Syracuse came up just short of pulling off a massive upset against Duke in the ACC Tournament on Thursday, and the result was an incredibly emotional one for the Boeheim family.
The Orange gave the Blue Devils all they could handle even without their best player. Buddy Boeheim was suspended for the game after he threw a cheap shot (video here) during Wednesday’s win over Florida State. He appeared to be fighting back tears as he was forced to watch the final game of his collegiate career from the stands.
Buddy Boeheim, who was suspended for Wednesday’s cheap shot, appeared to be in tears as Syracuse lost to Duke pic.twitter.com/8RX1DuYOiP
— Steve DelVecchio (@SteveDelSports) March 10, 2022
Boeheim, of course, is the son of longtime Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. Buddy’s brother and Jim’s other son, Jimmy, stepped up for the Orange with 28 points, but it wasn’t enough as Duke pulled away late to win 88-79.
The game was the last of both Buddy’s and Jimmy’s collegiate careers. It may have also been the last for Jim, though he has said he has no plans to retire. Juli Boeheim, Jim’s wife, was also shown by ESPN crying as her sons walked off the court for the final time.
Juli Boeheim was emotional after Syracuse’s loss to Duke pic.twitter.com/PdmrFI6cGu
— Steve DelVecchio (@SteveDelSports) March 10, 2022
Both Buddy and Jim tried to deny that Wednesday’s punch was intentional, but the ACC made the right call. Obviously, that was not an ideal ending for the Boeheim family.
