Student-Athlete Quotes - S.C. State
Syracuse vs. South Carolina State
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Nov. 22, 2016
Post-Game Player Quotes
Frank Howard, So., G
How do you feel? Are you ready to head on the road for the next few games?
“No question. I'm definitely looking forward to those games and especially going to those “big venues” coming up.”
When you play a team like South Carolina State and your bigs were dominating the “glass” -- How does that make you feel as a guard?
“One thing G-Mac (assistant coach Gerry McNamara) said is the hardest thing to do is close out. When you have everyone close out into the paint and they kick it out, they don’t want to pull the “three,” then they are at a disadvantage. We did good things and bad things and that is just the way it is. They come out and do this every day and that is great.”
Through the first handful of games, what have you learned about this team?
“That we have power. I know that it may seem crazy to say that thus far, but a lot of guys have shown me early like Taurean (Thompson) and Tyus (Battle). I remember my freshman year being wet behind the ear with nerves, but these guys can handle that. They are confident and talented and they are here.”
Tyler Lydon, So., F
The shots seemed to fall better tonight. It had to feel good, right?
“It felt good to be out there tonight. We were able to make shots tonight and knock them down.”
When you look at the amount of weapons this team has, it scored a hundred points tonight and it seemed that the crowd roared the biggest when the guys came in late in the game. You guys love that stuff correct?
“Yeah. Anytime they (the non-scholarship players) can get in the game and get a bucket, that’s huge for us. They work just as hard as we do in practice every day ready to play. Those are all our guys and anytime that they get a layup, that’s huge.”
Are you looking forward to playing in that nice arena in the Barclays?
“Yeah definitely. It should be a lot of fun. From what I hear, we have a lot of fans that travel. It will be a fun environment to play in.”
John Gillon, Gr. St., G
You’re a newcomer here, but it seems like this team is a little bit easier than some other teams in college hoops to get accustomed to because you’re all on the same page, there’s a lot of humility, there’s a teamwork aspect, there’s unselfishness, there’s the extra pass. Is that easier for you?
“It’s definitely easier playing with these guys. Their abilities definitely spread the court out and make my job a lot easier. My job is to put them in the positions to score, and they can score in any position, so it makes my job easier.
“I’m starting to learn more of people’s tendencies. You watch film and, since I come off the bench, I can see what they’re doing. And then, also, in this program, I’ve gambled a little bit more than I have in the past. Normally, our coaches have wanted us to play conservative but I’ve gotten in the mode to get steals and to get in the passing lane and just try to anticipate so, when I’m gambling, it’s really a sure gamble and I’m not putting myself out of position to put us in a spot to where we are at risk to get scored on.”
A guy that you worked with really well tonight was Tyus Battle. It seemed like you guys got in a rhythm where you’d make a play and he was already leaking out and you could find him on the court.
“Definitely. I would just try to anticipate and he would be running, so I would just pass it up ahead and make the right play. He is an athletic, good player and he finished.”
Andrew White, Gr. St., G
You go on the road for two big games coming up. Is the team prepared for these games?
“I’m definitely looking forward to the big games. We’ve seen a lot of the teams that we’re going to be competing against coming up this year, planning early tests and I think our first real early test will be this Saturday and then the following week with Wisconsin. So it’s a different pressure, a different animal when you’re playing outside of your home gym and you’re playing against really good teams and really good coaches, so I think that will give us an opportunity to really see what we are. But I think we all know coming from coach that we still have a lot of work to do, so I think that will humble us for right now, even though we’ve won a lot of lopsided games so far.”
This will be your first experience as to what a Syracuse game in New York City is like. Are you looking forward to playing there?
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I played in the Barclays Center last year and, obviously, it was a different atmosphere because of the team we were playing and our team didn’t have fans that traveled to that area since we were kind of far out of the way. So, I hear this is going to be quite the experience and I’m looking forward to it. That’s a big-time venue and a lot of basketball people will be in there.”
What do you take from tonight’s performance?
"We have a lot of talent. We have a lot of guys that can come in and help our team and I think it’s going to be hard to scout us just because everybody has something that they do well. I think that helps. That takes pressure off me, it take pressure off Tyler, off our point guard. And I think that if we mesh that all together the way that we should, we will have a special season. But, we have to take it one day at time and it starts this Saturday."
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Nov. 22, 2016
Post-Game Player Quotes
Frank Howard, So., G
How do you feel? Are you ready to head on the road for the next few games?
“No question. I'm definitely looking forward to those games and especially going to those “big venues” coming up.”
When you play a team like South Carolina State and your bigs were dominating the “glass” -- How does that make you feel as a guard?
“One thing G-Mac (assistant coach Gerry McNamara) said is the hardest thing to do is close out. When you have everyone close out into the paint and they kick it out, they don’t want to pull the “three,” then they are at a disadvantage. We did good things and bad things and that is just the way it is. They come out and do this every day and that is great.”
Through the first handful of games, what have you learned about this team?
“That we have power. I know that it may seem crazy to say that thus far, but a lot of guys have shown me early like Taurean (Thompson) and Tyus (Battle). I remember my freshman year being wet behind the ear with nerves, but these guys can handle that. They are confident and talented and they are here.”
Tyler Lydon, So., F
The shots seemed to fall better tonight. It had to feel good, right?
“It felt good to be out there tonight. We were able to make shots tonight and knock them down.”
When you look at the amount of weapons this team has, it scored a hundred points tonight and it seemed that the crowd roared the biggest when the guys came in late in the game. You guys love that stuff correct?
“Yeah. Anytime they (the non-scholarship players) can get in the game and get a bucket, that’s huge for us. They work just as hard as we do in practice every day ready to play. Those are all our guys and anytime that they get a layup, that’s huge.”
Are you looking forward to playing in that nice arena in the Barclays?
“Yeah definitely. It should be a lot of fun. From what I hear, we have a lot of fans that travel. It will be a fun environment to play in.”
John Gillon, Gr. St., G
You’re a newcomer here, but it seems like this team is a little bit easier than some other teams in college hoops to get accustomed to because you’re all on the same page, there’s a lot of humility, there’s a teamwork aspect, there’s unselfishness, there’s the extra pass. Is that easier for you?
“It’s definitely easier playing with these guys. Their abilities definitely spread the court out and make my job a lot easier. My job is to put them in the positions to score, and they can score in any position, so it makes my job easier.
“I’m starting to learn more of people’s tendencies. You watch film and, since I come off the bench, I can see what they’re doing. And then, also, in this program, I’ve gambled a little bit more than I have in the past. Normally, our coaches have wanted us to play conservative but I’ve gotten in the mode to get steals and to get in the passing lane and just try to anticipate so, when I’m gambling, it’s really a sure gamble and I’m not putting myself out of position to put us in a spot to where we are at risk to get scored on.”
A guy that you worked with really well tonight was Tyus Battle. It seemed like you guys got in a rhythm where you’d make a play and he was already leaking out and you could find him on the court.
“Definitely. I would just try to anticipate and he would be running, so I would just pass it up ahead and make the right play. He is an athletic, good player and he finished.”
Andrew White, Gr. St., G
You go on the road for two big games coming up. Is the team prepared for these games?
“I’m definitely looking forward to the big games. We’ve seen a lot of the teams that we’re going to be competing against coming up this year, planning early tests and I think our first real early test will be this Saturday and then the following week with Wisconsin. So it’s a different pressure, a different animal when you’re playing outside of your home gym and you’re playing against really good teams and really good coaches, so I think that will give us an opportunity to really see what we are. But I think we all know coming from coach that we still have a lot of work to do, so I think that will humble us for right now, even though we’ve won a lot of lopsided games so far.”
This will be your first experience as to what a Syracuse game in New York City is like. Are you looking forward to playing there?
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I played in the Barclays Center last year and, obviously, it was a different atmosphere because of the team we were playing and our team didn’t have fans that traveled to that area since we were kind of far out of the way. So, I hear this is going to be quite the experience and I’m looking forward to it. That’s a big-time venue and a lot of basketball people will be in there.”
What do you take from tonight’s performance?
"We have a lot of talent. We have a lot of guys that can come in and help our team and I think it’s going to be hard to scout us just because everybody has something that they do well. I think that helps. That takes pressure off me, it take pressure off Tyler, off our point guard. And I think that if we mesh that all together the way that we should, we will have a special season. But, we have to take it one day at time and it starts this Saturday."
