really good. We made some big plays, some steals in there, we made some really good plays. Even the three’s they did make in the second half I thought were hard threes. They were corner threes, challenged. Again we stepped up big time today. This was the first really adverse situation where we’ve been down a lot and nothing phased them (the team).”
Syracuse vs. Villanova
December 28, 2013
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“I think the number one thing in this game - you know obviously we didn’t get off to a great start - but part of it was they made four really hard threes and when people do that... We didn’t respond very well on offense. We didn’t get our offense going. They bothered us a little bit with the trap and we tried to dribble in some tough situations. We finally got our offense going and Trevor (Cooney) a couple of good looks, and C.J. (Fair) a couple looks and then our defense started to pick up. We didn’t give them any looks. That’s what I’m most proud of. You’re down 25-10, that’s a big hole. The good news is though you’re only 10 minutes into the game and I think we went 17-0 on them right then and then we played really well at the end of the half. They threw a luck shot up, but we went down and responded and scored. I think that’s a huge thing. But Villanova is a very good team, they’re very physical, they get after you, they’ve got good veteran leadership, guys that have played a lot of games and the way we responded I thought was tremendous. I think our back court played well all year, they were really, really tremendous today. Tyler made some drives when we really were stuck, they were denying. Whenever they’re denying, pressuring that much, there is an area of open lanes there and he (Ennis) just gets to the basket better than most. But I thought Trevor and Tyler (Ennis), they were the difference today, they were absolutely tremendous today. This was really obviously a very physical, tough game and I think we started slow, who knows why. We haven’t played a lot, but we just got off to a slow start and they got off to a great start. But it’s a great win and we think about it and get ready for Eastern Michigan.”
The team went 14-of-16 to end the game from the free throw line, what can you say about how important that was?
“If they’re fouling the right guys we’ve got good free throw shooters. Our guards had the ball and C.J. has the ball, they’re good free throw shooters. Jerami Grant has made some big ones this year. He’s very good in those situations. He started out this summer making some when we needed them and he made them in Hawaii and he has continued to make those.”
Can you just discuss the way Tyler was able to change speeds?
“Well he’s just clever and really good with the ball. He kind of lulls people to sleep like he’s not going. We’re getting movement to be able to create lanes for him through pressuring. That’s one of the reasons I put Trevor back in. Mike (Gbinije) was playing good but they just leave Mike and it takes away that lane so when he’s (Trevor) in the game they’re going to play him and it opens up that lane for Tyler to get to the basket. I thought he really was tremendous. They’re a good defensive pressure team. We didn’t get a lot of assists because they weren’t helping and he was finishing, but that’s what he does. He’s very good with the basketball.”
It’s a game of runs sometimes, but is there ever a point where it’s going to be too much?
“Well you never know what’s going to happen in a game. All games are like that, some are not that long, but that’s the way basketball is. There was no indication that we were going to get going. When it was 25-10 we got two traps on defensive plays that we got turnovers on and got in transition. Jerami got Trevor an open three, he got another three in transition and that kind of got us going. We just kind of eased into it and then our defense picked up. They really didn’t get a lot to look at the last ten minutes of the first half, they didn’t get a lot of looks. They should have had 31 at the break, which is six points in the last ten minutes. It’s what they really should have had. It’s one thing to bank it, but when you bank a one hander off of an out of bounds, that’s really hard to believe.
DaJuan didn’t play in the second half.
“His knee’s been bothering him a little bit. We didn’t want to push it. They’re so small and quick, two big guys isn’t going to help against them, that’s all it was.
The decision to bring in Jerami at the end there with four fouls with five minutes to play, just talk about that.
“Well we wanted to go high-low with Jerami passing it down to Rakeem (Christmas) and I knew he’d be good and if he did foul out we were ok. Rakeem and Baye (Moussa Keita) can play together so that wasn’t a hard decision.”
It seemed like Keita’s hustle really helped you guys out when he got in, can you talk about that?
“Well Baye’s been doing that every game, he does what he does. He’s active, he’s a tremendous defensive player. He’s been good. Every year we’ve had him he helps us win.”
Closing Quotes:
“We did a real good defensive job, particularly on Pinkston. He’s hurt us in the past. I just thought we really did a good job on him inside. Our interior defense was really good. We made some big plays, some steals in there, we made some really good plays. Even the three’s they did make in the second half I thought were hard threes. They were corner threes, challenged. Again we stepped up big time today. This was the first really adverse situation where we’ve been down a lot and nothing phased them (the team).”
