Syracuse Basketball: Mistake doesn’t define Buddy Boeheim as a person

Syracuse basketball senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim made a bad decision in an ACC Tournament game this past Wednesday, but from my perspective, it won’t in any way tarnish how I view him as a person, and I hope the same rings true in the minds and hearts of other Orange hoops fanatics.

When the ‘Cuse knocked off Florida State in the 2022 ACC Tournament’s second round from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the first half Boeheim got caught up in the heat of the moment, and he punched Seminoles senior redshirt guard Wyatt Wilkes.

Boeheim, who from my perspective has tons of integrity, apologized to Wilkes several times in the handshake line after the Orange’s triumph, Boeheim issued an apology via Twitter, and he spoke candidly about the incident in a post-game press conference following a nine-point setback by the ‘Cuse to Duke in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal affair on Thursday.

In that post-game presser, Boeheim spoke poignantly. He apologized to everyone that he may have let down. “I’m most disappointed in myself,” Boeheim acknowledged.

Syracuse basketball senior Buddy Boeheim knows he made a mistake.

Full disclosure, I’ve been a fan of Buddy Buckets for years. He came to the Hill with a lot of pressure, and with a lot of fans thinking he didn’t deserve to play at the ‘Cuse.

And, yes, the Orange (16-17, 9-11) had a most disappointing 2021-22, with Syracuse basketball enduring its first losing season under head coach Jim Boeheim.

Buddy Boeheim, meanwhile, got suspended for one game by the ACC for punching Wilkes, which meant he watched from the sidelines as the ‘Cuse nearly stunned the Blue Devils.

A stanza ago, Boeheim carried Syracuse basketball to the Sweet 16. He led the ACC in scoring during the 2021-22 regular season, was named to the All-ACC first squad this year, and is a top-15 scorer in the history of a storied Orange program that, I admit, has fallen on tougher times of late.

But for all his achievements in a ‘Cuse uniform, Boeheim said in part during that post-game presser, “Forget basketball. I want to be remembered for being a great person off the court.”

"He added, “What hurts me the most is there’s a lot of kids, a lot of people that look up to me that want to be like me one day, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I disappointed them (on Wednesday), and I have to live with that. That’s okay because I know I made a mistake. If you know me, if I’ve known you for 10 years, if I’ve known you for 10 minutes, I try to treat you with the same amount of respect and kindness and be the best person I can every day. That’s what I’ve always been about.”"

Wins and losses are what matter to a lot of fans. Individual honors are nice, and Buddy has a bunch of them. For me, though, what’s impressive about this young man is that he made a mistake, he owned up to it, he knows he’ll have to live with it, and he hopes to learn and grow from it.

We all make mistakes. We’re all human beings. It’s in our DNA. I’ve always felt that how you respond to a mistake, what you take away from it to better yourself as a person, that’s critical.

Buddy Boeheim is a friendly, kind and likable young man. Time after time, when I interact with fellow Syracuse basketball fans on social media, I see them post photos of Buddy with their children, for example, and it’s beautiful to see.

He’s humble, and he works hard. The 2021-22 season was a bummer for Syracuse basketball on the court. Buddy Boeheim made a blunder at the end of his ‘Cuse career.

My fingers are crossed that this incident is but a tiny footnote when people look back on Buddy’s tenure on the Hill, along with the future endeavors where I’m sure he will shine.

I feel fortunate that we had Buddy in an Orange uniform for four years. That being said, I’ll always remember him more for what he did off of the court, and for who he is as a person.