Syracuse Basketball: Boeheim’s Army did Syracuse proud in TBT

The fabulous run by Boeheim’s Army in The Basketball Tournament unfortunately came to a close, but our beloved boys in Orange should hold their heads high.

The hefty sum of cash is going to another squad, but Boeheim’s Army left everything on the court in the $2 million, winner-take-all The Basketball Tournament (“TBT”).

Buoyed by a barrage of 3-pointers, the No. 3 seed Golden Eagles did just enough to secure a 90-86 victory versus the No. 1 seed Boeheim’s Army in the title match-up of the Northeast Region, which took place this past weekend in Atlanta.

The Golden Eagles, a group of former Marquette dudes, advanced to the Final Four in Baltimore later this week. Meanwhile, Boeheim’s Army, a collection of former Syracuse hoops studs, sadly fell short of its goal of capturing the TBT crown.

This really stings, because I had a feeling that Boeheim’s Army would make an even deeper journey in 2018 than it did a year ago, when our guys reached the Final Four.

The Golden Eagles had a sizable advantage early in the second half, but Boeheim’s Army did not throw in the towel. By effectively scoring inside, and from the charity stripe, where Boeheim’s Army connected on 30-of-33 for the entire contest, we chipped away at the Golden Eagles’ lead.

In the end, however, our opponent made 20-of-37 from beyond the arc, and that proved a tad too much to overcome.

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To reiterate, though, I’m extremely fond of the grit and toughness displayed by Boeheim’s Army, regardless of the ultimate outcome. These players gave it their all, sneaking by a pair of foes in the tournament’s earlier rounds, and you can’t ask for anything more than that.

I have every confidence that Boeheim’s Army will claim a TBT championship. It will happen, sooner rather than later. Getting to the Final Four and the Elite Eight these last two go-rounds is absolutely amazing, so a minor tweak here and there should help Boeheim’s Army land the big prize.

While it pains me to do this, I have to give credit to the Golden Eagles. They saw a huge edge wither away, but they still managed to emerge successful. I possess mixed emotions about Marquette, as SU’s somewhat controversial defeat to that program in the 2011 Big Dance truly annoyed me.

On the flip side, we totally smoked the Golden Eagles in the Elite Eight of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, a battle held in our nation’s capital. I attended that beautiful affair, and I couldn’t contain my excitement as the Orange punched its ticket to the Final Four.

Fond memories.

The same applies to Boeheim’s Army and what it achieved this summer. Our crew did some wonderful things, and its future is bright and juicy. A heart-felt thank you for making Syracuse alums, myself included, quite proud.