I have NO problem with JBs tamtrum...,

[Eric15]

@DOsports: RT @Stephen_Bailey1: Fair on the ejection: "It wasn't looking good for us after that happened. It was out of our favor to have the chance to come back"

That tweet speaks volumes to me. CJ didn't think the game was over unlike many of the people on this board.

 

[zhanjuzi]

I have more respect for JB than ever after his ejection. I firmly believe we need to play better to win games like this but to see this type of intensity and fire in the belly at his age is so freak'n inspiring!

 

[alphaorange]

I really think the game was over, either way. Duke would have had to miss at least 1 FT, SU would have had to get the board with likely 8 seconds left, go the majority of the way up court to get a reasonable shot, and then make it. Too many things had to go right. Cheriehoop had it at 99% we lose if JB does not get T'd up. I think that is a bit low......

 

[Eric15]

Duke would have had to miss at least 1 FT, SU would have had to get the board with likely 8 seconds left, go the majority of the way up court to get a reasonable shot, and then make it. Too many things had to go right.

So in other words, a statistically unlikely, but still extremely possible scenario. (exactly how the 2008 Kansas/Memphis title game with Mario Chalmers played out).

 

[SmilinBob]

I just want to know if he really wanted to take his suit coat off and throw it, was trying to stop himself by pulling his coat or decided I'll argue about this call with it on because I have an underarm stain and it's going to be on ESPN a lot. Quick thinker that Jimmie B is.

 

[alphaorange]

So in other words, a statistically unlikely, but still extremely possible scenario. (exactly how the 2008 Kansas/Memphis title game with Mario Chalmers played out).

Not extremely possible at all. Not Lotto odds, but not far off. Minutely would be a better word.

 

[pfister1]

I have really mixed feelings on the ending. I think 99% that we lose the game after that play especially with JB so upset. He's usually the picture of calmness in these last second situations and the team reflects it. I think we still had a time out - should or would he have called his last TO to yell at the ref or save it till after the free throws? We would have had to foul - Grant and Xmas both had 4 fouls. Grant fouled out in the last few seconds - even if Duke missed both ft's would we automatically get the rebound? Odds are that Duke makes at least one ft- the best case scenario in that 1 % chance would be us scoring 3 points to tie the game. Who thinks we would have won in OT with the foul trouble we had? What would a larger OT loss have accomplished espec1ally with a game Monday against the Terps? I'm just asking. I'm not smart enough to have any answers.Bees is right that we did have a chance no matter how remote but I think that chance was at the most to tie the game, not win it.

I do hope JB wanted to do what he did with an intentional longer term purpose and it works to promote more consistently called games regardless where played. I'm certain he's going to be the talk of the sports media and a controversial and polarizing topic again for a while. I don't think this is all entirely good. Let's beat those Terps .

I'm not specifically responding to you Cherie, but generally to all who felt JB had some higher purpose than just having finally blown a gasket at an inopportune moment. I find it hard to believe that a guy who won't play and develop his bench because he lives in constant fear that they will make a mistake that will cost us a game would give up a final chance to win a game as big as this one in order to make a questionable point.

What was the point that he was going to make? That, Duke has the refs in its pocket most of the time and always at Cameron..... that would be a waste as all know that already.

That Syracuse isn't going to stand for Duke having an advantage bestowed on them by the officials? Really, what are we going to do that UNC hasn't been able to do to change this over the years? Is everyone here really naive enough to think SU wields more influence on the ACC than UNC?

I'm not sure how JB's statement does anything for SU's cause, either in the short or long run. I think its fantasy to think that it does.

 

[swish7]

That tweet speaks volumes to me. CJ didn't think the game was over unlike many of the people on this board.

Did Fair have any tweets about dribbling off his foot? Or any of his other unforced errors?

'Bees and Jake are both right. I'm leaning towards Jake's side, but 'Bees argument has merit. Hell, we still had a chance despite all that. If Ennis had hit those 3 FTs, it would have been a 3 point game with 4 seconds left.

What's odd too, is that part of the reason why JB did what he did was to continue to protect Fair. He was standing up for an injustice against Fair, as much as anything else.

 

[OttoForLife]

This is know with 100% certainty - JB is way smarter than fans, media talking heads and most everyone else involved in the game. Until he says otherwise, I will believe he had a good reason for doing what he did and thinks it will help the team.

 

[orangecuse]

A poll on what? Whether JB did the right thing or the fact the game wasn't over?

Ah, but life isn't lived in a vacuum. Easy to make such remarks, as in theory, only if that was reality...

 

[MonsterGame]

This is know with 100% certainty - JB is way smarter than fans, media talking heads and most everyone else involved in the game. Until he says otherwise, I will believe he had a good reason for doing what he did and thinks it will help the team.

This I know with 100% certainty. I agree with this post.

Additionally, people here who don't think it was in part premeditated are fooling themselves. I'm sure part of it was the way the game was reffed, JB didn't like the chest bump defense Duke played all game, some of the questionable calls on the bigs and Grant getting hacked most of the time he brought the ball down low. The icing on the cake was not being consistent between the Parker should have been a charge call and the Fair called a charge call. JB couldn't stand it anymore after that I'm sure, but this is also about the SU players. Quite frankly, the BC game was an embarrassment. That loss should have never happened and showing the players that fire in the belly is required to win every game is a good idea.

This game is meaningless in the grand scope of things. JB knows this. Sending a message to the players about playing with intensity all game, every game is necessary if this team hopes to win the tournament that counts.

P.S. I'm sure Duke fans feel that the intentional foul called on the MG break away was a bad call in Duke's favor and it was. But, the call had pretty much zero impact on the game. MG was making the layup any way so taking away the bucket and forcing free throws could have cost SU points and one possession with the way Duke was playing chest bump defense was meaning anything.

 

[Bayside44]

In re-reading all of this I forget then remembered that we got called for fouls on two jump balls. Boeheim did the right thing, no need for our kids to walk out of there feeling a traditional loss and letting the stripes dictate the outcome. Tell the ACC this crap is wacked and not gonna happen on our watch.

Maryland is gonna feel bad on Monday.

 

[OttoMets]

The team had two potential end game scenarios. The one where we come out of there with a W is fantasy.

The first scenario is the one where the team fought like lions, only to lose on some questionable calls and one horrific call, but otherwise to feel like the loss was on them - their 2nd in a row. Given our schedule down the stretch, as a coach I'd want to avoid this from a mental standpoint.

The second scenario is to take the responsibility for the loss away from the kids and put it squarely on yourself. No one has to feel like they lost the game. The coach stood up for them, and took it on himself to accelerate the game result, but to take away the sting. This game now has an asterisk on it - for the players, coaches and the fans. Hell - I think the whole college hoops watching world has put an asterisk on it.

So you can have a straight up loss with a heavy burden to the team, or you can have an asterisk loss with the loss entirely on the coach's shoulders. I know which I prefer as we head down the stretch.

The message to the world, and the ACC in particular - is a bonus.

Great post, and this is where Boeheim really is an excellent coach.

 

[SoBeCuse]

JB took the game out of his players' hands, plain & simple. IMO, anyone who thinks that the outburst was, in any way, pre-meditated is giving JB way too much credit as far as making that decision on the fly. I think it was 100% spontaneous, reactionary anger & emotion just as I felt watching in my living room. Think back to the Hood/Xmas block with 13.2 sec left in the Dome. Though not as egregious (I think it was correctly called a block), K could've lost it & gotten a T, let alone 2, but he didn't &, as a result, Cook's taking a three at the buzzer to potentially win. Without the outburst, SU's down by 2 & can trap/steal the inbound...as we just did to beat NCST 2 games prior...or take their chances with Duke shooting 50% at the line as they had done all game. This may "send a message" or "raise awareness" for possible calls in the future, but I'd much rather have the headlines about us playing through the call & at least having a chance on the final possession...& JB took all possibility of that away.

Great post. I'm on this side of it as well. No WAY the wiley Boeheim was planning this meltdown during the game for some long term benefit. It was a heat of the moment outburst and he frankly he looked like a buffoon. Maybe you can do that if the play happened with .2 seconds left or something. He's regretting that today, imo. God forbid the team goes into a real tailspin; we'll never see the end of that meltdown on ESPN and such. Hopefully the team comes out fired up @Maryland. The guards needs to have a good bounce back game. Frankly, I don't want to even think about seeding right now. Game by game and hopefully improvements every game.

 

[SBU72]

National attention on a serious problem. Let's play those MF's on a neutral court and see what happens.

How can they ever get a neutral court? Every place south of the Mason-Dixon line will be home for Duke prejudice and everyplace else is like a home game for SU. Just ask the media.

 

[Eric15]

That game means nothing, in the grand scheme of things.

I mean, in the true grand scheme of things, college basketball means nothing. It's just kids running up and down the court putting a ball in a hoop.

But if you're emotionally invested in Syracuse's success this season and want us to get the #1 seed in the East (which we're still in solid position for), then this game at Duke absolutely means something. It's part of our resume.

 

[SBU72]

Meh. Agree to disagree, given how we were shooting and the officiating, chances weren't great. I'm okay with the shitfit.

You're right because it's not like Su has hit a 35' shot to win or steal a pass with under 10 to play. Oh wait. They have. Hate to disagree with you. In the long run, I am not putting the blame on anybody. However JB has been remarking all season how the team has been playing on such an even keel and don't let bad situations get them down and that is how they won so many close game. He failed to follow their leed.

 

[SUFan44]

Yes, the board contrarian because I think, as well as many others, that JB was wrong for running on the court. The horror. And I agree with JB 99% of the time. Guess I'll stop defending his decisions when people complain about who plays, how much they play, using his slide rule, etc.

 

[RF2044]

Meh. To use a baseball reference, he took the bat out of his hitters hands. Unacceptable in my opinion. Boeheim's status would have brought plenty of attention after the game to the fact he felt his team got jobbed. In that moment however, he needed to . If i'm fair, cooney, ennis or grant, i'm livid with him.

I thought the team played hard. Also looking forward to a rubber match.

To use another baseball metaphor, the strike zone is usually called consistently for both teams. But in last night's game, there were multiple examples of calls being diametrically opposite in terms of how they were called for Duke versus SU.

 

[Jake]

10 secs is far from over. It's not devils advocate and it's not just me saying it. JB rides the ref like he usually does and no BS call would have been made in those last 10 secs. We either get a steal or they have to make FTs to keep us from having a shot at tying or winning.

5.5% to 0.03%. Those are ken Pom win expectancy prior to the meltdown to after. Meh, not a big deal. Would I have liked to see it play out, sure, but I understand why he went nuts., and I'm good with it.

 

[netman99]

Essentially said "you've been pulling this bullshit on the NcStates and the Clemsons of the conference for years, our jersey says S-Y-R-A-C-U-S-E" and we're not playing." Love it. Love that we played well even better. More that happy to see Duke a third time.

Not sure what JB was thinking at that point other than anger but it plays well or SU in several ways.
- As Jake says, it says we are not tolerating the Duke favoritism without a fight...
- It puts an asterick on the Duke's win. As it should
- It creates an instant georgetown/SU type rivalry. Everyone recalls the JT senior meltdown and eviction 20 years ago..

Is JB really that smart??????????????

 

[GoTerps99]

Hey Orange fans! Terrapin alum here, I watched the game last night and I'm so sorry you guys got screwed.

As an outsider, I have ZERO problems with JB's outburst. I'm not sure it will make much of a difference in the long run, but I'm glad he spoke out on the court. Well done JB! At least he's trying to stand up to the garbage that goes on in games v. Duke. I wish you guys the best in the future in the ACC.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

You're right because it's not like Su has hit a 35' shot to win or steal a pass with under 10 to play. Oh wait. They have.

It is a common logic mistake to believe that those events increase our chances of winning in any single case.

 

[rrlbees]

5.5% to 0.03%. Those are ken Pom win expectancy prior to the meltdown to after. Meh, not a big deal. Would I have liked to see it play out, sure, but I understand why he went nuts., and I'm good with it.

Saw your numbers in the other thread. 5.5 is decent enough for me. The .03 is mission impossible.

 

[cuse522]

Great post. I'm on this side of it as well. No WAY the wiley Boeheim was planning this meltdown during the game for some long term benefit. It was a heat of the moment outburst and he frankly he looked like a buffoon.

I don't think he sat there with 25 seconds left and planned it. I think going into the game, or going into the season, he planned that if we got a screw job at UNC or at Duke he was going to flip out and make a scene. I think he thought to himself, I'm Jim Boeheim and we are Syracuse, I'm not some 30-something or 40-something coach and we are the fifth winningest program of all time. I'm not going to kowtow to Tobacco Road, and if we allow them to shaft us now we'll never get out from under it.

I think he premeditated it to an extent a long time ago. Did he expect that it would play out exactly like that and he'd be on the court blowing a gasket with 10 seconds left? Probably not...

I also think he and Coach K might have planned to both address scheduling in their press conferences, because they're tight and that's a big coincidence.