Q & A with Michael Carter-Williams

One of the best players to come through Syracuse in recent memory was point guard Michael Carter-Williams. As a sophomore during the 2012-13 season, Carter-Williams averaged 11.9 points, 7.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. He led the Orange to the 2013 Final Four in one of the best defensive runs in NCAA Tournament history. AllSyracuse.com caught up with Carter-Williams, who is currently on the Orlando Magic in his eighth season in the NBA, to discuss a variety of topics.

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Q: What do you remember about your time at Syracuse?

"I loved my time at Syracuse," Carter-Williams said. "The things I had to go through (my first year) helped me immensely. I always thank those guys. I just learned so much that helped me for the rest of my life. Going to the Final Four my second year was an amazing experience. Doing it with G-Mac, coach Boeheim and coach Hopkins, was a dream come true to me. I always dreamed of going to the Final Four, so there were definitely some great times there."

Q: What's it like to play for Jim Boeheim?

"A lot of what you see in the media is who he is outside of the media as well," Carter-Williams said. "He has a funny personality. He finds a lot of things funny, which is always great as a coach. One thing I think people don't know is that he treats his players almost as if they're already in the NBA. He lets us make our own choices and our own decisions off the court. He tries to teach us to make those decisions the best he can. Just overall, a good guy. He trusts his assistant coaches and lets them do so much in practice. He trusts them a lot and their opinions. He has a good demeanor about himself. Obviously he's a family man and brings his family around a lot. How he is in the media is definitely how he is outside the media as well.

"He helped me out a lot. On the court, obviously, he's a great coach as far as x's and o's. He knows so much. He keeps the game really simple and teaches you how to play a certain way that best fits yourself. He teaches you good habits. Whatever he wants from you, that's what he expects. He'll get on you. He's not afraid to get on you if he doesn't think you're performing at your best. He just tells you how it is."

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Q: What do you remember about the Final Four run?

"It was like our whole team was moving as one on defense," Carter-Williams said. "He (Boeheim) propelled that in the zone defense. I can just remember us just gelling offensively and defensively. He gave us confidence to beat teams that were ranked ahead of us. It was just an amazing time.

"I remember that it (Final Four vs Michigan) was probably my worse game in the Tournament. It was a tough game, Michigan was a tough team. I remember me and James Southerland not having the games we would've loved to have. But I don't really have any regrets towards it. When I think back about going to and playing in the Final Four, what I remember it by is the good times. What we had going and the run that we did make."

Q: What are the biggest differences between the college game and the NBA?

"The biggest difference is probably the spacing," Carter-Williams. "In the college game, there was no defensive three seconds so the lane was always clogged. The game's a lot faster in the NBA. Those are the two main things. Guys are obviously bigger, stronger, faster."

Q: What was it like to watch both Syracuse and your brother (Marcus Zegarowski at Creighton) play and have success in the NCAA Tournament?

"I was so excited to watch my brother play," Carter-Williams said. "Following his whole college career and the things he was able to accomplish was pretty amazing there. I was talking to G-Mac all the time about how great Cuse was playing and he kept track of Marcus as well. It was awesome to have them both do really well in the Tournament.

Q: How much do you still keep in touch with your teammates and coaches at Cuse?

"I talk to G-Mac, I talk to Boeheim, I talk to coach Hop once in a while," Carter-Williams said. "I talked to Devo today. I talk to Jerami Grant. I talk to Scoop (Jardine) once in a while. Dion (Waiters), I always catch up with when I see him. I talk to James Southerland, he's actually helping me build a PC right now. I talk to Trev (Cooney) once in a while. CJ (Fair) I talk to almost every day. I definitely keep in touch with the guys for sure."