BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 9, 2001

Jim Boeheim

COACH JIM BOEHEIM: Well, without Preston we just got to try to go to Damone and Allen. Allen stepped up huge again. Try to go to those two guys as much as we could. Try to get DeShaun going a little bit. I thought when he made that three, got us kind of back in it. We made enough defensive stops, we made all the stops that, you know, we could ever ask our guys to make. We just couldn't score. You know, we've been lucky all year. We just lost Damone for a couple of games and Billy for a couple. We're thin and obviously it's tough for us on offense. But I thought these kids battled as hard as I could ask them to battle. It was their game to take, and we somehow got back in and had the ball and, you know, we got a shot in regulation, we had a chance in overtime, a couple chances, and just, you know, couldn't get it done.

COACH JIM BOEHEIM: No, they think he'll be all right in a couple days. That's what they're saying.

COACH JIM BOEHEIM: Shot a lot better than he did last night.

COACH JIM BOEHEIM: Yeah, some other things. Trying to get it to Damone. (Inaudible). Kueth was open, he just couldn't get the ball.

COACH JIM BOEHEIM: Well, he had to try to do too much because really Allen and Damone can't -- who's running this thing, anybody? No. He had to try to force it a little bit because we got, you know, we've got -- we're limited offensively without Preston. And I thought, you know, he actually got to the basket and, you know, got good shots. Really missed them. The last shot he had was the layup. If you can't make that one, you can't play in college. It's not his fault. He doesn't make the three, we never get back in the game.