Buddy Boeheim Suspended for Duke Game
The Atlantic Coast Conference has suspended Syracuse guard Buddy Boeheim for the ACC Tournament quarterfinals game against Duke. Buddy contacted Florida State's Wyatt Wilkes in the first half of the Orange's 96-57 win over the Seminoles. The officials did not see it live, but reviewed it afterwards and made the ruling. Buddy is Syracuse's leading scorer and was a first team All-ACC selection.
“The Atlantic Coast Conference today announced a one-game suspension for Syracuse men’s basketball student-athlete Buddy Boeheim as a result of a flagrant act committed during the first half of the Syracuse-Florida State game,” the conference said in a press release. “Boeheim will miss Syracuse’s Thursday ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament game versus Duke.”
Earlier in the day, Buddy released a statement about the incident.
“"In the heat of today's game, after some showing in the lane, I swung my arm while turning to go back up the court," Buddy said in the statement. "It was wrong to act out in frustration. I apologized to Wyatt Wilkes multiple times in the handshake line. He said not to worry about it, but I know it was wrong. I pride myself in respecting the game and our opponent. I will not react that way again."
This is a significant blow to the Orange's upset prospects against Duke. Syracuse is overmatched anyway, but losing its best player makes the uphill climb that much more steep. Reserve guard Symir Torrence will likely slide into the starting lineup in Buddy's absence. Paddy Casey could also see the floor if needed. The Orange will now be without Buddy Boeheim, Jesse Edwards and Benny Williams, further thinning out an already short rotation.
In the previous two Syracuse vs Duke matchups, the Blue Devils dominated the Orange. The first game was a 79-59 Duke win in Cameron Indoor. Buddy scored just seven points on 2-15 shooting in that one. The second game was a 97-72 Duke win in the Carrier Dome. Buddy had 23 points on 10-21 shooting in the rematch.
Following the game, Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton downplayed the incident's significance.
"I saw the play," Hamilton said. "First, let me say this. There's not a better kid in the ACC than Buddy Boeheim. He's a class kid. Tremendous character. He's a young man who's competitive like everyone else. I don't want anything to take away from how well they played and what type of fine young man he is. The game was physical. You expect guys to go out and bang and be aggressive. If something inadvertently happens, sometimes we want to categorize it one way or another. I've lost my composure sometimes, I've made some mistakes. If there's anybody in here who has not, I'd like them to raise their hand. I know his family,I know his mother, I know Jim, I know what kind of kid he is. We're going to move on and let how well they played be the information we need to talk about in relation to this game."
Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim also defended the play.
"I saw the play," Jim Boeheim said. "The kid pushed him twice and he swung around and hit him. I think it was inadvertent, but that's okay... He got pushed and he retaliated. He shouldn't have done it but he did. He swung around, and contact was made. If the referee had seen it, it would have been a flagrant one and that would have been it."
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