Student-Athlete Quotes - Pittsburgh
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh
January 18, 2014
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Student-Athlete Quotes
Rakeem Christmas, Junior, Center
You made a hook shot late in the game, can you tell me a little about that play?
“I just tried to be big, take up a lot of space, and get into his body. We had all been working on the hook shot a lot in practice so it was nice to use it and that it worked out.”
Do you talk to the guards and tell them you have an advantage down low or anything like that?
“A lot of times they’ll try to front me down low, that’s when I go and tell them to look for the lob over the top. I just have to make sure I seal him and keep him in front of me so they have a spot to put the pass for me.”
You’re shooting at a ridiculously high percentage, are you thinking more aggressively as a scorer now because of that?
“I’m just trying to stay big and take up space down low and then go up strong when I have a good look.”
C.J. Fair, Senior, Forward
Does it feel like you’re playing with a senior point guard when Tyler [Ennis] is out there?
“As far as his play goes, yes, absolutely. He doesn’t make freshman mistakes, actually, he doesn’t make many mistakes at all for that matter. His play has been a huge plus for us this season.”
Does Tyler’s play surprise you at all, or are you pretty much used to him making the right play at the right time at this point?
“No, it’s not really surprising. It’s very nice knowing he can make those types of plays, especially in late game situations. He made a couple of big plays to help get us this win.”
Coach said the only disappointing part of today’s game was the rebounding. Was that more of Pitt doing what they do well or were you guys just not aggressive enough?
“We know their style of play, it’s always hard to keep them off the boards, the way they crash and box out. Their bigs rebound well and they have big, athletic guards coming in grabbing rebounds too, so we need to play very disciplined to keep them from taking over the glass. It really has to be a team effort, that’s something they excel in, and we’re going to have to do a better job of that next time we play them.”
Tyler Ennis, Freshman, Guard
Boeheim mentioned you in the same breath as Melo (Carmelo Anthony) and Gerry (McNamara) in terms of freshmen who were capable of handling these types of high pressure moments. Your thoughts on being put in that type of class?
“It’s an honor, especially coming from coach. It’s really just the perfect situation. I have a lot of teammates who have a lot of confidence and can make plays, and they make me look really good.”
You’re only a freshman but given how important you already are to your team, what do you feel like? Do you feel like you’re the leader of this team?
“Yes, I feel like I am. I feel like everyone has a voice on this team, whether they are seniors or sophomores, everyone has a place.”
How gratifying is it to win a game like this?
“It feels pretty good, but it made me a little nervous going down the court. We have got to play a better forty minutes.”
Clearly you don’t want games to come down to the last couple of seconds, how important is it for your team to go through a certain amount of game like this and get them on your plate?
“Being undefeated, I think it helps us build confidence. Hopefully we don’t have to come down to those much more.”
Jerami Grant, Sophomore, Forward
What were you thinking when you were taking those free-throws late in the game?
“Just go to the free throw line and make the free throws, just like I do in practice and that’s what I did.”
What do you take away from a game like this with what you could have done on the boards?
“We could have been a lot better on the boards, our defensive rebounds, our offensive rebounds. It was a problem, we are going to move on and get better at it.”
You are out there and you have a guy like Tyler Ennis, a true freshman, who gets those two layups late. What do you think about him as your leader?
“He is a great player, somebody who we can always look to in a late game situation and we know he’s going to be there.”
You’ve said this game was more physical, was there anything else that stood out to you?
“They are a very physical team that knows how to work with the zone, probably one of the best zone offensive teams in the league. It was definitely a tough game.”
How does it feel to be the only undefeated team in the ACC right now?
“It feels great being the only undefeated team in the ACC and in the league. It is a blessing and we are happy for it.”
How do you stay focused, you are getting advanced minutes now, how do you keep focused?
“Just have to stay grounded and stay humble. It is tough playing a lot of minutes, but at the same time you have to keep going at it.”
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh
January 18, 2014
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Student-Athlete Quotes
Rakeem Christmas, Junior, Center
You made a hook shot late in the game, can you tell me a little about that play?
“I just tried to be big, take up a lot of space, and get into his body. We had all been working on the hook shot a lot in practice so it was nice to use it and that it worked out.”
Do you talk to the guards and tell them you have an advantage down low or anything like that?
“A lot of times they’ll try to front me down low, that’s when I go and tell them to look for the lob over the top. I just have to make sure I seal him and keep him in front of me so they have a spot to put the pass for me.”
You’re shooting at a ridiculously high percentage, are you thinking more aggressively as a scorer now because of that?
“I’m just trying to stay big and take up space down low and then go up strong when I have a good look.”
C.J. Fair, Senior, Forward
Does it feel like you’re playing with a senior point guard when Tyler [Ennis] is out there?
“As far as his play goes, yes, absolutely. He doesn’t make freshman mistakes, actually, he doesn’t make many mistakes at all for that matter. His play has been a huge plus for us this season.”
Does Tyler’s play surprise you at all, or are you pretty much used to him making the right play at the right time at this point?
“No, it’s not really surprising. It’s very nice knowing he can make those types of plays, especially in late game situations. He made a couple of big plays to help get us this win.”
Coach said the only disappointing part of today’s game was the rebounding. Was that more of Pitt doing what they do well or were you guys just not aggressive enough?
“We know their style of play, it’s always hard to keep them off the boards, the way they crash and box out. Their bigs rebound well and they have big, athletic guards coming in grabbing rebounds too, so we need to play very disciplined to keep them from taking over the glass. It really has to be a team effort, that’s something they excel in, and we’re going to have to do a better job of that next time we play them.”
Tyler Ennis, Freshman, Guard
Boeheim mentioned you in the same breath as Melo (Carmelo Anthony) and Gerry (McNamara) in terms of freshmen who were capable of handling these types of high pressure moments. Your thoughts on being put in that type of class?
“It’s an honor, especially coming from coach. It’s really just the perfect situation. I have a lot of teammates who have a lot of confidence and can make plays, and they make me look really good.”
You’re only a freshman but given how important you already are to your team, what do you feel like? Do you feel like you’re the leader of this team?
“Yes, I feel like I am. I feel like everyone has a voice on this team, whether they are seniors or sophomores, everyone has a place.”
How gratifying is it to win a game like this?
“It feels pretty good, but it made me a little nervous going down the court. We have got to play a better forty minutes.”
Clearly you don’t want games to come down to the last couple of seconds, how important is it for your team to go through a certain amount of game like this and get them on your plate?
“Being undefeated, I think it helps us build confidence. Hopefully we don’t have to come down to those much more.”
Jerami Grant, Sophomore, Forward
What were you thinking when you were taking those free-throws late in the game?
“Just go to the free throw line and make the free throws, just like I do in practice and that’s what I did.”
What do you take away from a game like this with what you could have done on the boards?
“We could have been a lot better on the boards, our defensive rebounds, our offensive rebounds. It was a problem, we are going to move on and get better at it.”
You are out there and you have a guy like Tyler Ennis, a true freshman, who gets those two layups late. What do you think about him as your leader?
“He is a great player, somebody who we can always look to in a late game situation and we know he’s going to be there.”
You’ve said this game was more physical, was there anything else that stood out to you?
“They are a very physical team that knows how to work with the zone, probably one of the best zone offensive teams in the league. It was definitely a tough game.”
How does it feel to be the only undefeated team in the ACC right now?
“It feels great being the only undefeated team in the ACC and in the league. It is a blessing and we are happy for it.”
How do you stay focused, you are getting advanced minutes now, how do you keep focused?
“Just have to stay grounded and stay humble. It is tough playing a lot of minutes, but at the same time you have to keep going at it.”
