NEW YORK –– The NCAA on Thursday disputed Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s timeline on when Syracuse self-reported the drug-testing issues first reported by Yahoo! Sports.
“This was reported five years ago, and we’re waiting for them to…finish the process,” Boeheim said following Syracuse’s 58-55 victory over UConn in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden.
The NCAA said it received Syracuse’s selft-report on October 27, 2010.
Earlier this week, Syracuse issued a statement saying it had “self-reported issues with drug testing to the NCAA, and there is currently an ongoing inquiry.”
The Yahoo! story cites “four sources with intimate knowledge of the Syracuse men’s basketball program” who said “at least 10 players since 2001 have tested positive for a banned recreational substance or substances.”
As he did in the wake of the Bernie Fine scandal earlier this year, Boeheim continued to strike a defiant tone in the wake of this latest story.
“If things were bothering us we wouldn’t be 31-1,” he said. “Nothing bothers us.”
Then, in an attempt to lighten the mood, he turned the topic to football.
“I think that [Peyton] Manning should really come to the Jets, too,” he said.
