Coach Boeheim Quotes - S.C. State
Syracuse Men’s Basketball vs. South Carolina State
Nov. 22, 2016
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Coach Boeheim Opening Statement:
“Obviously, we’re bigger and stronger. I thought for a while there we moved the ball better and got some good shots. We’ve had four games and we’ll have a couple of really good, hard days of practice in the next two or three days and then we’ll get ready to play some very good teams.”
“I think for this team, the games that we’ve had have been good. We’re trying to get guys used to what we’re doing. We’re trying to get them in game situations so that we’re prepared when we start playing some really good teams. I think it will be good for the season.”
How do you think John Gillon played?
“He’s aggressive. He’s an offensive scorer. He tries to score the ball, that’s what he does. He can give us a lift. He’s capable of going in and scoring points. He’s very good at it.”
How is Pascal Chukwu progressing in his game?
“It’s a work in progress. He’s a factor, he can block shots. He’s not an accomplished offensive player yet, he still has a long way to go there, but he works at it. He affects the game. He changes people’s idea out there. It’s going to take time.”
We saw Tyler (Lydon) step outside tonight?
“Well, he’s done that since he’s been here. He’s a 3-point shooter. Last year he was our best 3-point shooter.”
Coach, through these first few games what have you learned from your basketball team?
“Well, I think we’ve had the opportunity to give everybody a really good feel for what college basketball is about. Trying to get this team to fit together, the guys that we have, and I think that we have accomplished that.
I think we obviously don’t know what we have. Until you get into great competition, you don’t know some of the things that you’re going to have to do and how people react to the competition. That’s why we set up our schedule the way we have. We’ve got a lot of those games ahead of us and it will help this team figure out what we have to do to get better. But, I’m very happy at what these guys have accomplished at this point. We’ve got the guys a lot of experience in game situations that I think they have a good understanding of what we’re doing and that’s good. That’s a good thing.”
When you throw these different guys out there, how is it working with getting them accustomed to playing?
“Well, we’ve got nine guys and it’s different than playing six or seven. So, you have to get them all in there. Guys play different positions so they get in there and play a different position. I think we have some flexibility with this team and we just have to keep working on it. A team with this many new faces isn’t going to come together in the first couple of weeks or three or four. You know it’s going to take a while.”
Coach, what were your thoughts on your press?
“We tried it. They had four guys up. It’s hard to press a team with that small of a team. We wanted to speed the game up a little bit. We wanted to give Paschal (Chukwu) an opportunity back there in two-on-one situations—we wanted to get him in some of those situations. I thought it was okay. We’ll need the press at some point this year and we wanted to work on it enough to have it ready when we need it.”
What are your thoughts on Taurean (Thompson)’s play?
“He’s a very good offensive player. He’s working it. He’s got to work. It will take some time.”
Do you feel offensively in the second half that it was the best you have moved the ball?
“Yeah, we moved it better in the second half than we did in the first half. We were stationary a little bit too much in the first half. Any time the team changes defenses on you – especially the young guys – are not sure what to do. It was definitely better ball movement in the second half.”
Coach, next couple games are on the road. How much are you looking forward to going to New York?
“Well, we want to play good teams. I think we’ve got ourselves established and now we need these kind of games. It will be good for this team.”
Nov. 22, 2016
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Coach Boeheim Opening Statement:
“Obviously, we’re bigger and stronger. I thought for a while there we moved the ball better and got some good shots. We’ve had four games and we’ll have a couple of really good, hard days of practice in the next two or three days and then we’ll get ready to play some very good teams.”
“I think for this team, the games that we’ve had have been good. We’re trying to get guys used to what we’re doing. We’re trying to get them in game situations so that we’re prepared when we start playing some really good teams. I think it will be good for the season.”
How do you think John Gillon played?
“He’s aggressive. He’s an offensive scorer. He tries to score the ball, that’s what he does. He can give us a lift. He’s capable of going in and scoring points. He’s very good at it.”
How is Pascal Chukwu progressing in his game?
“It’s a work in progress. He’s a factor, he can block shots. He’s not an accomplished offensive player yet, he still has a long way to go there, but he works at it. He affects the game. He changes people’s idea out there. It’s going to take time.”
We saw Tyler (Lydon) step outside tonight?
“Well, he’s done that since he’s been here. He’s a 3-point shooter. Last year he was our best 3-point shooter.”
Coach, through these first few games what have you learned from your basketball team?
“Well, I think we’ve had the opportunity to give everybody a really good feel for what college basketball is about. Trying to get this team to fit together, the guys that we have, and I think that we have accomplished that.
I think we obviously don’t know what we have. Until you get into great competition, you don’t know some of the things that you’re going to have to do and how people react to the competition. That’s why we set up our schedule the way we have. We’ve got a lot of those games ahead of us and it will help this team figure out what we have to do to get better. But, I’m very happy at what these guys have accomplished at this point. We’ve got the guys a lot of experience in game situations that I think they have a good understanding of what we’re doing and that’s good. That’s a good thing.”
When you throw these different guys out there, how is it working with getting them accustomed to playing?
“Well, we’ve got nine guys and it’s different than playing six or seven. So, you have to get them all in there. Guys play different positions so they get in there and play a different position. I think we have some flexibility with this team and we just have to keep working on it. A team with this many new faces isn’t going to come together in the first couple of weeks or three or four. You know it’s going to take a while.”
Coach, what were your thoughts on your press?
“We tried it. They had four guys up. It’s hard to press a team with that small of a team. We wanted to speed the game up a little bit. We wanted to give Paschal (Chukwu) an opportunity back there in two-on-one situations—we wanted to get him in some of those situations. I thought it was okay. We’ll need the press at some point this year and we wanted to work on it enough to have it ready when we need it.”
What are your thoughts on Taurean (Thompson)’s play?
“He’s a very good offensive player. He’s working it. He’s got to work. It will take some time.”
Do you feel offensively in the second half that it was the best you have moved the ball?
“Yeah, we moved it better in the second half than we did in the first half. We were stationary a little bit too much in the first half. Any time the team changes defenses on you – especially the young guys – are not sure what to do. It was definitely better ball movement in the second half.”
Coach, next couple games are on the road. How much are you looking forward to going to New York?
“Well, we want to play good teams. I think we’ve got ourselves established and now we need these kind of games. It will be good for this team.”
