Syracuse is good basketball team and we need to play well. We really need a win. In order to get the win you have to play really well and play well on both sides of the ball to put yourself in that position. We have to keep grinding and be ready at noon.
On Zone vs Man, we change defenses and play a lot of them. Defense has not been our issue this year and we’ve been good on the offensive glass and defensive glass. We’ve got to get to 70
On Cuse, tomorrow they will zone, it is hard to not have our guys shoot open threes. Pitt game we shot well from three, but the perimeter guys missed shots around the rim. We need to score more points around the paint and whatever option is needed we will try to get to 70. We’ve got to make some and we’ve got to make a couple and if we did and went 5 for 20 instead of 2 for 20 we win the game.
On playing hard for 40 minutes, effort is not the issue, guys are playing hard. Offensive rebounding and effort, we don’t have issues. Guys are giving their all, we’ve got to score more. We’ve got to get to 70, it is not fun when you miss those opportunities. We need to win the points in the paint battle, whether that is high/low or tweaking or adjusting, we are putting everything on the table. It is hard to tell guys not to shoot it when they are that open.
On breaking down dribble drives and getting to the hoop, in my time here teams have gotten better around this time, I’m hoping this time before we leave January tomorrow, Tuesday and next Saturday our team gets better and we get some wins. I’m going to tinker and tweak, but players have to produce and guys have to do that, I believe they will and I hope based on our past years we get better, most years you get a tad bit better, but time is running out and we need to turn the page. I think we are close, we’ve blown a lot of games. Other than Clemson and that segment against Virginia we haven’t put together that 40 minutes.
On not losing confidence for his shooters, it is a confidence game, you have to remain positive and that is big time basketball and guys know when they are not making it, a lot of it is a confidence thing, my mentality when things are not working is to work harder, we have a lot of opportunities to work on things. We’ve spent extra time on shooting.
On how the team is playing compared to preseason expectations, I thought we would have a different record than I thought, we’ve blown some games. There is still a lot of time, there is a month and a half to turn it around and get hot. Sports are crazy, everyone here has covered sports, wins turn into seven or eight when it looks bleak, I don’t think we are that far off, we just need to get over that hump. I think there is every reason to think coming into this season, there was a possibility of taking a step back. The biggest issue was last year, we should’ve won more last year and if we had more wins, then we are looking at this year as a natural progression. We didn’t have enough wins last year to say that. I thought we would have a better record than last year. We have the same team but taking off a couple of guys.
On pushing the ball in transition, I think teams are trying to get back in transition to defend us, Miles had a couple of great looks, Deebo did. Lance is doubtful with a hamstring and Tristan is out with a hip pointer. I asked Tristan if he can go in and he didn’t look healthy. We will shut him down to get him healthy.
On dealing with the under performance, I am a big believer that you push punch, eye gouge, we are not going into the fetal position. We’ve had great practices, we are having chances to win, we are just letting things get away from us in segments of the games. I understand the frustration of fans, we are losing and that is not acceptable and I want to win every game and every possession and they have every right to be frustrated when we don’t win.
Now we have back-to-back bad years, we did beat Georgia, but we haven’t continued that afterward into the season. If we had more wins last year, it would not be as frustrating as it is now. The good news there are a lot of games left and it is amazing about sports you never know what can happen. There are stories like that out there. We have to get through the barrier.
DEEBO COLEMAN
On the offensive struggles,
We’ve got to complete a whole 40 minutes and when we don’t we get in trouble. When other teams make a run we never seem to bounce back from it.
On Joseph Girard III, he is definitely someone we have to keep an eye on. He is a good player and we have to key on him defensively.
On the cold shooting getting in the heads of the players, I feel like if you miss some shots and that gets in your head you are not a real shooter.
On the improved defensive rebounding, I think that is part of our plan to get in transition because we are a fast team and when we get stops and get on the defensive glass that gives us more possessions as well.
On the lack of cutting buckets around the hoop, different teams have been playing different styles some sag off and some play us tight, but regardless of that we have to make tighter cuts and use our screens to get open.
On working on shooting, the last couple of days I’ve been in the gym heavily. The last two days I shot until my fingertips started bleeding so I wouldn’t be surprised if the next game I make like five threes in a row.
On expecting things to start falling, you’ve got to keep a positive mindset and it is more frustrating when I’m not hitting shots and we lose, but you have to keep a positive mindset.
On Zone vs Man, we change defenses and play a lot of them. Defense has not been our issue this year and we’ve been good on the offensive glass and defensive glass. We’ve got to get to 70
On Cuse, tomorrow they will zone, it is hard to not have our guys shoot open threes. Pitt game we shot well from three, but the perimeter guys missed shots around the rim. We need to score more points around the paint and whatever option is needed we will try to get to 70. We’ve got to make some and we’ve got to make a couple and if we did and went 5 for 20 instead of 2 for 20 we win the game.
On playing hard for 40 minutes, effort is not the issue, guys are playing hard. Offensive rebounding and effort, we don’t have issues. Guys are giving their all, we’ve got to score more. We’ve got to get to 70, it is not fun when you miss those opportunities. We need to win the points in the paint battle, whether that is high/low or tweaking or adjusting, we are putting everything on the table. It is hard to tell guys not to shoot it when they are that open.
On breaking down dribble drives and getting to the hoop, in my time here teams have gotten better around this time, I’m hoping this time before we leave January tomorrow, Tuesday and next Saturday our team gets better and we get some wins. I’m going to tinker and tweak, but players have to produce and guys have to do that, I believe they will and I hope based on our past years we get better, most years you get a tad bit better, but time is running out and we need to turn the page. I think we are close, we’ve blown a lot of games. Other than Clemson and that segment against Virginia we haven’t put together that 40 minutes.
On not losing confidence for his shooters, it is a confidence game, you have to remain positive and that is big time basketball and guys know when they are not making it, a lot of it is a confidence thing, my mentality when things are not working is to work harder, we have a lot of opportunities to work on things. We’ve spent extra time on shooting.
On how the team is playing compared to preseason expectations, I thought we would have a different record than I thought, we’ve blown some games. There is still a lot of time, there is a month and a half to turn it around and get hot. Sports are crazy, everyone here has covered sports, wins turn into seven or eight when it looks bleak, I don’t think we are that far off, we just need to get over that hump. I think there is every reason to think coming into this season, there was a possibility of taking a step back. The biggest issue was last year, we should’ve won more last year and if we had more wins, then we are looking at this year as a natural progression. We didn’t have enough wins last year to say that. I thought we would have a better record than last year. We have the same team but taking off a couple of guys.
On pushing the ball in transition, I think teams are trying to get back in transition to defend us, Miles had a couple of great looks, Deebo did. Lance is doubtful with a hamstring and Tristan is out with a hip pointer. I asked Tristan if he can go in and he didn’t look healthy. We will shut him down to get him healthy.
On dealing with the under performance, I am a big believer that you push punch, eye gouge, we are not going into the fetal position. We’ve had great practices, we are having chances to win, we are just letting things get away from us in segments of the games. I understand the frustration of fans, we are losing and that is not acceptable and I want to win every game and every possession and they have every right to be frustrated when we don’t win.
Now we have back-to-back bad years, we did beat Georgia, but we haven’t continued that afterward into the season. If we had more wins last year, it would not be as frustrating as it is now. The good news there are a lot of games left and it is amazing about sports you never know what can happen. There are stories like that out there. We have to get through the barrier.
DEEBO COLEMAN
On the offensive struggles,
We’ve got to complete a whole 40 minutes and when we don’t we get in trouble. When other teams make a run we never seem to bounce back from it.
On Joseph Girard III, he is definitely someone we have to keep an eye on. He is a good player and we have to key on him defensively.
On the cold shooting getting in the heads of the players, I feel like if you miss some shots and that gets in your head you are not a real shooter.
On the improved defensive rebounding, I think that is part of our plan to get in transition because we are a fast team and when we get stops and get on the defensive glass that gives us more possessions as well.
On the lack of cutting buckets around the hoop, different teams have been playing different styles some sag off and some play us tight, but regardless of that we have to make tighter cuts and use our screens to get open.
On working on shooting, the last couple of days I’ve been in the gym heavily. The last two days I shot until my fingertips started bleeding so I wouldn’t be surprised if the next game I make like five threes in a row.
On expecting things to start falling, you’ve got to keep a positive mindset and it is more frustrating when I’m not hitting shots and we lose, but you have to keep a positive mindset.
