COACH’S CORNER: Jim Boeheim (right) huddles with the Orange as Syracuse prepares to play Montana in a second-round NCAA Tournament game today amidst reports of “major and wide-ranging” program violations. (AP)
COACH’S CORNER: Jim Boeheim (right) huddles with the Orange as Syracuse prepares to play Montana in a second-round NCAA Tournament game today amidst reports of “major and wide-ranging” program violations. (AP)
SAN JOSE — This is not the type of March Madness Jim Boeheim and his Syracuse Orange were looking for. On the eve of today’s opening game of the NCAA Tournament, the Orange was rocked by published reports the NCAA has been investigating the program for “major and wide-ranging” violations.
According to CBSSports.com, the investigation has been on-going for years. The Syracuse Post-Standard, citing its own sources, also reported the NCAA was looking into the program. As sensational as those headlines read, the news should hardly rattle the Orange, which is growing accustomed to such news prior to tournament play.
It marks the second straight year Syracuse has faced adversity heading into the tournament. Last year, starting center Fab Melo was declared ineligible by the school. That came after the NCAA investigated violations of the school’s internal drug policy that were self-reported.
“Same story they had last year at this time,” Boeheim said about yesterday’s published report. “I guess that’s annual. I guess next year, we’ll get it again.”
Speaking after a practice session yesterday, Boeheim wouldn’t address the validity of the reports saying, “I can’t comment on something that’s just talk.” But he insisted it wouldn’t distract his team’s focus on today’s game. “There’s no distractions for me. And these players,” he said. “There’s absolutely no distractions for them. They’re here to play Montana and that’s it.
“I seriously don’t know if they even know about it,” he said.
Still, the timing couldn’t have been worse. The fourth-seeded Orange (26-9) faces 13th-seeded Montana (25-6) in today’s second-round game. The Grizzlies defeated Weber State, 67-64, to capture the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship, while Syracuse was beaten by Louisville in the championship game of an emotional Big East Tournament. Syracuse is ending its 34-year association with the Big East and heading to the ACC next season.
The good-byes have been said. The Big East can at least be thankful the latest news of an NCAA investigation at Syracuse isn’t its problem anymore. Montana is Syracuse’s problem at the moment. For the Orange, being a fourth-seed is a blessing and a curse. It’s the sixth time Syracuse has been a fourth seed, but one game overwhelms the others.
The last time the Orange was a fourth seed, it suffered one of the worst postseason losses in the school’s history. It came in 2005 when Syracuse was beaten 60-57 in overtime by 13th-seeded Vermont in Worcester, Mass. It brought a stunning end to the careers of seniors Hakim Warrick, Craig Forth and Josh Pace, who were linked to the 2003 national championship team.
george.willis@nypost.com