Syracuse Basketball: Jim Boeheim reflects on excitement of Hoyas’ rivalry

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim shares some warm sentiments on Georgetown and the late John Thompson Jr.

Over the years in the tantalizing rivalry between Syracuse basketball and Georgetown, particularly in the 1980s, there were plenty of heated exchanges among these two programs and their Hall of Fame head coaches, the Orange’s Jim Boeheim and the Hoyas’ John Thompson Jr., who sadly passed away last August.

But along with those kinds of emotions also came a level of admiration and respect that’s almost impossible to quantify or accurately articulate with words.

Sure, Syracuse basketball and Georgetown wanted to crush one another on the court, but there’s also a mutual appreciation for what this rivalry, and the old Big East Conference, did to help grow the sport of college basketball.

Boeheim, during his radio show on Thursday, reflected on what the ‘Cuse against the Hoyas means to him, his fellow coaches, his players and the Orange fan base. A thanks to Mike Curtis of Syracuse.com for compiling some of Boeheim’s thoughts in an article.

"Boeheim said of Thompson and the Georgetown-Orange rivalry, “John was bigger than life and had a huge impact on so many people, not just the game of basketball. Laying the groundwork, it’s why our sport has so many Black head coaches, because of John Thompson. He just made that happen in the beginning and blazed an incredible trail. … He did it his own way and a big way and he’s an unbelievably competitive guy, as we are, and it was a great rivalry, one of the greatest ever. There’s no question about it. North Carolina-Duke has been going on for 100 years and Indiana-Purdue has been going on for 100 years. Georgetown-Syracuse in the last 30, and for a 10-year period, it was as tough as any, as big as any, as exciting as any and maybe more physical than any. It was exciting to be a part of that.”"

Boeheim also discussed what the ‘Cuse and the Hoyas going toe to toe means to the Orange fans, saying, “The fans that got to see that Syracuse-Georgetown game every year, they got something that you don’t get. I know a lot of season-ticket holders who live in Florida came back for the Georgetown game. It was a great game and a great rivalry because of John, really. There was no secret to it.”

There is just so much kind praise and respect between these two teams, regardless of what sometimes would transpire in actual games. It’s not necessarily the same kind of rivalry now that Syracuse basketball is in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but it’s still one of the best out there in collegiate hoops.

The Orange is slated to host the Hoyas this Saturday night from the Carrier Dome. Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, fans are not allowed to watch in-person on the Hill.

Boeheim had this to say about that topic. “Everybody wanted to come to the Georgetown game, every year. That was always a gathering point for all of our guys and we miss all that. It’s almost surreal some nights when you think about everything that’s going on right now and how strange it all is. We’re lucky to be playing, but it’s so strange.”