Syracuse Basketball: Jim Boeheim takes blame for record, which I respect

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim, in a radio interview on Thursday, took responsibility for the Orange’s struggling 2021-22 season, and I have a ton of respect for him.

After this interview entered the public domain, I saw comments from some ‘Cuse fans on social media that suggested Boeheim hadn’t previously taken responsibility for the team’s woes in the present stanza.

That’s not true. Boeheim has done so on more than one occasion throughout the course of the 2021-22 term. Furthermore, some Orange fans opined that he’s never done this in the past, and that’s a false narrative as well.

Look, I wrote a column about Boeheim earlier this week, in which I called his comments about junior center Jesse Edwards “obnoxious,” because I felt he should have kept some of those comments between him and Edwards private, rather than say them in a press conference.

So I’m not afraid to call out Boeheim when I think he’s crossed a line, even if it’s just my own personal opinion. At the same time, I am more than happy to praise Boeheim when he does something, or says something, that I respect. This is one of those instances.

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim understands that fans are frustrated.

"On Thursday, in his interview with Orange Nation on ESPN Radio Syracuse, Boeheim said in part, “I just haven’t done a good enough job recruiting or coaching this year to put us in the position we’d like to be in, and I don’t blame anyone for being upset about that,” according to a tweet from SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister."

Naturally, some of my fellow fans will respond that it’s part of Boeheim’s job to accept responsibility for his team’s struggles. That’s true. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that all head coaches around the country are doing it when they should be.

In any event, the ‘Cuse (9-11, 3-6) is preparing to host strong Atlantic Coast Conference squad Wake Forest on Saturday night. I’m optimistic that the Orange can regain its offensive mojo and come up with an upset win.

Boeheim noted recruiting in his statement, which is a hot-button topic for Syracuse basketball fans. For one, a lot of fans have been frustrated by all of the transfers out of the program this past off-season, while lamenting some of the transfers into the program.

I get it. But all Division I men’s basketball teams are having to deal with the new age of the transfer portal. And, yes, I understand freshman forward Benny Williams was a five-star prospect in high school and isn’t playing much in his first campaign in Central New York.

However, the ‘Cuse does have a promising five-member class in the 2022 cycle, regardless of the latest recruiting rankings. The sky, to me, isn’t falling as it pertains to Orange recruiting efforts.

We all want the team to fare better on the court in 2021-22, and I credit Jim Boeheim for being candid in taking ownership of the team’s sub-par performance so far in the current season.