Head Coach Jim Boeheim Quotes - Buffalo
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. Old Dominion
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“I thought that this game was similar to the last game (Old Dominion). We were competing in the first half. Buffalo is a very good team. I thought we competed hard and then at about the 35-minute mark, we had four or five opportunities going to the basket and we just didn’t convert any of them. You have to score points. They’re a good team and we are not going to win too many games scoring 23 points in the second half. It just goes back to offense. We have to find a way to get some offense.
"I think that for the most part, Buffalo had missed a lot of shots and given us an opportunity to have a chance in the game. But we didn’t get back a few times. They are very quick, they play a small lineup, but they rebound very well out of it. With our size, we need to do a better job on the boards. I thought they were tougher than us -- in the last ten minutes especially. There is a long way to go. I think we have shown some signs of being able to do some things. But we are still quite a ways away. We have a couple of weeks before the conference starts. We have to have some good work. We have to work hard. We have to get two games in and we have to get a lot better.”
What are teams doing to take fast-break points away?
“We can’t get a rebound. If you can’t rebound, you can’t run and I don’t think we have a running team. I don’t think we can run. I think Frank is coming back, but he’s not back. I don’t think we have a team that can get up and down the court. They got up and down the court. They’re a smaller team, but they get up and down. They’re faster, quicker, and I think they’re stronger. But I don’t think we can run.”
On his team’s play:
“We should be better offensively this year and we’re not. We’re not getting to the basket the way we need to. We can't win games with 13 foul shots. We missed 12 free throws last game. We missed eight free throws tonight. We have to be able to convert those. We’re not playing well, at all, on offense and our defense – they (Buffalo) end up getting 71 points. But our defense was good for both of the last games, for 30, 35 minutes, but you have to score points to win – we’re not. I think we can score points. I think we’re going to be able to but we’re not right now. So we need to really have a couple good weeks, find our offense. If we can, we’ll be alright. If we don’t – pretty simple.”
Do you think expectations were a little out of whack for this team?
“The expectations are all based on the fact we won three games last year (in the NCAA Tournament). We lost 14 games last year in the regular season. We have the same team back with some help, but it’s the same team that lost 14 games. There’s a reason we lost 14 games.”
Having all five starters back doesn’t help?
“They lost 14 games. I’ve seen teams with all five starters back that lost 20 games.
“We’re that team. We’ve not demonstrated to me that we’re better. If (Frank) was 100 percent I think we’d be a little better but he showed some signs, I think, some signs of getting there, of getting better. We have two weeks to get better. Simple as that and right now, I always try to say this, this is the way you are – the record is what you are. This is what we are. It’s not what people thought we could be or hoped we could be, think we could be. This is what we are.”
What does it do to the team when there is a defender that can lock Tyus up?
“They have to score. We have guys that can score. Oshae was good in the first half and they took him out in the second half. I thought both he and Elijah went to the basket like they have to and didn’t finish. I thought they got in there around six or seven times and never finished.”
Syracuse vs. Old Dominion
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement:
“I thought that this game was similar to the last game (Old Dominion). We were competing in the first half. Buffalo is a very good team. I thought we competed hard and then at about the 35-minute mark, we had four or five opportunities going to the basket and we just didn’t convert any of them. You have to score points. They’re a good team and we are not going to win too many games scoring 23 points in the second half. It just goes back to offense. We have to find a way to get some offense.
"I think that for the most part, Buffalo had missed a lot of shots and given us an opportunity to have a chance in the game. But we didn’t get back a few times. They are very quick, they play a small lineup, but they rebound very well out of it. With our size, we need to do a better job on the boards. I thought they were tougher than us -- in the last ten minutes especially. There is a long way to go. I think we have shown some signs of being able to do some things. But we are still quite a ways away. We have a couple of weeks before the conference starts. We have to have some good work. We have to work hard. We have to get two games in and we have to get a lot better.”
What are teams doing to take fast-break points away?
“We can’t get a rebound. If you can’t rebound, you can’t run and I don’t think we have a running team. I don’t think we can run. I think Frank is coming back, but he’s not back. I don’t think we have a team that can get up and down the court. They got up and down the court. They’re a smaller team, but they get up and down. They’re faster, quicker, and I think they’re stronger. But I don’t think we can run.”
On his team’s play:
“We should be better offensively this year and we’re not. We’re not getting to the basket the way we need to. We can't win games with 13 foul shots. We missed 12 free throws last game. We missed eight free throws tonight. We have to be able to convert those. We’re not playing well, at all, on offense and our defense – they (Buffalo) end up getting 71 points. But our defense was good for both of the last games, for 30, 35 minutes, but you have to score points to win – we’re not. I think we can score points. I think we’re going to be able to but we’re not right now. So we need to really have a couple good weeks, find our offense. If we can, we’ll be alright. If we don’t – pretty simple.”
Do you think expectations were a little out of whack for this team?
“The expectations are all based on the fact we won three games last year (in the NCAA Tournament). We lost 14 games last year in the regular season. We have the same team back with some help, but it’s the same team that lost 14 games. There’s a reason we lost 14 games.”
Having all five starters back doesn’t help?
“They lost 14 games. I’ve seen teams with all five starters back that lost 20 games.
“We’re that team. We’ve not demonstrated to me that we’re better. If (Frank) was 100 percent I think we’d be a little better but he showed some signs, I think, some signs of getting there, of getting better. We have two weeks to get better. Simple as that and right now, I always try to say this, this is the way you are – the record is what you are. This is what we are. It’s not what people thought we could be or hoped we could be, think we could be. This is what we are.”
What does it do to the team when there is a defender that can lock Tyus up?
“They have to score. We have guys that can score. Oshae was good in the first half and they took him out in the second half. I thought both he and Elijah went to the basket like they have to and didn’t finish. I thought they got in there around six or seven times and never finished.”
