Sometimes you just have to thank your lucky stars. And boy oh boy, did that narrative fit Syracuse on Saturday afternoon. The celebration of Jim Boeheim Day almost got overshadowed thanks to the Orange coming very close to blowing a 29-point lead. It would’ve been the worst blown deficit in ACC history, but SU hung on to beat Notre Dame 88-85.
Not gonna spend too much time on the game here because it wasn’t the main event today, but the second half defense was abysmal. The Irish scored 56 points after the break, shooting 22-35 overall including 10-15 from beyond the arc. The backcourt duo of Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry alone tallied 46 points. They got whatever shots they wanted throughout the game. But when it came down to crunch time, the Orange defense forced some bad shots and it was enough to hold on. If a tying three had gone in and SU eventually lost in OT, that would’ve been a catastrophic way to go into what was a beautiful ceremony.
The festivities started before the game even began as fans could pick up rally towels, and there were plenty already laid out for the student section. During the game, there were video messages from the likes of Roosevelt Bouie and Demetris Nicholas. At halftime, there was a longer video including Coach K and Rick Pitino. Throughout the game, we saw highlights from moments like the 6OT game against UConn and of course the 2003 national championship. In the immediate moments after the contest before the ceremony, we saw the likes of Geno Auriemma and Gerry McNamara pay their tributes. And then, Boeheim’s moment in the limelight arrived.
It was a beautiful ceremony for someone as deserving as ever. Boeheim showered the current team with praise for fighting through adversity the way it has, continuously harped on how much he loves Syracuse fans, and gave some shoutouts to two very influential people on his journey.
This was a side of Boeheim we never really saw a whole lot of. For all the jacket tosses, arguments with reporters, or frustrating moments, today’s ceremony showed him as a human perhaps like we’ve never seen him before. He spoke with so much gratitude about everything, from his wife Juli’s support, to coaching his sons, to thanking the fans, it was a side of Boeheim you don’t really see.
Obviously that game was… something else. But today was about so much more than the game. Witnessing the celebration of a man who did so much to bring the city of Syracuse together, that’s something we may never see again.
