At Syracuse basketball's media day on Friday, I spoke with Orange forwards Chris Bell and Maliq Brown.
Bell spoke about returning to SU and becoming a leader in his second season, while Brown sounded off on the differences between last year under Jim Boeheim and this year under first-year head coach Red Autry.
The Juice Online: What made you want to come back to Syracuse after rumors guys may transfer out?
Chris Bell: Talking to the coaches, it just felt like the best place for me to be at. I never had a problem being here, and I wanted to come here for Coach B. Being under coach Red now, he was also a big part of my recruitment so it was not anything hard to come back and play for him.
TJO: How do you feel you have taken on a larger leadership role having experience for the Orange?
CB: I have been just trying to show all the guys the ropes here. Basketball is a simple game and sometimes we let the stress get to us. The game is just about taking it one day at a time, so that’s it.
TJO: What has it been like to work with new head coach Adrian Autry so far?
Maliq Brown: Practice this year has been more intense. We have more depth this year, especially with the pieces we added with transfers. Just knowing how it has been so far this summer, I feel like this team can take another step we have not seen yet. With our workouts and the past few weeks, I feel like we could be something special.
TJO: Have there been any adjustments for you under a new head coach?
MB: If anything the intensity of the practice has changed how we approach practice. The drills that we do and our playstyle is different. Coach B is a strategist and someone who has done it for a long time. Coach Red is just a little different, so it is about getting used to that as something we need to do.
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