UNC-Syracuse Postgame Quotes

Men's Basketball vs. Syracuse Post Game Press Conference
1/12/21

RJ Davis

Q: Obviously the strength of the team is when y'all get it down low to Armando (Bacot), Day'Ron (Sharpe) and Garrison (Brooks). What's the challenge with doing that? It seems like it was kind of up and down in how you were able to feed the post tonight. Your thoughts on that?
RJ: Obviously Syracuse's defense was very active in the two-three zone, active at the top of the key, so we tried to do our best to get the ball to the middle and sometimes down low because that's when we are at our best. Especially when we space out the floor. Not only does that allow our bigs to look for their own shot, but it opens up space for our shooters.

Q: You had a stretch where you guys had been struggling shooting from the floor. You came in and made the three and had seven of your points in that tight stretch there with a couple of steals. Can you just take me through the level of confidence? I felt like you could see yourself gaining confidence with each possession during that stretch.
RJ: Yeah, definitely. I know I've been struggling shooting the ball these past couple of games. Coming into this game I just wanted to be ready when my name was called and just play with confidence, not worry too much about misses and turnovers, just play basketball. That was my main thing. I think that stretch right there was showing my confidence. Me being able to come in and knock that down form three, play defense and get my teammates involved felt great. Especially the winning.

Q: Obviously you prepare for it and you hear a lot about Syracuse's zone. First time playing it, what was the experience like and how do you think you were able to handle it?
RJ: I think I handled it pretty well. We practiced it a lot throughout these last few days. The blue team, I give credit to them, they did a great job of basically showing how Syracuse runs their zone. Coming into this game today we were well prepared. Everyone took part in their role to come out and execute and play hard.

Garrison Brooks

Q: If I would have told you that you wouldn't get your first double-double until the middle of January coming into this season, what would your reaction have been? The second part of that question is how have your teammates helped you maneuver through this inauspicious season for you to get to this point where you finally got this first double-double.
Garrison: I would have thought you were telling a lie from the beginning. My teammates really help me. They help me stay focused, be positive, within myself, just something I have to keep working at every day. I don't think my energy was there in the first 12 games. I knew I could play better, I told Sean (May) I was going to play better, I told Coach Rob (Steve Robinson) I was going to play better, I said I'm going to play better it doesn't matter. I drew a line and said I was going to play better to help my team.

Q: This is the third straight game where the team has made enough plays down the stretch to pull out a tight game. What do you attribute that to?
Garrison: Just toughness. Making plays at the end of the game, that something we did not have last year. I think we're just making those plays.

Q: Is that a matter of leadership or is there something else to it?
Garrison: Grit and toughness and just practicing those situations.

Q: When you talk about drawing a line in the sand for yourself, what types of things were you thinking about? What types of conversations with yourself were you having when you arrived at that point?
Garrison: Fix your energy, fix your attitude, fix your mindset to the game. Doesn't matter if you're scoring, you got to make a difference in one part of the game, it doesn't matter. You have to affect the game in some type of way. I think that I just ended up bringing the energy because I saw the way Day'Ron played with a lot of energy. My uncle and my AAU coach got on me about not having the right energy, they said if you come out there with energy and passion, the ball will find you and you'll get easy buckets.

Armando Bacot

Q: RJ mentioned how Garrison's teammates have been helping him break out of that slump, and that kind of came to fruition tonight. You can elaborate on that as far as what you guys have done as his teammates to help him through what's been a weird season for him so far?
Armando: Garrison's been great, I feel like a part of the problem was he was trying more to let everybody else integrate into the offense and I feel like he wasn't being as aggressive and who he was. Just more like trying to let it come to him and let all of the other guys get the confidence. What I told him is just go out there and be him, don't worry about us, we'll just figure it out. Just be the best player in the ACC like I feel like he is, and we all think and know that he is.

Q You mentioned entering the season that you really wanted to improve your scoring around the basket, and I think that in my opinion that you have. Where do you feel like you've taken the biggest leaps in your game offensively and in the paint?
Armando: I would just say my physicality. I feel like now when I get to my spot and I'm on balance nobody can stop me. I feel like I'm doing a better job moving guys. I've put in a lot of work over quarantine getting bigger and stronger in those areas and seeking contact, I felt like that has helped me a lot in getting to the free throw line this year and also just finishing.

Q: Last year vs. Syracuse in two games combined you had 10 points and 11 rebounds, tonight you had 15 points and 12 rebounds. What jump did you make specifically against the Syracuse zone that was so much better from this year to last?
Armando: To be fair to myself I got hurt in both games, I had to come out. Just going to the offensive glass, I feel like that's something good that we can take advantage of in that zone. Being able to use our physicality and our strength, getting those boards, getting put-backs and stick-backs and easy little layups and stuff like that.

Leaky Black

Q: Both Coach Williams and Garrison Brooks credited you for pretty much slowing down Buddy Boeheim in the second half. What did you do differently and why do you think you were able to slow him down a little bit?
Leaky: I don't think I did anything differently. Well, actually, I just tried to deny him the ball more. In the first half I felt like we were making him work for his shots and they were just rhythm shots for him. It was like he's not seeing us kind of thing. He had a little fade away with his shots and he's a great shooter. He's 6'6, so deny him the ball, it makes life a lot easier. So that's what I tried to do.

Q: Third straight game that the team has made plays down the stretch to close out the victory. What's the reason for that in your opinion?
Leaky: Just experience. I feel like we are getting better. You can tell in practice that we are getting better. I don't think we are turning the ball over as much as we were anymore. I don't feel like there are as many mental mistakes. I feel like we are getting better maturing.

Q: Is that a leadership thing?
Leaky: Yeah, it can be. We have some big-time freshmen, they were leaders in high school so it's just a matter of getting their feet wet and letting the game come to them to settle in.

Q: Did you feel like at this point of the year you'd be bringing the ball up with all of the guards who are on this team and all of the guys who are capable of running point? How comfortable are you doing that?
Leaky: I'm pretty comfortable bringing the ball up the court. Before I got here I played point guard my entire life and I just felt like that side of the game just came easy to me. Ball control, making the easy play, getting teammates open that type of thing just comes easy to me. I try to take RJ and Caleb (Love) under my wing, even though I'm at the wing, I still played point guard here last year. I know what Coach (Williams) wants, I try to keep them under my wing and let them relax so everything will take care of itself.

Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

Leaky Black

Garrison Brooks

RJ Davis

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