One day after the NCAA handed out heavy penalties to the Syracuse basketball program for lack of institutional control, head coach Jim Boeheim skipped the post game press conference following his team’s 71-57 loss at N.C. State and had assistant coach Mike Hopkins meet the media instead.
The game was the last of the season for Syracuse, which self-imposed a postseason ban and finishes the season 18-13, 9-9 in the ACC.
According to Syracuse.com, Hopkins said Boeheim didn’t address the media so he didn’t have to say “no comment” over and over.
“This is my first [press conference]. Am I doing OK?” Hopkins said.
In his comments, Hopkins, who has been dubbed the head coach-in-waiting at Syracuse, reportedly didn’t answer any questions about the NCAA investigation.
Asked how Boeheim is handling the infractions, Hopkins said: “[Boeheim] is a legend. What he’s done, I don’t think anybody will be able to do ever again. He’s a special guy. It’s going to be hard, I can tell you that. He’s a legend. A superhero.”
Tim Welsh, a former Boeheim assistant and former head coach at Iona and Providence, told both the New York Times and SNY.tv that he doesn’t think Boeheim will retire anytime soon.
“No way, he shouldn’t,” Welsh told SNY.tv. “He will fight through this.”
Meantime, N.C. State fans reportedly taunted Boeheim and Syracuse during the game, including singing the Village People classic “YMCA,” in reference to the NCAA reporting that a booster had given more than $8,000 in cash to three football and two men’s basketball players for volunteering at a local YMCA.
Boeheim issued the following statement in lieu of addressing the media Saturday.
Yesterday I issued a full statement with my thoughts on and reaction to the NCAA Committee on Infractions report. In that statement I said I would have no further comments on this matter as I consider my options moving forward. That remains the case today.
Win or lose, today should be about this terrific team and how they have made me, our coaches, the University and the community proud during a challenging season on and off the court. I’m as proud of this team as any I have ever coached. I think these players have done everything any and all of us could have asked them to do.
I want to make sure today, as we play our last game and are together for the last time as team, that the focus is on our players, and all they have done to make our University proud. This should the focus this afternoon and nothing else.
That is why I have asked Coach Mike Hopkins to lead today’s post-game media availability. There will be time in the future for me to fully comment on NCAA issues and of course I will take the opportunity to do that at the right time.
