Jim Boeheim's 'best season' comes to bitter end with son benched

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Sitting next to his sons, Jim Boeheim did not hesitate when asked to evaluate the first losing season in his 46 years as head coach at Syracuse.

"It’s the best season I’ve ever had," the 77-year-old said Thursday after his team was eliminated by Duke in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. "I think that says enough."

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Barring some kind of highly unexpected postseason invitation, Syracuse finished 16-17. The Orange struggled to close games all season, and again against Duke they faltered late, getting outscored 10-0 in the final 3:30.

Still, Boeheim got to coach both of his sons, Jimmy and Buddy, this season and at this point in his Hall of Fame career no result was going to make that any less satisfying.

"Sometimes you don’t have to say a lot," Jim Boeheim said.

The ending was only bitter for the coach because Buddy Boeheim, the ACC's leading scorer, had to watch from the bench as his big brother did everything he could to upset No. 7 Duke.

Buddy Boeheim was suspended by the ACC on Wednesday after he punched Florida State's Wyatt Wilkes in the stomach.

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim looks toward a referee during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Duke in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022.  (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Buddy attended the postgame news conference with his brother and his father. He apologized again for losing his cool, for not setting a good example for kids who look up to him and for not being able to help is team.

"It was just an honest mistake on my part," Buddy Boeheim said. "I have to live with that, own up to