Student-Athlete Quotes - Iona
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. Iona
November 14, 2017
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Tyus Battle, So., G
This team needed an effort like this out of you tonight. Do you take responsibility being that guy?
“I live for stuff like this. I was trying to be aggressive and will the team to a win. Iona is a really great team, that made some tough shots. It was a good team effort all around from us tonight. We got some great offensive rebounds tonight as well.”
What do Frank (Howard) and you think you’ve brought to practice to mold these young guys?
“We bring a sense of poise. We’re going to have a lot of games like this where teams make tough shots. The most poised team usually comes out on top in situations like this, so we want to show them that.”
At what point tonight did you feel like you were clicking?
“When you see the ball go in the basket a couple times you get that confidence. I felt that all night and we came out with the win so it was a good game.”
Oshae Brissett, Fr., F
Do you feel that you have adjusted to the Carrier Dome environment?
“I feel like I’m getting better. I’m not nervous at all, I’m just ready to play. Hopefully I can get the crowd hyped and lead us to wins.”
How important was Tyus tonight in the second half?
“He was crazy tonight. We just got him the ball, and went up for the rebound in case he missed. This is what we want him to do every night. He does this in practice all the time, so we trust him.”
Is there a competitive spirit for you after watching him, meaning tomorrow in practice you want to go out there and beat him?
“Every time we would scrimmage in the summer, I would guard him and he would guard me. It’s not that we want to go against each other, we just want to make each other better.”
Marek Dolezaj, Fr., F
What’s it like playing with guys like Tyus and Frank, who have played at this level for a while?
“I think Tyus is an NBA player and Frank is an excellent point guard that sees all the players on the court. Oshae as well, the sky is the limit for him.”
The five of you that played down the stretch did a great job. Do you think this is a lineup that we will see a lot more of?
“I never play with them in practice, I’m usually in the second group. This game was really good, but we must keep working to get better.”
The fans were loving your offensive rebounds. Is that something you work on a lot?
“I try to do my job. I see the ball well off the basket, which leads to easy layups. It can be a big two points for us, so I really enjoy it.”
Frank Howard, Jr., G
The second half was a two possession game. How was fending them off?
“Any team that hit shots like that, you know it’s going down to the wire. I felt like our rotation was pretty decent.”
“Overall, I think we fought, the young guys fought. It was a good experience for them. Each game you learn something new.”
What can you say about Tyus with 28 points overall?
“You know he has that, anytime. He can change the game with his scoring ability. There is talent. He told me before half started that he wanted the ball and I got it to him and he did his thing.”
Was this a good test for you guys?
“Yes, no question. Like I said before, we have a young team so these experiences -- each game we learn something new.”
“These young guys, moving down the stretch we had to play gritty, get the tough boards, respond to big shots and that’s what I’m happy about. How we responded. They made tough shots and the young guys responded.”
Bourama Sidibe, Fr., F
What has been the coach's mentality and what have you done in games to really gear up defense?
“Coach always tells me that to get minutes, you need to play defense. If you play defense you are going to get time to play.”
Paschal Chukwu, Jr., C
What can you guys do this week to make sure you don’t struggle in transition?
“The forwards leak out so they can get a basket and then the centers, like us, go for rebounds. They are leaking out so, we just need to recognize that if we are late, we have the forwards there. We definitely try to go back quicker.”
Anything new with communication at all on the court?
“Not really, I think our communication was good, just sometimes we don’t hear what each other are saying but most of the time we do communicate well.”
How did Tyus shift the game in the second half?
“Tonight was his night. It is definitely something he can and should be able to do every game. He came up big when we needed him to and we got the win.”
Syracuse vs. Iona
November 14, 2017
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Tyus Battle, So., G
This team needed an effort like this out of you tonight. Do you take responsibility being that guy?
“I live for stuff like this. I was trying to be aggressive and will the team to a win. Iona is a really great team, that made some tough shots. It was a good team effort all around from us tonight. We got some great offensive rebounds tonight as well.”
What do Frank (Howard) and you think you’ve brought to practice to mold these young guys?
“We bring a sense of poise. We’re going to have a lot of games like this where teams make tough shots. The most poised team usually comes out on top in situations like this, so we want to show them that.”
At what point tonight did you feel like you were clicking?
“When you see the ball go in the basket a couple times you get that confidence. I felt that all night and we came out with the win so it was a good game.”
Oshae Brissett, Fr., F
Do you feel that you have adjusted to the Carrier Dome environment?
“I feel like I’m getting better. I’m not nervous at all, I’m just ready to play. Hopefully I can get the crowd hyped and lead us to wins.”
How important was Tyus tonight in the second half?
“He was crazy tonight. We just got him the ball, and went up for the rebound in case he missed. This is what we want him to do every night. He does this in practice all the time, so we trust him.”
Is there a competitive spirit for you after watching him, meaning tomorrow in practice you want to go out there and beat him?
“Every time we would scrimmage in the summer, I would guard him and he would guard me. It’s not that we want to go against each other, we just want to make each other better.”
Marek Dolezaj, Fr., F
What’s it like playing with guys like Tyus and Frank, who have played at this level for a while?
“I think Tyus is an NBA player and Frank is an excellent point guard that sees all the players on the court. Oshae as well, the sky is the limit for him.”
The five of you that played down the stretch did a great job. Do you think this is a lineup that we will see a lot more of?
“I never play with them in practice, I’m usually in the second group. This game was really good, but we must keep working to get better.”
The fans were loving your offensive rebounds. Is that something you work on a lot?
“I try to do my job. I see the ball well off the basket, which leads to easy layups. It can be a big two points for us, so I really enjoy it.”
Frank Howard, Jr., G
The second half was a two possession game. How was fending them off?
“Any team that hit shots like that, you know it’s going down to the wire. I felt like our rotation was pretty decent.”
“Overall, I think we fought, the young guys fought. It was a good experience for them. Each game you learn something new.”
What can you say about Tyus with 28 points overall?
“You know he has that, anytime. He can change the game with his scoring ability. There is talent. He told me before half started that he wanted the ball and I got it to him and he did his thing.”
Was this a good test for you guys?
“Yes, no question. Like I said before, we have a young team so these experiences -- each game we learn something new.”
“These young guys, moving down the stretch we had to play gritty, get the tough boards, respond to big shots and that’s what I’m happy about. How we responded. They made tough shots and the young guys responded.”
Bourama Sidibe, Fr., F
What has been the coach's mentality and what have you done in games to really gear up defense?
“Coach always tells me that to get minutes, you need to play defense. If you play defense you are going to get time to play.”
Paschal Chukwu, Jr., C
What can you guys do this week to make sure you don’t struggle in transition?
“The forwards leak out so they can get a basket and then the centers, like us, go for rebounds. They are leaking out so, we just need to recognize that if we are late, we have the forwards there. We definitely try to go back quicker.”
Anything new with communication at all on the court?
“Not really, I think our communication was good, just sometimes we don’t hear what each other are saying but most of the time we do communicate well.”
How did Tyus shift the game in the second half?
“Tonight was his night. It is definitely something he can and should be able to do every game. He came up big when we needed him to and we got the win.”
