Orangeyes
R.I.P Dan
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Syracuse University Quotes
Jim Boeheim
On Fab
“I thought Fab was good, when you miss a few games, it’s always a little tough to come back, but he was good.”
On Kris
“I thought Kris Joseph was very active tonight,” “I thought he was the most active he’s been all year. He got on the boards, got a couple offensive-rebound baskets.”
On Michael
"Michael is a very good player,""He just needs to get some time, and I just haven't quite figured out how to play four guards."I keep telling him that you’re playing behind one of the best backcourts in the country,” "Michael got his first real good looks and hit both of them, and I thought he played very well," " … I was going to get him (Michael) in there early, and obviously it's a big bonus when he hits those 3s early. That's big."
On our rebounding
"We just went after it a little bit better," "St. John's is not big — that helps. I just thought we had a little bit better effort going to the glass."“I thought we did a better job on the boards than we had been,”
On our defense
“We were active and I thought our overall defense was good,” “I thought our defense was good early.”
On our offense
“One thing we really did well was pass the basketball. We just got really good shots every time down the court,” “That was the best part for me. . . . how easily we found people for good shots.”
What JB had to say about Fab back in the fall
"Fab is the most improved of them all," "He’s got a different body. He’s lost weight, he’s in better shape and he has a better understanding of what he needs to do. Wait ’til you see him."
On Tying Dean Smith
"It's great," "It's a great honor. Dean Smith was an unbelievable coach, one of, , I think, the four best ever in college basketball. But we have a long way to go this season. We're focused on trying to get to the next game. That's what were going to continue to try to do."
When asked if he has heard from Coach K about moving up
“I can’t even see him,”
On St. John's
“I don’t know how you can do what they’ve done with five freshmen,” “It’s extraordinary to have played the way they have, the win at Cincinnati, the comeback at Duke and they beat West Virginia, which I think is a very good team.
“They have five freshmen and they have won 10 games, four in this conference. That’s surprising with that many young guys. They looked young at times today when we hit some big shots. Freshmen aren’t used to seeing those things.”
GMAC
On Michael
"I'm just happy that he played well," "He's in a tough situation. Obviously a very, very talented player that hasn't played as much as he would have liked to. So to come out and still be aggressive and still be confident, I'm just very happy for Mike because he's continued to work hard."
Scoop Jardine
On Fab
“He’s our anchor, as you can see, we’re a totally different team when he’s on the floor with us.”
On Carter-Williams dunk
"That's the best play of the year for us,"
On MCW & Rak
“When you play the game of basketball, it’s all about opportunity. Everybody can play,” “The thing with Michael and Rak, they’re coming to a great team. They’re seeing (their team have) a lot of success early and get to learn more, so when they step in there they can be ready. Every day in practice is a battle. I’d rather be on a team like we are than play as a freshman. You learn more.”
On Georgetown
“That’s a great game,” “Rivalry week. It’s at the dome. I’m happy we’re going to be home in front of our fans. It’s going to be a great game. Georgetown’s playing at a high level. We just need to continue to play at a high level and continue to be on our defensive game.”
Fab Melo
On his return
“I felt rusty a little bit,” “I wanted to do everything in the beginning, but then Coach (Boeheim) told me to slow down.” “I looked forward for this game a lot,” “It felt great. I had a lot of fun.” “I practiced last week, so it’s not like I stopped playing basketball. It was great to help my team get a win.”
When asked if academic issues possibly wouldn't allow him to play
“No, I was never nervous,”“I knew at some point I would play. I wasn’t nervous about it.”
On his defensive mindset
"I know I effect the zone," "I know when they come in there, I intimidate the other teams. They aren’t going to go in there and try to do lay-ups and stuff like that's what I do." It’s my lane and it’s going to stay that way for the rest of the season."
On what being in shape has meant
"A year ago, I knew what to do," "but I wasn’t in good enough shape to get where I needed to be. But now I’m in shape and I can get there. I expect to play like this. This is what I do."
On St. John's game plan
"We knew they would press the whole court so we knew it would be easy for the ball to go inside,". "That's how I got my points."
On playing at MSG
"I love to play here,” “I have good memories. I look forward a lot to this game.”
CJ Fair
On Fab
“He makes a big difference,” “He takes up a lot of space and covers a lot of ground. He rebounds and blocks shots. What more do you want from your big man?” "He makes it a lot easier," "Sometimes, you might make a mistake, somebody might slip behind you and Fab's right there to block the shot. It makes up for a lot of mistakes, and he covers a lot of ground."
What he said when he learned it has been since 11/29 since his last three
“November?” “Dang, that’s long.” “I kind of shied off the 3-point line because I started missing a couple of them,” “I’ve got to keep my confidence up,” “Sometimes I feel more comfortable in the mid-range than the three, but after making this three that gives me some confidence going into the next game.”
On his freshman pine time
“I learned a lot,”
Dion Waiters
On what Fab says behind the defense
“Inside. Watch the pick. Outside. Shot. Things like that,” Waiters said of Melo’s defensive calls. “He just lets you know he’s back there.”
On how it feels to have Fab back
“It’s good to have him back,” “We feel like we got our brother back. We lost him for two or three games, but he’s back and better than ever now.”
On Michael's dunk
“It got me hyped,” “Just to see him to do (that), have fun out there, and have one of his best games, it’s great.”
What he said to Donna at practice after working hard on his shot
“I’m back, “I’m back, baby, I’m back.”
What he said to Donna after the game
“I told you I was back,” a smiling Waiters said in the postgame Syracuse locker room. “A minor setback for a major comeback.”
On the games tempo
“It was fun just to get to play an uptempo game because the last couple of teams we played didn’t do that,” he said.
On the crowd
“Hey, it’s Orange nation wherever we go. This crowd was into it but at the Carrier Dome we can get them going to where the floor shakes. Now that's fun"
Brandon Triche
On what Fab does for the team
"Fab gives us those charges and blocked shots," "He protects the middle so great that the other team is little bit nervous going down there, so that makes it easier for the rest of us. The last three games, you didn’t see us get as many transition points and as many bench points. Everything seemed interrupted, but now that Fab’s back everything is normal again."
Kris Joseph
On Fab
"Fab was ready and he showed that today," "He blocked some shots, he changed a lot of shots and he gave us the chance to get a lot of rebounds." "He does a lot on the offensive end, too. We’ve got a guy we can just throw the ball up to. I mean, he’s seven feet. Anytime you have a seven-foot big man on your team, that’s a blessing. Every part of the puzzle is important and Fab is one of the biggest pieces. So to have him back, we’re happy."
On that Melo put back then block & his own slam put back series
"That definitely got us going," Joseph said. "Plays like that get our juices flowing a little bit. That's what we need sometimes. Those big plays let other big plays happen. It's just a continuous thing."
On how this game felt
"It's fun," Joseph said. "When you're winning by this much in the Big East, we'll take it. We had fun out there. Some great plays occurred, and that's how we like to play."
On the Syracuse fans
“We love playing here,” “It’s fun playing here. Our fans always come out and support. I always feel like our fans overpower the St. John’s fans. I feel like I didn’t hear them all game. When Cuse Nation is in the building, that’s a good sign.”
On coach tying Dean Smith
"That's a great accomplishment for him," "I'm proud because he works hard. He works hard just as much as we do. That's a great thing. I'm happy for him."
Michael Carter-Williams
On the game
"Any time I step on that floor, I'm just trying to play as hard as I can, " … We haven't really given it to a team like we did tonight. We all played well, and we were just hungry to go out there and win."
On a play before the slam
“Coach saw it and said, ‘You should’ve just went up and dunked it.’” “And I said, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’”
On that slam
“I just saw an opening and just tried to finish it as hard as I could,” “I was trying to pick us up a little bit. I was trying to be aggressive. It just happened. We were having fun.”
On a similair slam in practice over Fab
“All of our teammates get on him about it,” “but I try not to. Because then maybe he’ll try to go a little harder on me or something.”
On how Fab affects our defense
“It changes the whole defense,” “We can cheat on the shooters.”
On what GMAC has taught him
“He told me just to keep the ball up and let it go off my fingertips,” “The results are showing.”
On waiting his turn & what he gains in practice
“Nothing against the St. John’s kids, they’re all great players,” “but going against older guys, stronger guys, guys who have been there is going to make me a lot better in the end. So that’s what I keep in my mind.”
Rakeem Christmas
On the improved rebounding
“We just needed to go get rebounds,” “Other teams are outrebounding us, and coach Boeheim doesn’t like that. Hop had us all week on the rebounding machine and that had us focused.”
Syracuse fans at the Garden
Reaction to high flying act
It elicited chants of “Let’s Go Orange!’’ from the pro-Syracuse fans who seemed to out-number their St. John’s counterparts
St. John's Quotes
Mike Dunlap, acting head coach
On the team
“We’re depending on our guys showing up every game to get their numbers and when they don’t post their numbers it makes it hard to win and then you’re riding the emotions of very young guys,”
“As they go through this long-term it’s going to be an incredible experience for them. We’ll see Syracuse again down the road and they exposed us and actually helped us by showing us our weaknesses.”
“Beginning, middle and end, they dominated us on the boards and they converted off of those second chance points,”
Moe Harkless
On SU
“They’re really good. They might have been the best team we played this year.”
D’Angelo Harrison
On the team
“We fight. We don’t worry about the score when we’re down,” “We play basketball and we play hard.”
Phil Greene
On Dion exhorting the crowd after his vicious dunk
“I don’t want those things to happen,” “breakaway dunks and then things like that.”
The keys
“Defense was the key, and rebounding,” “We do them two things, and we’d be right in the game.”
Jim Boeheim
On Fab
“I thought Fab was good, when you miss a few games, it’s always a little tough to come back, but he was good.”
On Kris
“I thought Kris Joseph was very active tonight,” “I thought he was the most active he’s been all year. He got on the boards, got a couple offensive-rebound baskets.”
On Michael
"Michael is a very good player,""He just needs to get some time, and I just haven't quite figured out how to play four guards."I keep telling him that you’re playing behind one of the best backcourts in the country,” "Michael got his first real good looks and hit both of them, and I thought he played very well," " … I was going to get him (Michael) in there early, and obviously it's a big bonus when he hits those 3s early. That's big."
On our rebounding
"We just went after it a little bit better," "St. John's is not big — that helps. I just thought we had a little bit better effort going to the glass."“I thought we did a better job on the boards than we had been,”
On our defense
“We were active and I thought our overall defense was good,” “I thought our defense was good early.”
On our offense
“One thing we really did well was pass the basketball. We just got really good shots every time down the court,” “That was the best part for me. . . . how easily we found people for good shots.”
What JB had to say about Fab back in the fall
"Fab is the most improved of them all," "He’s got a different body. He’s lost weight, he’s in better shape and he has a better understanding of what he needs to do. Wait ’til you see him."
On Tying Dean Smith
"It's great," "It's a great honor. Dean Smith was an unbelievable coach, one of, , I think, the four best ever in college basketball. But we have a long way to go this season. We're focused on trying to get to the next game. That's what were going to continue to try to do."
When asked if he has heard from Coach K about moving up
“I can’t even see him,”
On St. John's
“I don’t know how you can do what they’ve done with five freshmen,” “It’s extraordinary to have played the way they have, the win at Cincinnati, the comeback at Duke and they beat West Virginia, which I think is a very good team.
“They have five freshmen and they have won 10 games, four in this conference. That’s surprising with that many young guys. They looked young at times today when we hit some big shots. Freshmen aren’t used to seeing those things.”
GMAC
On Michael
"I'm just happy that he played well," "He's in a tough situation. Obviously a very, very talented player that hasn't played as much as he would have liked to. So to come out and still be aggressive and still be confident, I'm just very happy for Mike because he's continued to work hard."
Scoop Jardine
On Fab
“He’s our anchor, as you can see, we’re a totally different team when he’s on the floor with us.”
On Carter-Williams dunk
"That's the best play of the year for us,"
On MCW & Rak
“When you play the game of basketball, it’s all about opportunity. Everybody can play,” “The thing with Michael and Rak, they’re coming to a great team. They’re seeing (their team have) a lot of success early and get to learn more, so when they step in there they can be ready. Every day in practice is a battle. I’d rather be on a team like we are than play as a freshman. You learn more.”
On Georgetown
“That’s a great game,” “Rivalry week. It’s at the dome. I’m happy we’re going to be home in front of our fans. It’s going to be a great game. Georgetown’s playing at a high level. We just need to continue to play at a high level and continue to be on our defensive game.”
Fab Melo
On his return
“I felt rusty a little bit,” “I wanted to do everything in the beginning, but then Coach (Boeheim) told me to slow down.” “I looked forward for this game a lot,” “It felt great. I had a lot of fun.” “I practiced last week, so it’s not like I stopped playing basketball. It was great to help my team get a win.”
When asked if academic issues possibly wouldn't allow him to play
“No, I was never nervous,”“I knew at some point I would play. I wasn’t nervous about it.”
On his defensive mindset
"I know I effect the zone," "I know when they come in there, I intimidate the other teams. They aren’t going to go in there and try to do lay-ups and stuff like that's what I do." It’s my lane and it’s going to stay that way for the rest of the season."
On what being in shape has meant
"A year ago, I knew what to do," "but I wasn’t in good enough shape to get where I needed to be. But now I’m in shape and I can get there. I expect to play like this. This is what I do."
On St. John's game plan
"We knew they would press the whole court so we knew it would be easy for the ball to go inside,". "That's how I got my points."
On playing at MSG
"I love to play here,” “I have good memories. I look forward a lot to this game.”
CJ Fair
On Fab
“He makes a big difference,” “He takes up a lot of space and covers a lot of ground. He rebounds and blocks shots. What more do you want from your big man?” "He makes it a lot easier," "Sometimes, you might make a mistake, somebody might slip behind you and Fab's right there to block the shot. It makes up for a lot of mistakes, and he covers a lot of ground."
What he said when he learned it has been since 11/29 since his last three
“November?” “Dang, that’s long.” “I kind of shied off the 3-point line because I started missing a couple of them,” “I’ve got to keep my confidence up,” “Sometimes I feel more comfortable in the mid-range than the three, but after making this three that gives me some confidence going into the next game.”
On his freshman pine time
“I learned a lot,”
Dion Waiters
On what Fab says behind the defense
“Inside. Watch the pick. Outside. Shot. Things like that,” Waiters said of Melo’s defensive calls. “He just lets you know he’s back there.”
On how it feels to have Fab back
“It’s good to have him back,” “We feel like we got our brother back. We lost him for two or three games, but he’s back and better than ever now.”
On Michael's dunk
“It got me hyped,” “Just to see him to do (that), have fun out there, and have one of his best games, it’s great.”
What he said to Donna at practice after working hard on his shot
“I’m back, “I’m back, baby, I’m back.”
What he said to Donna after the game
“I told you I was back,” a smiling Waiters said in the postgame Syracuse locker room. “A minor setback for a major comeback.”
On the games tempo
“It was fun just to get to play an uptempo game because the last couple of teams we played didn’t do that,” he said.
On the crowd
“Hey, it’s Orange nation wherever we go. This crowd was into it but at the Carrier Dome we can get them going to where the floor shakes. Now that's fun"
Brandon Triche
On what Fab does for the team
"Fab gives us those charges and blocked shots," "He protects the middle so great that the other team is little bit nervous going down there, so that makes it easier for the rest of us. The last three games, you didn’t see us get as many transition points and as many bench points. Everything seemed interrupted, but now that Fab’s back everything is normal again."
Kris Joseph
On Fab
"Fab was ready and he showed that today," "He blocked some shots, he changed a lot of shots and he gave us the chance to get a lot of rebounds." "He does a lot on the offensive end, too. We’ve got a guy we can just throw the ball up to. I mean, he’s seven feet. Anytime you have a seven-foot big man on your team, that’s a blessing. Every part of the puzzle is important and Fab is one of the biggest pieces. So to have him back, we’re happy."
On that Melo put back then block & his own slam put back series
"That definitely got us going," Joseph said. "Plays like that get our juices flowing a little bit. That's what we need sometimes. Those big plays let other big plays happen. It's just a continuous thing."
On how this game felt
"It's fun," Joseph said. "When you're winning by this much in the Big East, we'll take it. We had fun out there. Some great plays occurred, and that's how we like to play."
On the Syracuse fans
“We love playing here,” “It’s fun playing here. Our fans always come out and support. I always feel like our fans overpower the St. John’s fans. I feel like I didn’t hear them all game. When Cuse Nation is in the building, that’s a good sign.”
On coach tying Dean Smith
"That's a great accomplishment for him," "I'm proud because he works hard. He works hard just as much as we do. That's a great thing. I'm happy for him."
Michael Carter-Williams
On the game
"Any time I step on that floor, I'm just trying to play as hard as I can, " … We haven't really given it to a team like we did tonight. We all played well, and we were just hungry to go out there and win."
On a play before the slam
“Coach saw it and said, ‘You should’ve just went up and dunked it.’” “And I said, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’”
On that slam
“I just saw an opening and just tried to finish it as hard as I could,” “I was trying to pick us up a little bit. I was trying to be aggressive. It just happened. We were having fun.”
On a similair slam in practice over Fab
“All of our teammates get on him about it,” “but I try not to. Because then maybe he’ll try to go a little harder on me or something.”
On how Fab affects our defense
“It changes the whole defense,” “We can cheat on the shooters.”
On what GMAC has taught him
“He told me just to keep the ball up and let it go off my fingertips,” “The results are showing.”
On waiting his turn & what he gains in practice
“Nothing against the St. John’s kids, they’re all great players,” “but going against older guys, stronger guys, guys who have been there is going to make me a lot better in the end. So that’s what I keep in my mind.”
Rakeem Christmas
On the improved rebounding
“We just needed to go get rebounds,” “Other teams are outrebounding us, and coach Boeheim doesn’t like that. Hop had us all week on the rebounding machine and that had us focused.”
Syracuse fans at the Garden
Reaction to high flying act
It elicited chants of “Let’s Go Orange!’’ from the pro-Syracuse fans who seemed to out-number their St. John’s counterparts
St. John's Quotes
Mike Dunlap, acting head coach
On the team
“We’re depending on our guys showing up every game to get their numbers and when they don’t post their numbers it makes it hard to win and then you’re riding the emotions of very young guys,”
“As they go through this long-term it’s going to be an incredible experience for them. We’ll see Syracuse again down the road and they exposed us and actually helped us by showing us our weaknesses.”
“Beginning, middle and end, they dominated us on the boards and they converted off of those second chance points,”
Moe Harkless
On SU
“They’re really good. They might have been the best team we played this year.”
D’Angelo Harrison
On the team
“We fight. We don’t worry about the score when we’re down,” “We play basketball and we play hard.”
Phil Greene
On Dion exhorting the crowd after his vicious dunk
“I don’t want those things to happen,” “breakaway dunks and then things like that.”
The keys
“Defense was the key, and rebounding,” “We do them two things, and we’d be right in the game.”
