NEWYORK — Syracuse star Buddy Boeheim was suspended for Orange’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament game against Duke after he punched a State of Florida players in the fourth stomach in victory in the second inning.
The ACC announced a one-game suspension for “gross conduct” about four hours after ninth-seeded Syracuse beat eighth-seeded Florida State 96-57 to advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals in China. Barclays center.
Senior, son of Orange team coach Jim Boeheim, previously released a statement admitting he was wrong.
“In the heat of today’s game, after some shoving in the lane, I swung my arm when I turned around. It was wrong to act out of frustration.” Boeheim said in a statement posted on the Twitter account of Syracuse Basketball. “I’m sorry Wyatt Wilkes several times in the handshake line. He said don’t worry about it, but I knew it was wrong. “
If Orange (16-16) had lost to Duke, Boeheim would have likely played his last game in college. He has indicated a few times this season that he has no intention of taking advantage of the five more qualifying statuses the NCAA grants athletes to compete in the pandemic-altering 2020-21 season.
Syracuse is not in contention for a major bid for the NCAA tournament, and the NIT also looks unlikely if Orange drops below .500 with a defeat to Duke.
Boeheim was not called up for a foul, which occurred after Syracuse’s shot.
Jim Boeheim said: “I saw the play, the kid pushed him twice. “I think it was accidental. It wasn’t a punch.”
Jim Boeheim dismissed the idea his son could be suspended when asked about it. He said if officials had noticed the play, a gross foul could have been called for Buddy Boeheim. The coach who conceded Buddy Boeheim retaliated for being pushed.
Buddy Boeheim leads the ACC in points scored with 19.3 points per game.
Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton analyzed the situation during his post-match press conference, praising the younger Boeheim’s character.
“I don’t want anything to take away from how well they played and how good a young man he is,” Hamilton said. “The game is physical. We expect the boys to come out and be aggressive and belligerent. If something happens by accident, sometimes we like to categorize it one way or another.”
“I sometimes lose my temper. I made some mistakes.”
Wilkes doubled the lead and squatted for a while after being hit midway through the first half. He continued to play.
The two players were seen talking to each other after the game, and Boeheim left smiling.
“I take pride in respecting the game and our opponents,” said Boeheim. “I won’t react like that again.”
The situation is reminiscent of another infamous moment in ACC history, involving a famous player.
In 2005, Wake Forest’s Chris Paul beat North Carolina State’s Julius Hodge under the belt in the team’s regular season final. No fouls, but Wake Forest suspended Paul after consulting the ACC for the first game of the conference tournament.
Boeheim became one of the top 3-pointers in the country while playing for his father, a Hall of Fame coach. During his career, Boeheim averaged 14.6 points per game and made 306 3s.
Boeheim helped Orange make it to the NCAA Sweet 16 last year with some sharp footage in support of his “Buddy Buckets” moniker. This year, he was named the first team of the ACC.
Syracuse has lost both times against 7 Duke this season, first by 20 points on the road and then 25 at home.
