Syracuse Basketball: SU’s bad season doesn’t erase Buddy Boeheim feats

It’s amazing to me that I still see some of my fellow Syracuse basketball fans chiming in on social media that senior guard Buddy Boeheim only receives extended minutes for the Orange during this term and in past seasons because his dad is ‘Cuse head coach Jim Boeheim.

I recognize that Jim Boeheim may endure his first losing stanza in 46 years leading the Orange in the 2021-22 campaign where the roster featured Buddy Boeheim and another of his sons, graduate student forward Jimmy Boeheim.

I get all of that. But Buddy Boeheim deserves every accolade coming his way, in my humble opinion. He’s a tireless worker and a humble, likable young man.

Syracuse basketball guard Buddy Boeheim has put forth a strong senior year.

Buddy Boeheim didn’t come to the Hill as a highly ranked recruit, although his scholarship offer list did include from heavyweight program Gonzaga.

Regardless, Boeheim has evolved his offensive game over the past four years. He didn’t play a ton as a freshman, but Boeheim averaged more than 15 points a game as a sophomore and nearly 18 points per contest as a junior, when he caught fire in the post-season and led the ‘Cuse to the regional semifinals.

As a senior in 2021-22, sure, the Orange isn’t good. The team could be done with its current stanza on Wednesday if it loses in its first encounter of the ACC Tournament against Florida State.

Yet despite being blanketed by defenders throughout 2021-22, Buddy Buckets still checked in at No. 1 in scoring in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the regular season, at slightly more than 19 points per affair.

He isn’t going to win the national honor as the country’s top shooting guard, as we recently noted in a separate column, but Boeheim has received inclusion on the All-ACC first squad, which is wonderful.

I guarantee you that Buddy Buckets, a top-15 all-time scorer in the history of the Syracuse basketball program, would trade in this All-ACC first-team accolade for more ‘Cuse wins and a trip to the Big Dance in the near future.

Obviously, the Orange isn’t going dancing unless it miraculously emerges victorious in the ACC Tournament that takes place this week in Brooklyn, N.Y.

So all us Syracuse basketball fans can – and should – lament what has transpired for the ‘Cuse in 2021-22 and other recent seasons. At the same time, I for one am celebrating a glorious Orange career that Buddy Boeheim has produced.