BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 6, 1998

Ryan Blackwell

Jim Boeheim

COACH BOEHEIM: Last play was just like we diagramed it. (Laughter.) We didn't take a time out at the end of regulation when it was 3 point 9. They didn't have any left. I felt taking the time out there would give them an opportunity to set something up. Made a good play. The Garden was probably as good as I have seen it in a long, long time. Great basketball game. When they came out in the second half, they started to play. It was just a dog fight right down to the end. I thought in regulation we had the 4 point lead. I think Ryan got a little too aggressive. We should have just held the ball, let the clock go down and go to the foul line. St. John's capitalized. They went down, got the rebound, put it in, made a great play to tie it up in overtime. When they got the jump, we tried to get Marius' 3, first time, all we -- we got him that look. He makes it. It was a big shot. At the end of the game, he really didn't get much. I think Ryan owed us one. Great game. Both teams, I think, played well. Hopefully, these kind of games will help us next week.

COACH BOEHEIM: Etan was monstrous inside. For a long time our zone was the best it has been. We just did a tremendous job for quite a while. Then they started breaking us down. Felipe hit a couple of tough threes, guy right in his face. But Etan, they finally started to get it inside too easily. We wanted to the start the game a little different with the pressure, get them off a little bit. We did a good job on our press for three or four possessions. Get a little jump on it. But they started getting inside, and Etan really saved us several times. But a lot of the times when he got the block, we didn't get the ball, they got it and put it in. So the block wasn't as beneficial as it could have been. But great basketball game.

RYAN BLACKWELL: Basically, we went into a 1, 4 situation, let Todd take his man one-on-one. They double- teamed him. He started to fall. He saw me and kind of made eye contact and he threw the ball towards me. I picked it up and I shot it.

RYAN BLACKWELL: Basically just catch and shoot situation.

RYAN BLACKWELL: I knew it was going to go in.

COACH BOEHEIM: Me, too.

(Laughter.)

COACH BOEHEIM: Allen was tremendous. He has been real good down here. I think he likes being in New York. He was obviously great. He made some unbelievable moves to get to the basket. Defensively he was good. He played very well. Elvir's been playing well. I thought Elvir was good tonight. Again, Etan is just a presence for us inside that we need him in the game if he is able. But, I think Elvir has been playing well. It is hard to play him those two together against this team because they get up the court so fast. But, Elvir has been playing well, and hopefully that will carry on.

COACH BOEHEIM: This was a great atmosphere. This was as good as it has ever been. I have been in a couple games here. This is as good as you are going to see. The quality of play -- may be a little bit leveled down in college basketball throughout the country because of guys leaving early and because of the talent is spread out more now with more kids going to more schools. You have Detroit and Illinois States of the world are much, much better than they used to be. When you got a team like that in a tournament in years past, you look at the record, it was a no contest. When you played those lower seeded teams, it was a 20, 30, 40, 50 point game. The talent has spread out because of the scholarship limitations, the freshman rules, guys leaving early. You just don't have the strength at that the top that you used to have. But you have a lot more strength at the bottom, because those schools keep kids four years, they play together and so you have got a big elevation. So, you may not have as great a quality of player at the top, but you have got the same kind of attitude, the same kind of desire, as much or more so than ever. And you have great games. The games in this tournament this year have been the best that I have ever seen from top to bottom. In the old days you look back at records, top 4 seeds always got through and usually without a lot of work. It was a lot of blowouts. That is just not the case anymore. Every time you go out you have to earn it. We missed one shot last night, we would have been home today and everybody would have said well, you had a bad tournament, that can happen. That is just the way it is.

COACH BOEHEIM: It will be a war tomorrow. It will be tough for us. We don't play as many people. And obviously that is something that we are concerned about. But, you know, fortunately that is why I said earlier, there is no way you can play four games. The third game will be tough. There is no question, we know that. We are happy to be in the finals, but we want to -- when you get that far, you want to win. But it will be a challenge.

COACH BOEHEIM: I have always liked this tournament. I think it is good for you. I think if you get 2, 3 tough games here, I didn't used to like it when it ended on that Sunday, then you don't get home until late Sunday or Monday, then Monday you are practicing and then Tuesday you are leaving. Really, I think used to wear you down a little bit. The years that we finished on Friday or Saturday were better, I thought, to get home. So, playing Saturday is a big improvement, I think. But I think these games help you. We have been in, you know, two games right down to the wire, four out of five of our last six games have been like that. That should help.

COACH BOEHEIM: I have no idea. I haven't gotten my medical degree yet. He is in the locker room, we will see what happens.

RYAN BLACKWELL: Guys came into me, told me I better make them because I made that mistake. I went in with a lot of confidence. I felt relaxed. I knew I made a mistake when I was one in the hole and I lost the ball, I felt I had to step up and make up for the mistake.

COACH BOEHEIM: He is a tremendous player. Been a tremendous player, and you know, I guess he has proven he is a second team Big East Player thus far.

COACH BOEHEIM: Two better players in this league than he is, that is all.

COACH BOEHEIM: I think it has been pretty comparable. He has had to do -- take more of the load, I think, this year. Leadership-wise, you know, obviously the interruption last year did him or us no good. It probably caused us two or three wins, think we would not have been right where we are right now if we had him for last year -- it is something that he had to go through. And, I think it made him a stronger person. He has come in this year made all the big plays offensively and defensively. He makes huge plays on both ends. He has been you know -- we are where we are at today. No question. Our younger guys are getting better and been getting better as the year goes along, but he has been the guy that in the beginning sets the pace and makes the big plays for us.