Boeheim Quotes - at UNC
NORTH CAROLINA POSTGAME QUOTES
North Carolina 75, Syracuse 70 • February 29, 2016
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement
“I thought we played very well. We battled the whole game. I thought we knew there was going to be a disadvantage on the boards. I thought we battled them very well for a long time. At the end of the game, we were down 11. I thought these guys showed a tremendous amount of poise and just took it one play at a time and got it back and got it down to two. Then, the long rebound, Trevor [Cooney] was a little out too far, and he had to come back to get it. That was probably a key play. I mean that rebound – we get that long rebound, we get a chance to tie or possibly take the lead. I thought we battled. The poise was great. Really good team, played with a lot of momentum, got the lead and we just battled back, showed a lot of heart, and I’m really proud of the way we played in the second half after we got down that 11 points. First half, we made three or four bad turnovers that really cost us, but overall, we gave it a great effort tonight.”
On the last play by Michael [Gbinije]
“We had it set up for him to look for a three in transition. I think he felt he had to get all the way, which you know, we’ll take a timeout, we’ll foul. We’ll have a chance to come, but you have to use your best judgment there I think, and he thought he could get to the basket.”
On Carolina’s three-point shooting in the second half
“They took a few, but not as many. They took eight. You know they made a concerted effort to get it inside, and we did a good job of keeping it from inside, but when they shot it they got it back too many times. They ended up with 19 offensive rebounds, and I think they had seven or eight at half. They had a bunch of offensive rebound opportunities second half, and I thought that was probably the difference.”
On defense this game
“We did a better job. We were much better defensively. [Kennedy] Meeks really hurt us, two foul-line jump shots that he never even takes. That hurt us. Those two shots hurt us, and the two late offensive rebounds hurt us. A couple loose balls we could’ve got that they got and that hurt us. That’s part of it.”
On Trevor Cooney’s performance
“He hit a couple good looks and got to the basket a couple times. He missed a couple going to the basket, but that’s good. That’s what we want. He had 10 the first half, and he didn’t have much opportunity really in the second half, but we need to get that kind of game out of him. He was active I thought. I think we did enough offensively, but we need to make a couple more. We’re not going on the road and beating North Carolina making five for 20 from the three-point line. It’s almost surprising to be in the game. We fought really hard and that was why we were able to stay in the game.”
On Malachi Richardson’s performance
“I thought in the first half he was passive. I thought in the second half he made some drives that were close. Could have been contact, could’ve been a foul, but you’ve got to try to take it to the basket. I thought he was more aggressive in the second half. His size hurts us at forward, rebounding situation, but next year you won’t have to worry about that.”
North Carolina 75, Syracuse 70 • February 29, 2016
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement
“I thought we played very well. We battled the whole game. I thought we knew there was going to be a disadvantage on the boards. I thought we battled them very well for a long time. At the end of the game, we were down 11. I thought these guys showed a tremendous amount of poise and just took it one play at a time and got it back and got it down to two. Then, the long rebound, Trevor [Cooney] was a little out too far, and he had to come back to get it. That was probably a key play. I mean that rebound – we get that long rebound, we get a chance to tie or possibly take the lead. I thought we battled. The poise was great. Really good team, played with a lot of momentum, got the lead and we just battled back, showed a lot of heart, and I’m really proud of the way we played in the second half after we got down that 11 points. First half, we made three or four bad turnovers that really cost us, but overall, we gave it a great effort tonight.”
On the last play by Michael [Gbinije]
“We had it set up for him to look for a three in transition. I think he felt he had to get all the way, which you know, we’ll take a timeout, we’ll foul. We’ll have a chance to come, but you have to use your best judgment there I think, and he thought he could get to the basket.”
On Carolina’s three-point shooting in the second half
“They took a few, but not as many. They took eight. You know they made a concerted effort to get it inside, and we did a good job of keeping it from inside, but when they shot it they got it back too many times. They ended up with 19 offensive rebounds, and I think they had seven or eight at half. They had a bunch of offensive rebound opportunities second half, and I thought that was probably the difference.”
On defense this game
“We did a better job. We were much better defensively. [Kennedy] Meeks really hurt us, two foul-line jump shots that he never even takes. That hurt us. Those two shots hurt us, and the two late offensive rebounds hurt us. A couple loose balls we could’ve got that they got and that hurt us. That’s part of it.”
On Trevor Cooney’s performance
“He hit a couple good looks and got to the basket a couple times. He missed a couple going to the basket, but that’s good. That’s what we want. He had 10 the first half, and he didn’t have much opportunity really in the second half, but we need to get that kind of game out of him. He was active I thought. I think we did enough offensively, but we need to make a couple more. We’re not going on the road and beating North Carolina making five for 20 from the three-point line. It’s almost surprising to be in the game. We fought really hard and that was why we were able to stay in the game.”
On Malachi Richardson’s performance
“I thought in the first half he was passive. I thought in the second half he made some drives that were close. Could have been contact, could’ve been a foul, but you’ve got to try to take it to the basket. I thought he was more aggressive in the second half. His size hurts us at forward, rebounding situation, but next year you won’t have to worry about that.”
