Photo by Michael Napoleon
In the wake of Assistant Coach Bernie Fine allegations, Head Coach Jim Boeheim spoke out of turn quickly. Boeheim called the alleged victims “liars” and said they were seeking a civil suit to land 50 million dollars.
Fine was fired on November 28th, after spending 35 seasons on the sideline with Boeheim.
On December 2nd the No. 3 ‘Cuse’ took on the No. 9 Florida Gators. The Gators entered the game shooting 42 percent behind the arc, with intentions to continue their hot shooting. Boeheim and company held the Gators to 34 percent and edged out a four-point victory at the Carrier Dome.
Instead of the normal post game comments to commend his team effort, Boeheim’s conscience directed him in another direction. In response to his comments about the victims he said: “I believe I misspoke very badly in my response to the allegations that have been made,” Boeheim said. “I shouldn’t have questioned what the accusers expressed or their motives. I am really sorry that I did that, and I regret any harm that I caused. It was insensitive to the individuals involved and especially to the overall issue of child abuse.”
It appears Syracuse is doing ‘Fine’ on the court despite the distractions. As of December 13th, the Orange is the No.1 ranked team in both AP and ESPN/USA polls. The honors aren’t just courtesy of the No.1 and No.2 teams falling to pesky programs; Boeheim’s legendary 2-3 zone is stifling this year.
The Orange rank first in steals per game and seventh in blocks in mens Division 1 basketball. The 2-3 zone features the quick hands of a basketball bandit and long arms of a block party orchestrator. Guard Dion Waiters commits the robberies while center Fab Melo hand delivers block party invitations. With senior guard Scoop Jardine leading the charge, opponents are shooting 67-224 from three-land, 29 percent, and holding opposing schools to 57 points per game.
Conference play starts December 28th against the Seton Hall Pirates at Carrier Dome. With the second toughest conference in the NCAA, look for Boeheim’s boys to endure a tough rode to Madison Square Garden. Nobody knows the outcome of the season for the ball club, but for now everything is ‘Fine’ in Syracuse.
