What an achievement by Jim Boeheim winning his 800th career game.
And nothing could have been more fitting than leading his Orange to yet another massacre of juggernaut SUNY Albany, 75-43. Just how did they do it?
Has there ever been a coach who has racked up more wins against ridiculously overmatched opponents?
Schedule a few gimmes to pad your record and get your team going in the early season. Fine. But Boeheim and Syracuse take it to absurd levels. There are so many cupcakes on this schedule it should be sponsored by Hostess.
The following is Syracuse's non-conference schedule this season: Albany (home), Robert Morris (home), Cal (neutral site), UNC/Ohio State (neutral site), Cornell (home), Columbia (home), Colgate (home), Maine (home), St. Francis (home), St. Bonaventure (home), Oakland (home), Memphis (home).
This year is no different from any of the 34 years that he's been in charge. Don't challenge yourself too much Jim.
He's a slave to his 2-3 zone and doesn't teach any of his players any defensive fundamentals. Carmelo Anthony may have gift-wrapped a national championship for him, but he's been a totally overrated coach for years and one who is known for being incredibly sensitive to criticism.
What he should be, however, is embarrassed by this schedule.
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While I might agree, that he might not ever have remind anyone of the great John Wooden, your criticism of Boeheim is totally unwarranted...You go into great detail about how soft his non-conference schedule is year after year and then gloss over the fact that Syracuse will be playing the likes of Ohio State and or UNC and Memphis (it was scheduled prior to Calipari leaving them).
ReplyDeleteEvery year, they play in a highly-competitive pre-season tournament. And also they play in the deepest and arguably best conference ever assembled.
The only reason one would ever rip on this coach that has built his alma mater into a perennial college basketball power is either jealousy or ignorance...
And while compared with the great coaches of our liftime, a golden era by far: Coach K, Deam Smith, Calhoun, Bobby Knight, Izzo and Pitino...Boeheim might seem like a compilier like MLB's Eddie Murray.
The NBA recently has experienced a simliar golden era of players: MJ, Bird, Magic, Kareem, Dr. J., Shaq, Tim Duncan....
And in the that mix someone like Hakeem Olajuwon or Charles Barkley is often overlooked...I think years from now, people won't know how good some of these players really were. Sort of how this generation of current 21-and-unders might not know how damn good Bill Walton really was. (I am sure someone that is 21-and-under might think he was only as good as Chris Bosh).
His success isn't a by product of just one great player or recruiting class...He has a Final Four appearance and National Championship game appeaance in the last three decades, 1987, 1996 and 2003...where is two losses came to Pitino and Bobby Knight...
Take Calhoun as a good comparison...
Here's UConn's pre-conference 2009-10 schedule: William & Mary (home), Colgate (home), Boston University (Home), Harvard (Home), Kentucky (Home), Central Florida (Home), Maine (Home) and Iona (Home).
Other than the UK tilt...none of those games will be competitive. And to those who argue, Syracuse never leaves the state of New York, UConn has every team come play them as well.
Anyway, I think history will be a fair judge to Boeheim's accomplisments even if you aren't...Just ask any starved St. John's fan how hard 20-win seasons are to come by.
Let the chips fall where they may...
While you have done a nice job exposing UConn's pathetic schedule, it doesn't change the fact that Boeheim/Syracuse (as usual) has loaded its schedule with a bunch of "wins" that fail to impress.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we can compare the two programs by analyzing which team demolishes common opponent Colgate in more dominant fashion.