Buddy Boeheim Breaks Down Loss to Virginia
Buddy Boeheim scored 27 points Saturday night, but it was not enough as Virginia knocked off Syracuse 74-69. Following the game, Buddy spoke to the media about what went wrong against the Cavs.
Q: How do you combat teams pressuring you?
Buddy: "Obviously Virginia's a great defensive team. Scoring 69, almost 70 points against them, I don't think it's as much on our offense as it is on our defense. We're getting good shots, missed some free throws we usually don't, had good looks, and I think we really moved the ball well. We used the pick and roll well, getting it to Jesse, gaining an advantage there on the perimeter. I think our offense overall was pretty good. Defense you can't give up 74 points to them and let them shoot the shots they got. Too easy looks. We have to be better on that end. Overall, I thought our offense was good. We should have scored over 70 with the free throws and making a couple more shots it's a really good offensive game. But we have to be better on defense."
Q: Would you say, offensively, things need to change a little bit with how these teams are pressuring you?
Buddy: "We're getting the looks. I think we got a lot of good looks. Cole got looks he makes usually. A lot of good looks. When I go and I draw two, they picked it a couple times but a couple times I was able to kick it out to an open shot. Scoring 69 points against Virginia is pretty good. I think they give up 50s or low 60s. I don't think it's our offense more than it is our defense and making shots. Overall, our offense was good today.
Q: When teams send two guys to you, what is your strategy at that point?
Buddy: "We knew that was going to happen. Whoever leaves, lets me know and says 'double, double' and I just try to find them. Once it got picked and I went too deep in there and they were there before I could pick it up and throw it out. First half we got it once and Joe was able to get an open three and knock it down. But we know they're going to send two after a while when I get going. Just using that to our advantage, try to find a mismatch and find an open shooter. Just get into the lane the best I can and finding the open guy. Whoever leaves. Just communicating and letting me know when someone leaves and finding the guy that's open."
Q: What was working well with offensive rebounding?
Buddy: "I didn't realize we had 18 offensive rebounds. We were just going after it. Jesse had a couple really good rebounds, Jimmy and Cole were really aggressive going after the ball. I think it's just that we've really emphasized it the last week more than anything is rebounding. Every time me or Joe shoot it or Cole shoots it, having three guys get in the paint right away. We've really worked on it. It's good to see it paying off and continuing to do that. Showing us we can rebound as good as anyone and outrebound teams, especially on the offensive end. That's when we can get open threes because they're not leaving guys like me and Joe much. That's prime time to kick it out for an open three."
Q: How specifically do you guys work on that?
Buddy: "I think just even on five on oh, when we just run our plays, we emphasize right when a shot goes up all four guys, even me, go in and having Joe stay back. We've done that more than ever. Just going in there and emphasizing going to the board after the shot. That's something we've put an emphasis on in little drills like that."
Q: What is it about Virginia in general? They've beaten you seven of the last eight times.
Buddy: "They're a tough team. I think coach Bennett is the best at drawing up his own offense against the zone. I've seen four different looks the last four years I've played them. They've done different things with different personnel. I'll never forget my freshman year they had a guy in the high post, brought him outside and they just made 18 threes with their guys. Then this year they overloaded the bottom. They had two guys in the block, one guy kind of in the high post. So they had three layups at the end of the first half off that. Just going to the corner and then looking at one of those two guys for a late rotate and they get a dunk. They just run so many different sets that I've never seen before. Coach Bennett's one of the best coaches in college basketball, so he always has a game plan. I think they do a great job executing."
Q: Where are the pillars, moving forward, on this defense? What are the biggest issues?
Buddy: "There's a good amount. I think a team like this, our goal is to kind of back off them and let them take some threes. You can't do that. We said you still have to get a hand up. We got caught sleeping a couple times. Let Kihei just shoot it wide open. One of them was deep, I'll give him that. That's a tough shot. For the most part, we still have to contest it and get a hand up. That's on me and Joe getting a hand up and being there. Not letting them drive to the lane too easily. Letting Kihei just go right to the rim. You can't let him do that. You have to guard him man to man. As well as knowing personnel. Knowing Gardner is going to shoot it when he gets it in the high post. You just got to get a hand up and contest it no matter what. Even if they get a dump off. They weren't doing that though, so it's really just knowing what teams are going to run against us. What they're going to do. We have to do a better job of that. Just little things, grabbing the ball, contesting shooters and continuing to rotate well. We missed some rotations we can't make and gave up easy buckets and that's the game."
