Head Coach Jim Boeheim Quotes - Pittsburgh
Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh
January 18, 2014
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement
“I thought it was a tremendous defensive game. I thought offensively, we played as well as we could play. You don’t shoot 50 percent against Pittsburgh, not many teams do. I thought offensively we really played well. Unfortunately we stopped rebounding. They had 19 second-chance points. Our defense stopped them. We just couldn’t rebound the basketball. The two keys in the second half: (Lamar) Patterson, we didn’t give him much room but when he got it he made two or three tough shots that got them right back in the game. Then we kept making good plays. They switched to the zone, we made good plays. Rak (Rakeem Christmas) made a couple really good post-up moves.
Again, we played really well offensively, but defensively we finally took away Patterson and we forced them to take the shots we wanted them to and they got it back. This is the first game really this year that the boards would have been the determining factor in the game if it wasn’t for Tyler (Ennis) making the plays he made down the stretch. He made some of the best plays that I’ve seen in a long time. You don’t get to the basket against Pittsburgh and he got to the basket for two layups and made his free throws. That’s unusual for any player. Jerami (Grant) made two big free throws and then Tyler made the four free throws. He won the game down the stretch for us.
It’s just disappointing at this stage that we would do such a poor job on the boards in the second half. Part of that is Pittsburgh is good, they’re physical, and they have a really good basketball team. I think they’re as good as anybody. I think they’ll be difficult for anybody to beat. Watching them play, they’re as good as any Pittsburgh team I’ve seen in a while. They’ve got the inside guys you have to have and they have really great guard play. Patterson is a tremendous player. Pittsburgh is a really good basketball team and that should come as no surprise to anybody that follows college basketball. They won the most games in the BIG EAST Conference in the last 10 years. That was the best conference probably in the country most of those years. Nothing surprising, again I thought our offense was really as good as we could ask it to be tonight. “
Can you talk about Tyler and his ability to rise to the occasion?
“Well you know we opened it up and we like to give him the opportunity in those situations. They’re playing C.J. (Fair) and Trevor (Cooney) hard. We’re trying to give him an opportunity to get to the basket; he just has a knack for doing it that’s as good as just about anybody that I’ve seen.”
Were the final plays called specifically for Tyler?
“We try to run an open offense and set a fake ball screen and he goes the other way or uses it, whichever he sees. He just has a knack for getting there and finishing.”
Can you talk about the development of Rakeem?
“I thought that Rakeem was good tonight offensively. He made a couple of really good post moves. I think we can find him down there a little bit better. I was just disappointed in his defense and rebounding - particularly having one stretch there where he just stopped (rebounding). And it wasn’t just him, it was also Jerami and C.J.. It’s the first time this year that’s happened. We just didn’t rebound for a long stretch and it could’ve cost us the game, and it will cost you a game if you don’t correct that.”
Defensively, what changed over the last four-to-four and a half minutes of the game?
“We got two rebounds—we actually didn’t get rebounds, they just knocked them out of bounds. They didn’t score on their offense about 8 straight times, but they scored. We just didn’t get the ball back. Their defense was good the whole game. We didn’t outplay Paterson a couple of times. The one he was way out, the other one he caught us a little bit by surprise, but he’s worked really hard. He’s improved his shooting. I don’t remember him being able to make his shot freshman year, and he has been able to become an over 40-percent three-point shooter and a really good player as well. He’s really a good player, a really good player.”
Coach, it seemed like the men did a really good job on being patient.
Yes, everybody does that and we’ll see it next game, and we’ll see it pretty much all year. That’s what people do and we’ll have to be able to withstand that. We just have to rebound better.”
You mentioned offensively how you worked on the long court shots, especially with Jerami and Rakeem. How crucial was that to have in the two power forwards?
I think Rakeem was huge during the zone. When they switched to the zone we went to him twice, and he made two really good post moves when we had to have them. Tyler made a big three. The three or four possessions we played zone, they scored. We really did a good job in that situation. It’s hard sometimes when you’re playing against a man-to-man and suddenly switch to the zone and make sure you get the right shots. We really did a good job in terms of attacking the zone there.”
When Rakeem picked up his fourth foul, were you worried about taking him out to save him for the remainder of the game?
No, I don’t usually worry about foul counts down the stretch. You’ve got to be able to stay out, and you don’t want to get missed plays out of the game. If Jerami Grant hadn’t been in at Boston College, we would’ve lost the game. If he would have fouled out they would’ve said ‘I should’ve held him out.’ But it’s what happens. You can do it right 10 times, but if it doesn’t work one time it’s wrong. We can play with foul trouble. Our players know how to do that. If you lose them, we’d still get by, so it’s not a problem.”
Jim, there is a last in bounds on the court and you’re up three and you fouled.
Yes we fouled. That’s what we’re doing now with six or seven seconds to go. We’re going to foul them in that situation. I’ve seen too many guys make shots in that situation. I think that fouling is the best way. I think I hesitated a little bit because we aren’t a good rebounding team, but fortunately he missed and we got it back.”
January 18, 2014
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement
“I thought it was a tremendous defensive game. I thought offensively, we played as well as we could play. You don’t shoot 50 percent against Pittsburgh, not many teams do. I thought offensively we really played well. Unfortunately we stopped rebounding. They had 19 second-chance points. Our defense stopped them. We just couldn’t rebound the basketball. The two keys in the second half: (Lamar) Patterson, we didn’t give him much room but when he got it he made two or three tough shots that got them right back in the game. Then we kept making good plays. They switched to the zone, we made good plays. Rak (Rakeem Christmas) made a couple really good post-up moves.
Again, we played really well offensively, but defensively we finally took away Patterson and we forced them to take the shots we wanted them to and they got it back. This is the first game really this year that the boards would have been the determining factor in the game if it wasn’t for Tyler (Ennis) making the plays he made down the stretch. He made some of the best plays that I’ve seen in a long time. You don’t get to the basket against Pittsburgh and he got to the basket for two layups and made his free throws. That’s unusual for any player. Jerami (Grant) made two big free throws and then Tyler made the four free throws. He won the game down the stretch for us.
It’s just disappointing at this stage that we would do such a poor job on the boards in the second half. Part of that is Pittsburgh is good, they’re physical, and they have a really good basketball team. I think they’re as good as anybody. I think they’ll be difficult for anybody to beat. Watching them play, they’re as good as any Pittsburgh team I’ve seen in a while. They’ve got the inside guys you have to have and they have really great guard play. Patterson is a tremendous player. Pittsburgh is a really good basketball team and that should come as no surprise to anybody that follows college basketball. They won the most games in the BIG EAST Conference in the last 10 years. That was the best conference probably in the country most of those years. Nothing surprising, again I thought our offense was really as good as we could ask it to be tonight. “
Can you talk about Tyler and his ability to rise to the occasion?
“Well you know we opened it up and we like to give him the opportunity in those situations. They’re playing C.J. (Fair) and Trevor (Cooney) hard. We’re trying to give him an opportunity to get to the basket; he just has a knack for doing it that’s as good as just about anybody that I’ve seen.”
Were the final plays called specifically for Tyler?
“We try to run an open offense and set a fake ball screen and he goes the other way or uses it, whichever he sees. He just has a knack for getting there and finishing.”
Can you talk about the development of Rakeem?
“I thought that Rakeem was good tonight offensively. He made a couple of really good post moves. I think we can find him down there a little bit better. I was just disappointed in his defense and rebounding - particularly having one stretch there where he just stopped (rebounding). And it wasn’t just him, it was also Jerami and C.J.. It’s the first time this year that’s happened. We just didn’t rebound for a long stretch and it could’ve cost us the game, and it will cost you a game if you don’t correct that.”
Defensively, what changed over the last four-to-four and a half minutes of the game?
“We got two rebounds—we actually didn’t get rebounds, they just knocked them out of bounds. They didn’t score on their offense about 8 straight times, but they scored. We just didn’t get the ball back. Their defense was good the whole game. We didn’t outplay Paterson a couple of times. The one he was way out, the other one he caught us a little bit by surprise, but he’s worked really hard. He’s improved his shooting. I don’t remember him being able to make his shot freshman year, and he has been able to become an over 40-percent three-point shooter and a really good player as well. He’s really a good player, a really good player.”
Coach, it seemed like the men did a really good job on being patient.
Yes, everybody does that and we’ll see it next game, and we’ll see it pretty much all year. That’s what people do and we’ll have to be able to withstand that. We just have to rebound better.”
You mentioned offensively how you worked on the long court shots, especially with Jerami and Rakeem. How crucial was that to have in the two power forwards?
I think Rakeem was huge during the zone. When they switched to the zone we went to him twice, and he made two really good post moves when we had to have them. Tyler made a big three. The three or four possessions we played zone, they scored. We really did a good job in that situation. It’s hard sometimes when you’re playing against a man-to-man and suddenly switch to the zone and make sure you get the right shots. We really did a good job in terms of attacking the zone there.”
When Rakeem picked up his fourth foul, were you worried about taking him out to save him for the remainder of the game?
No, I don’t usually worry about foul counts down the stretch. You’ve got to be able to stay out, and you don’t want to get missed plays out of the game. If Jerami Grant hadn’t been in at Boston College, we would’ve lost the game. If he would have fouled out they would’ve said ‘I should’ve held him out.’ But it’s what happens. You can do it right 10 times, but if it doesn’t work one time it’s wrong. We can play with foul trouble. Our players know how to do that. If you lose them, we’d still get by, so it’s not a problem.”
Jim, there is a last in bounds on the court and you’re up three and you fouled.
Yes we fouled. That’s what we’re doing now with six or seven seconds to go. We’re going to foul them in that situation. I’ve seen too many guys make shots in that situation. I think that fouling is the best way. I think I hesitated a little bit because we aren’t a good rebounding team, but fortunately he missed and we got it back.”
