Syracuse Player Quotes - Georgia Tech
Syracuse Men’s Basketball
Syracuse vs. Georgia Tech
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Frank Howard, Sr., G
What went wrong?
“Definitely the offensive end. We just didn’t attack the zone well. Our attacks weren’t consistent. We settled a lot. We got beat. Kudos to Georgia Tech. They played a good defensive game. I feel like our defense was solid a majority of the game, but at some point you have to score. Turnovers really hurt us.”
How hard was it to get in off the dribble?
“I think they did a great job of forcing the ball out of our play-makers hands, pushing the ball more toward our bigs. Our bigs are no question capable of making plays, but it was a funky zone. We just didn’t attack it well. That’s 100% on me. I’ve got to be better.”
Did you feel like the threes you took were good looks or were they the only shots available?
“At the beginning of the game, I think we started off taking six threes. I mean, I don’t know. I’m confident in my teammates. So if they take any shot, I feel like it could go in, especially the ones we got. Our attacks at the rim weren’t there. We didn’t get in the lane. We didn’t try to get in the lane … We got a tough one on Monday. We’ll take this one on the chin and get better.”
How frustrating is it to have this type of game after winning four straight?
“I mean any loss is frustrating. You can feel it in the locker room. This is a locker room full of competitors; down the line, down to the walk-ons, down to our assistant coaches. We literally hate losing. It messes up our mood. But, this is not something that’s we’re going to drag on. In this league, if you do that, that’s how you end up in an NIT game.”
What is the message heading into Duke?
“Elite athletes. Elite shooters. Gotta be engaged on both ends. We have to be aggressive. We have to be assertive. We gotta get back with that grit. We gotta get that grit back. I’m confident in us.”
Elijah Hughes, R-Jr., F
How disappointed are you to say that the problem is effort? You would think it should never be effort, right?
"Effort should be constant and it shouldn’t be an issue but it was tonight. It is what it is."
Is effort going to be the easiest thing to fix before Monday?
"You have to come everyday, ready to play and we just didn’t tonight."
What are some of the challenges now after a performance like this and then you go and take on the number one team in the country with a short turnaround?
"Just gotta put it behind us and get ready for Duke."
Oshae Brissett, So., F
How do you guys turn the page after a performance like tonight?
"Really just forget about it, which is easier said than done. You know we got to move on really, we play a big team, the number one team in the country and a lot of that is on the mental side of things especially since we’re going there [Duke]. We can’t get too rattled up about who we’re playing and just forget about this loss and move on mentally. It’s something we have to do."
It seemed like they had a lot of success inside the paint, what did you see from their big men?
"They do have two very strong and aggressive big men, they know their way around the rim, and they know their touch. I feel like myself, and the other guards, we have to do a better job helping Marek, Paschal see the ball out of there and not letting it get down there. Once they get down there it’s really a one on one to try to stop that especially those two guys that they got down there. I take full credit on that, I have to stop the ball better."
Syracuse vs. Georgia Tech
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Frank Howard, Sr., G
What went wrong?
“Definitely the offensive end. We just didn’t attack the zone well. Our attacks weren’t consistent. We settled a lot. We got beat. Kudos to Georgia Tech. They played a good defensive game. I feel like our defense was solid a majority of the game, but at some point you have to score. Turnovers really hurt us.”
How hard was it to get in off the dribble?
“I think they did a great job of forcing the ball out of our play-makers hands, pushing the ball more toward our bigs. Our bigs are no question capable of making plays, but it was a funky zone. We just didn’t attack it well. That’s 100% on me. I’ve got to be better.”
Did you feel like the threes you took were good looks or were they the only shots available?
“At the beginning of the game, I think we started off taking six threes. I mean, I don’t know. I’m confident in my teammates. So if they take any shot, I feel like it could go in, especially the ones we got. Our attacks at the rim weren’t there. We didn’t get in the lane. We didn’t try to get in the lane … We got a tough one on Monday. We’ll take this one on the chin and get better.”
How frustrating is it to have this type of game after winning four straight?
“I mean any loss is frustrating. You can feel it in the locker room. This is a locker room full of competitors; down the line, down to the walk-ons, down to our assistant coaches. We literally hate losing. It messes up our mood. But, this is not something that’s we’re going to drag on. In this league, if you do that, that’s how you end up in an NIT game.”
What is the message heading into Duke?
“Elite athletes. Elite shooters. Gotta be engaged on both ends. We have to be aggressive. We have to be assertive. We gotta get back with that grit. We gotta get that grit back. I’m confident in us.”
Elijah Hughes, R-Jr., F
How disappointed are you to say that the problem is effort? You would think it should never be effort, right?
"Effort should be constant and it shouldn’t be an issue but it was tonight. It is what it is."
Is effort going to be the easiest thing to fix before Monday?
"You have to come everyday, ready to play and we just didn’t tonight."
What are some of the challenges now after a performance like this and then you go and take on the number one team in the country with a short turnaround?
"Just gotta put it behind us and get ready for Duke."
Oshae Brissett, So., F
How do you guys turn the page after a performance like tonight?
"Really just forget about it, which is easier said than done. You know we got to move on really, we play a big team, the number one team in the country and a lot of that is on the mental side of things especially since we’re going there [Duke]. We can’t get too rattled up about who we’re playing and just forget about this loss and move on mentally. It’s something we have to do."
It seemed like they had a lot of success inside the paint, what did you see from their big men?
"They do have two very strong and aggressive big men, they know their way around the rim, and they know their touch. I feel like myself, and the other guards, we have to do a better job helping Marek, Paschal see the ball out of there and not letting it get down there. Once they get down there it’s really a one on one to try to stop that especially those two guys that they got down there. I take full credit on that, I have to stop the ball better."
