Student-Athlete Quotes - Virginia
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. Virginia
February 4, 2016
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Tyus Battle, Fr., Guard
What was the turning point in the second half?
“Coach made an offensive adjustment by opening the floor up.”
How does it feel to win two big games at home two weeks in a row?
“It feels great. As team, we all bond and we know we are trying to make the (NCAA) Tournament, so we knew we would have to go on a big run. We were moving with our hands up and we were fighting.”
What was the difference for you personally in the second half?
“I was just being aggressive and trying to attack my defender, especially when the lane is open up like that, I feel like I can operate left and right. I just try to get to the lane and get down.”
John Gillon, Gr. St., Guard
What makes Coach Boeheim special?
“I think the details he notices about the game are amazing. I have never seen anything like it. He can see any type of defense and call a play and it’ll work. He can make adjustments on the fly and it will work. I have never seen anything like it.”
Taurean Thompson, Fr., Forward
What have the losses this season taught you?
“That anyone can come in here and beat us. For example, that St. John’s game. They weren’t ranked. They weren’t above us but they came and beat us by 30. That let us know that anyone can come in here, home or away, and get to work if we are not ready. So we have to be ready every single day.”
Andrew White, Gr. St., Guard
What were your impressions of Coach Boeheim before you played for him?
“You always thought of Syracuse as a big-time program. You hear about the zone and all of the players that come through. I’ve seen him give so many great players opportunity throughout the years. This is an era where coaches want to be seen and noticed. Coach Boeheim puts the system in and he sits in his chair and lets his guys go out and make plays. That’s been the biggest thing for me and for some of the other guys on this team because he doesn’t do it for any credit or attention. He really does just live to win. There’s no extra-curricular activity to him. That’s why I love playing for him as a coach.”
What was the difference in the second half?
“We were able to finish possessions and we rebounded pretty well. We had some guys make some big plays on the offensive end. In the first half, they did a really good job of protecting the paint and being tight in gaps. Tonight, in the second half, we were able to spread the floor a little bit more. I think Tyus (Battle) did a great job of that and John (Gillon) made some plays for some guys. We did a good job adjusting in the second half and that was triggered by our coaches.”
How has Tyus Battle improved over the last few games?
“He’s always played the court. As a freshman, it’s tough because a lot of guys hit a wall. A lot of guys have a bad game and their confidence goes down, but he’s around a lot of veteran guys and I think that’s enabled him to be able to be confident and play at his own pace. I think he’s coming into a good position now at a good time of year. We needed him tonight. It was good to see the young guy answer.”
Tyler Lydon, So., Forward
What was different in the second half compared to the first half?
“I think in the first half we were struggling to get into our groove for whatever reason. It also came down to the defensive end because they got too many open looks from 3. We really knew that it was going to come down to the defensive end for us and we were going to need to come out in the second half really strong.”
What will you have to do to be successful on the upcoming road trip?
“We are going to enjoy this one for a couple hours here, but we need to get focused. We’ve got two great teams on the road, Clemson and Pitt and we know what both of those teams are capable of, as it is the ACC. We need to be ready for every game that we play, but it comes down to focusing on what we need to do and playing our game.”
How would you describe Coach Boeheim?
“Coach is different. He’s laid back outside of basketball. He’s talkative and all that, but he’s more laid back. He just loves this game so much and you see the passion because it is oozing out of him. It’s tough to describe Coach, but we all love him. I think he’s the best coach ever and I’m so honored to be here.”
What has been the difference during this winning streak?
“I think it comes down to guys playing together and guys stepping up. Across the board everyone is getting involved and doing what they can do.”
Syracuse vs. Virginia
February 4, 2016
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Tyus Battle, Fr., Guard
What was the turning point in the second half?
“Coach made an offensive adjustment by opening the floor up.”
How does it feel to win two big games at home two weeks in a row?
“It feels great. As team, we all bond and we know we are trying to make the (NCAA) Tournament, so we knew we would have to go on a big run. We were moving with our hands up and we were fighting.”
What was the difference for you personally in the second half?
“I was just being aggressive and trying to attack my defender, especially when the lane is open up like that, I feel like I can operate left and right. I just try to get to the lane and get down.”
John Gillon, Gr. St., Guard
What makes Coach Boeheim special?
“I think the details he notices about the game are amazing. I have never seen anything like it. He can see any type of defense and call a play and it’ll work. He can make adjustments on the fly and it will work. I have never seen anything like it.”
Taurean Thompson, Fr., Forward
What have the losses this season taught you?
“That anyone can come in here and beat us. For example, that St. John’s game. They weren’t ranked. They weren’t above us but they came and beat us by 30. That let us know that anyone can come in here, home or away, and get to work if we are not ready. So we have to be ready every single day.”
Andrew White, Gr. St., Guard
What were your impressions of Coach Boeheim before you played for him?
“You always thought of Syracuse as a big-time program. You hear about the zone and all of the players that come through. I’ve seen him give so many great players opportunity throughout the years. This is an era where coaches want to be seen and noticed. Coach Boeheim puts the system in and he sits in his chair and lets his guys go out and make plays. That’s been the biggest thing for me and for some of the other guys on this team because he doesn’t do it for any credit or attention. He really does just live to win. There’s no extra-curricular activity to him. That’s why I love playing for him as a coach.”
What was the difference in the second half?
“We were able to finish possessions and we rebounded pretty well. We had some guys make some big plays on the offensive end. In the first half, they did a really good job of protecting the paint and being tight in gaps. Tonight, in the second half, we were able to spread the floor a little bit more. I think Tyus (Battle) did a great job of that and John (Gillon) made some plays for some guys. We did a good job adjusting in the second half and that was triggered by our coaches.”
How has Tyus Battle improved over the last few games?
“He’s always played the court. As a freshman, it’s tough because a lot of guys hit a wall. A lot of guys have a bad game and their confidence goes down, but he’s around a lot of veteran guys and I think that’s enabled him to be able to be confident and play at his own pace. I think he’s coming into a good position now at a good time of year. We needed him tonight. It was good to see the young guy answer.”
Tyler Lydon, So., Forward
What was different in the second half compared to the first half?
“I think in the first half we were struggling to get into our groove for whatever reason. It also came down to the defensive end because they got too many open looks from 3. We really knew that it was going to come down to the defensive end for us and we were going to need to come out in the second half really strong.”
What will you have to do to be successful on the upcoming road trip?
“We are going to enjoy this one for a couple hours here, but we need to get focused. We’ve got two great teams on the road, Clemson and Pitt and we know what both of those teams are capable of, as it is the ACC. We need to be ready for every game that we play, but it comes down to focusing on what we need to do and playing our game.”
How would you describe Coach Boeheim?
“Coach is different. He’s laid back outside of basketball. He’s talkative and all that, but he’s more laid back. He just loves this game so much and you see the passion because it is oozing out of him. It’s tough to describe Coach, but we all love him. I think he’s the best coach ever and I’m so honored to be here.”
What has been the difference during this winning streak?
“I think it comes down to guys playing together and guys stepping up. Across the board everyone is getting involved and doing what they can do.”
