Head Coach Jim Boeheim Quotes - Georgetown
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. Georgetown
Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement
“I thought that in the first half, Georgetown was more physical. They got up in us and we ended up shooting difficult threes. Our offense just was not there and we let a couple guys shoot that we know can shoot and our defense was not what it needed to be. In the second half, I thought we played great for a while but then they made four threes in a row. Malinowski, we know he can shoot, he made three and the other left-handed kid (Blair) made one so they made four threes in a row when we got the momentum. And then Jesse (Govan) made a good play inside and then he made a three. How many centers can do that?
“But, when we had the answer, we answered. I challenged Tyus (Battle) at halftime and said “You cannot play like this” and he just stepped it up. He had a monster second half. Elijah got some looks. He can shoot, he can make those. I think we can shoot the ball better from three than we did in the second half. We ended up 8-for-28 and we are better than that. We can shoot the ball better than that. I just told Jalen (Carey) “They are leaving you open for a reason.” At the end, he had to take that three and it hit every part of the backboard and rim that it could and fortunately it stayed down.
“Against this Georgetown team we played way better than we played them last year down there. They are a much better team defensively and they get after it. I thought we did a good job on the outside and on the picks with their freshman point guard, Akinjo, I thought we did a really good job on him. But McClung got too many shots and too many open looks.
“But it was a great game. The fans were absolutely phenomenal once we started playing well. They were not too good when we were not playing very good but when we got going, they really got into the game and made a big difference in the game. It was a great win.
“I think Patrick (Ewing) has done a great job with this team. I think they have gotten better. I thought they had a good year last year. They lost three or four games at the buzzer that they could have won, including our game, but I think they are better and more physical this year. Govan is a really good player. I think that they are going to win a lot of games this year.”
What was the impact of Georgetown’s zone defense?
“We did not handle it. Frank (Howard) is good against it and he was out. We like to get that lob pass and we did not get it. They played us zone last year down there so we were prepared. We moved it a little bit and we got a couple but Jalen (Carey) got the open shots and he is not the right guy right now and he does not understand that yet.
“Tyus made a couple big plays there. He just took it over. He had a phenomenal second-half against a really good defensive team. He made some really, really tough shots and was 7-for-11 at halftime. He was spectacular. I thought that Jalen (Carey) did a good job and Frank (Howard) got in foul trouble. I thought Frank was looking to go a little bit more. I told him that he has got this week to run and get back in the lane. He did get in the lane a couple times and he has to do that. He is not shooting that well from the perimeter, so he has to get in the lane. I thought that Paschal (Chukwu) was very good in the second half. I thought he made a big difference in there with his defense. Marek (Dolezaj) can play in the center a little bit, but not against somebody like Jesse (Govan). He is just too strong for him. But he gives us some minutes there. I thought that Bourama (Sidibe) has had better practices this week. He did not get much opportunity today, but I think he has been better in practice.
“We are not there, and we were not there the last couple of games. We are two or three weeks behind where we would like to be. I hope that this week will help us to get ready and get better, but we will see. We have got to get better. We played with desperation in the second half. We should not have to play with desperation to win. We should just be able to just play hard and win.”
What would you say about the mentality of your team to be able to come back?
“That was a great comeback. We were fortunate to get off to a good start in the second half although they countered but then we got a run there and got back in the game. Then we took control but they didn’t wilt. Malinowski made a three and the left-handed kid, I think he was 0-for-5, Blair, and he makes a big three over there and that kept back in it. Our defense was really good in the second half even though they scored, our defense was good in the second half. It was, actually, better the second half even though their percentages don’t reflect that, our defense was better the second half.”
That part in the second half where you took control of the game - you really picked up the tempo - was that by design?
“Our defense got better so we got some opportunities to go. The first half we weren’t stopping them so we couldn’t go. Second half we got some turnovers, we got some long rebounds, we got it out and down the court. You have to get some defensive stops or have stops to be able to get out. We did a great job of getting out and running, in fact, we messed up a couple. We missed the dunk and Jalen lost the ball in the lane once, and we messed a few things up, but we did get down the court. Fifty points is a lot of points for us to score in a half - that’s a lot.”
Marek, physically, it’s tough for him at the five but what did you see from him today, especially at the end when he drew that charge?
“He made a great play on that. He’s going to make plays, it’s just, he’s 173 pounds, what’s the likelihood he can play center? It’s a spot here and a spot there, yes, against some teams, not against Jessie Govan, he’s too big and strong down there. For us to be successful in the long run our centers are going to have to play.”
Did you call isolation for Battle, he was able to get one-on-ones and get to the rim when you started coming back?
“He’s just trying to go. We got in transition where he could go. That’s where he’s at his best. But he was good half court too, once he got going. You have to hit a couple and make some plays in the half court set, to which he can do. I thought their defense was really good in the first half. Our offense may have been not as good as it needs to be but I thought their defense was good. We didn’t just settle for threes, we really almost had to take threes. We couldn’t get in there, we couldn’t get into their defense. That happens sometimes in a half of a game. In the second half we got in there better.”
On the last play, was that just a strict isolation for Tyus?
Actually, we flashed Elijah. We thought they’d press, and I was hoping they would, I wanted Elijah to go. But he saw Tyus and that was the better alternative.”
Syracuse vs. Georgetown
Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening Statement
“I thought that in the first half, Georgetown was more physical. They got up in us and we ended up shooting difficult threes. Our offense just was not there and we let a couple guys shoot that we know can shoot and our defense was not what it needed to be. In the second half, I thought we played great for a while but then they made four threes in a row. Malinowski, we know he can shoot, he made three and the other left-handed kid (Blair) made one so they made four threes in a row when we got the momentum. And then Jesse (Govan) made a good play inside and then he made a three. How many centers can do that?
“But, when we had the answer, we answered. I challenged Tyus (Battle) at halftime and said “You cannot play like this” and he just stepped it up. He had a monster second half. Elijah got some looks. He can shoot, he can make those. I think we can shoot the ball better from three than we did in the second half. We ended up 8-for-28 and we are better than that. We can shoot the ball better than that. I just told Jalen (Carey) “They are leaving you open for a reason.” At the end, he had to take that three and it hit every part of the backboard and rim that it could and fortunately it stayed down.
“Against this Georgetown team we played way better than we played them last year down there. They are a much better team defensively and they get after it. I thought we did a good job on the outside and on the picks with their freshman point guard, Akinjo, I thought we did a really good job on him. But McClung got too many shots and too many open looks.
“But it was a great game. The fans were absolutely phenomenal once we started playing well. They were not too good when we were not playing very good but when we got going, they really got into the game and made a big difference in the game. It was a great win.
“I think Patrick (Ewing) has done a great job with this team. I think they have gotten better. I thought they had a good year last year. They lost three or four games at the buzzer that they could have won, including our game, but I think they are better and more physical this year. Govan is a really good player. I think that they are going to win a lot of games this year.”
What was the impact of Georgetown’s zone defense?
“We did not handle it. Frank (Howard) is good against it and he was out. We like to get that lob pass and we did not get it. They played us zone last year down there so we were prepared. We moved it a little bit and we got a couple but Jalen (Carey) got the open shots and he is not the right guy right now and he does not understand that yet.
“Tyus made a couple big plays there. He just took it over. He had a phenomenal second-half against a really good defensive team. He made some really, really tough shots and was 7-for-11 at halftime. He was spectacular. I thought that Jalen (Carey) did a good job and Frank (Howard) got in foul trouble. I thought Frank was looking to go a little bit more. I told him that he has got this week to run and get back in the lane. He did get in the lane a couple times and he has to do that. He is not shooting that well from the perimeter, so he has to get in the lane. I thought that Paschal (Chukwu) was very good in the second half. I thought he made a big difference in there with his defense. Marek (Dolezaj) can play in the center a little bit, but not against somebody like Jesse (Govan). He is just too strong for him. But he gives us some minutes there. I thought that Bourama (Sidibe) has had better practices this week. He did not get much opportunity today, but I think he has been better in practice.
“We are not there, and we were not there the last couple of games. We are two or three weeks behind where we would like to be. I hope that this week will help us to get ready and get better, but we will see. We have got to get better. We played with desperation in the second half. We should not have to play with desperation to win. We should just be able to just play hard and win.”
What would you say about the mentality of your team to be able to come back?
“That was a great comeback. We were fortunate to get off to a good start in the second half although they countered but then we got a run there and got back in the game. Then we took control but they didn’t wilt. Malinowski made a three and the left-handed kid, I think he was 0-for-5, Blair, and he makes a big three over there and that kept back in it. Our defense was really good in the second half even though they scored, our defense was good in the second half. It was, actually, better the second half even though their percentages don’t reflect that, our defense was better the second half.”
That part in the second half where you took control of the game - you really picked up the tempo - was that by design?
“Our defense got better so we got some opportunities to go. The first half we weren’t stopping them so we couldn’t go. Second half we got some turnovers, we got some long rebounds, we got it out and down the court. You have to get some defensive stops or have stops to be able to get out. We did a great job of getting out and running, in fact, we messed up a couple. We missed the dunk and Jalen lost the ball in the lane once, and we messed a few things up, but we did get down the court. Fifty points is a lot of points for us to score in a half - that’s a lot.”
Marek, physically, it’s tough for him at the five but what did you see from him today, especially at the end when he drew that charge?
“He made a great play on that. He’s going to make plays, it’s just, he’s 173 pounds, what’s the likelihood he can play center? It’s a spot here and a spot there, yes, against some teams, not against Jessie Govan, he’s too big and strong down there. For us to be successful in the long run our centers are going to have to play.”
Did you call isolation for Battle, he was able to get one-on-ones and get to the rim when you started coming back?
“He’s just trying to go. We got in transition where he could go. That’s where he’s at his best. But he was good half court too, once he got going. You have to hit a couple and make some plays in the half court set, to which he can do. I thought their defense was really good in the first half. Our offense may have been not as good as it needs to be but I thought their defense was good. We didn’t just settle for threes, we really almost had to take threes. We couldn’t get in there, we couldn’t get into their defense. That happens sometimes in a half of a game. In the second half we got in there better.”
On the last play, was that just a strict isolation for Tyus?
Actually, we flashed Elijah. We thought they’d press, and I was hoping they would, I wanted Elijah to go. But he saw Tyus and that was the better alternative.”
