Syracuse, N.Y. — Judah Mintz talks about whether Tuesday night was his last home game at the JMA Dome, why Adrian Autry describes himself as 'the guy' and how Syracuse has played four of its last five games. He admitted thinking about the win and what he learned from Kansas.
These were just some of the things I heard in the locker room after the Syracuse basketball team's 84-71 win over Virginia Tech.
judah mintz
If he thought Tuesday's game might be his last home game at the Dome:
“Sure. I'll be honest. I've thought about it, but I'll wait until the season is over to make a decision. It's like last time. If you had asked me this time last year, I would have left and now I'm here. I would have answered.”
On SU's mentality towards the end of the season:
“What I told the team before we left is that we have to play like we have everything to lose. And we do. That's the feeling and for us to play every game. There's a lot at stake for us as a program and as a team, but at the end of the day, it's fun for us. That's why when we play together. , you can see the smiles on our faces.”
If SU players are wondering how to make it to the NCAA Tournament:
“Oh yeah. For sure. When I'm outside for 40 minutes, I don't think about anything. But when we practice and talk about what we have to do, it's all in preparation for the competition. Me We don't just play to play. We play to achieve that goal.”
Quadir Copeland
Regarding Mintz's 29 point performance against Virginia Tech.
“Man, he's a superstar. We've been talking all day about the last game in the Dome. Why not take the plunge? He did it. At the end of the day, he's a dog. He works. He hoots. Watching it is like watching a show.”
On how Syracuse has won four of its past five games:
“Consistency. I feel like we all played our part. Everyone contributed to the win. It's not just one player. It's working perfectly.”
Adrian Autry
On SU's win over Virginia Tech:
“I thought this game today was probably one of the best. We played both halves on both ends of the floor today. We wanted to protect the 3-point line. We did a phenomenal job on that. And we rebounded the basketball.”
On what Judah Mintz meant to the Orange:
“What I really respect about Judah Mintz is that he's a man. He's a man. He doesn't run away from it. He doesn't shy away from it. For better or for worse, he's a man. He comes back every game. No matter the result, he's a man. Not many people wear makeup like that. That's what makes him really special. Having a man is an advantage. Especially towards the end of the game.”
Regarding SU's recent increase in offensive power:
“I think it's our range. I think sharing the ball. Moving the ball. I think our chemistry is getting better, the guards. They understand what we're trying to do. It's easy to guard the play. It's hard to guard the concept. When you're teaching men how to play basketball, it's hard to guard because it's unpredictable. Who I want to see plays. Everybody can call plays. You can make plays, but can you play basketball? That's what this crime is about. Space and letting players play.”
Kyle Cuff
On his role with the Orange off the bench:
“It gives us a spark. We play defense. That's the most important thing I have to do. Guard our best players and give our teammates rest when needed.” The season is coming to an end. Guys like Judah and J.J. can't play all 40 minutes. We want to get to the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight. We know that from being on a team like Kansas. We had Dajuan Harris, but we had guys like Remy Martin coming off the bench. Having guys come off the bench and bring energy is going to help us win games.”
Justin Taylor
On how Syracuse beat Virginia Tech:
“We know how well they can shoot the ball. We limited them to three. We didn't allow transition points, which is where they thrive. They In the game we won, our 3-point shooting percentage was over 40%, so we limited that. We were able to make solid stops on defense and steal the ball. We conceded a goal to our opponent in the second half. But we were able to hang in there and finish the game.”
On Mintz's big game against Virginia Tech:
“That speaks for itself. He carries us. He helps us even when we don't score the ball. Tonight, he showed us why he scores the ball so well. He was able to show what he can do and why he is and will continue to be a problem.”
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