BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 14, 2003

Jim Boeheim

Kueth Duany

JIM BOEHEIM: I thought I just felt early we had some opportunity and where we didn't convert I thought we probably did as good a job as we could in our press to kind of fight back in the game. We probably had to expend a lot of energy to do that and I just think that it was a game of you know, their defense was excellent. We shoot 9 for 42 in the first half we're going to struggle. I just felt we didn't get things going offensively. I thought later we slowed down a little bit and we got to some better opportunity to convert a little bit better we just didn't play well offensively and I thought they did a tremendous job. Defensively Anderson hit a couple of shots early and got them going.

JIM BOEHEIM: No, I thought we got good looks. Kueth got I think as good a looks as he -- better than he got last night, got better.

JIM BOEHEIM: They played great last ten years. They have had a great run. They have been there every year and they deserve a lot of credit.

JIM BOEHEIM: Well, I think when we lost earlier in the year to Memphis we bounced back well from that. We learned from that experience. I think we lost at Connecticut the last game, the last loss I think that we had we went on a 9-0 run, so I think for a young team we have reacted very well in those two real key situations, the Memphis game was very devastating and then we have been playing pretty well going into Connecticut and lost there. Then put together a nine-game win streak three or four of those on the road, tough games, tough places and so I think we reacted very well the last time we lost. I think that's part of college basketball, and I think this team will bounce back from this like they have from those. This was the first game I thought our youth really showed. When we didn't make anything early we kept missing, we had pretty good looks; then we rushed a little bit and the end of the first half I thought we took some quick 3s and, you know, but I think we'll learn from it and bounce back from it.

JIM BOEHEIM: I thought he struggled the most he struggled all year tonight. He missed some shots early, and walked a couple of times, lost the ball a couple times, got beat on the boards. I thought later in the game even though the game was not that much in doubt, still 8, 9 minutes to go I thought he made two or three good solid post moves that I think we were look -- hoping that he would make earlier in the game. Again, we have got some real young guys that are in their first BIG EAST tournament. We struggled last night and kind of battled back in the game. We struggled big time tonight, kind of battled back in the game. We didn't play well either night here. That's something that's not all that unusual for a young team. I think that Pittsburgh veterans showed what it takes. I think Connecticut, being in the Championship game last year, even though they have some young guys they were all in the Championship game last year, and I think that that certainly helps.

JIM BOEHEIM: I think they play good defense. I think that that's a big part of it. But again, like, you know, if you want to analyze every single shot, some of them they caused, you know, us to miss. Other ones we had real good opportunities, real good looks that like I said, if Kueth had shot last night like he did tonight, we couldn't be here talking, we would be back in Syracuse already. He got some good looks. Gerry had some good looks. Carmelo, he had good opportunities from the 3-point line and we didn't make anything there. We shoot 2 for 18 from the 3-point line, Okafor affected our inside opportunity, but he didn't affect those shots and he affected some shots, Gerry McNamara blocked 8 shots and it didn't affect them shooting 40% of or whatever they shot from the 3-point line. Okafor didn't affect our shooting at the 3-point line - at least I don't think -- I don't think he's that good.

KUETH DUANY: They just have good guard play and they take care of the ball. We are pressing them, they just beat our press. That's a credit to their good guards.

KUETH DUANY: I think they have very good ball handlers. It's tough to press a team that has 3 guards that can handle the ball that well.

JIM BOEHEIM: We had more success out of the press than we should have.

JIM BOEHEIM: Well, I think they have got a good chance to win a game. I think they are playing well. I think when they -- the games that they played well this year, they have been very dominating. They have just, you know, because they do have some young guys they just had some inconsistent games that they haven't played well. Pittsburgh is going to bring a pretty consistent effort tomorrow depending on the health of their team. If Troutman can't go or if -- I think Troutman, he beat us the first game and almost beat us the second game. He's a huge part of what they do. If he doesn't go or he's not close to 100% that's a big factor in the game and I don't know how hurt the other guys are. I didn't see that. But I think Connecticut, the games that they have played, Notre Dame, Boston College, the games they have really come out and played against us, they have looked like a team that can beat anybody they play. On other nights they just haven't. That's what happens when you got some young guys which they have. We have a few too.