Bad Boys and Ball Boys: Fireman Boeheim Deals With Orange-Hot Flames

On the hardwood, Syracuse has been white hot for much of coach Jim Boeheim's four-decade stint. But the Orange joined North Carolina in ACC academic disarray. To the cage cynic, that might translate into additional NCAA probation for non-power conference schools such as Centenary, Cleveland State, Long Beach State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Western Kentucky and Wichita State.

Off the court, Boeheim occasionally is fire chief extraordinaire, putting out fire after fire including calling an NCAA proposal "completely nuts" requiring teams to be on track to graduating half their players, the dismissal of assistant coach Bernie Fine amid predator allegations and Yahoo Sports publishing a story claiming SU didn't follow its drug-testing policies in allowing 10 players in the previous decade to continue playing after positive results. Right as one might think Boeheim deserved Ex-Cuse fire retardant, the program was embroiled in an NCAA probe resulting in an assortment of sanctions announced near the conclusion of the 2014-15 campaign.

Unaccountable Boeheim seems beleaguered when he doesn't defuse scrutiny by making it appear beneath his dignity to address any significant issue (including hiding under his desk at season-ending post-game press conference). The surly mentor sounds as if he needs a generous dose of truth serum when discussing his program's drug-testing culture and academic anemia. Any relevant candor appears odd such as Boeheim being "impressed" about one-and-done Carmelo Anthony's 1.8 gpa before failing to mention if Anthony attended more classes than games his second semester. Odd also describes the NCAA's timing for not having its probe go back to include Anthony's NCAA titlist squad in 2003.

The tales of tumult escalate when a dismissive Boeheim fails to control his tongue, let alone disdainful facial expressions. Apology notwithstanding, his incendiary money-motivated defense of the alleged 'Cuse Abuse certainly wasn't "fine" when considering the "high" number of suspect students he recruited. In deference to what seemingly is more important to them, the Orange Village People should sing YMCA while passing the hat for player donations before home games rather than a hand-over-the-heart National Anthem.

Syracuse, where Child and Family Studies is emphasized, was one of 13 schools in the 2012 NCAA playoffs that would not have participated in the tournament if a new APR (Academic Progress Rate) was in effect that year. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who averaged a team-high 16.9 points per game for Harvard in 1986-87, didn't mention Boeheim by name but seemed to take a backhanded slap at him when discussing graduation rates. And Duncan probably wasn't even aware of SU's athletic department Fab(ulous) scholastic string-pulling to keep a defensive dynamo eligible.

"When athletic programs have their priorities in order," Duncan was quoted in USA Today, "there are simply no better ways to teach invaluable life lessons than on the playing field or on the court. I just never understood why a small number of universities and colleges allowed rogue programs and coaches to taint that tremendous record of achievement and success."

SU had a longstanding reputation for giving the most clang for your buck when it came to success at the foul line. A need for eye exams and other physical testing may explain the previous faulty free-throw marksmanship if a striking number of players indeed were fitted for orange jumpsuits upon immersion in alleged off-the-court shenanigans.

Fine was not charged with a crime and refuted the allegations lodged against him. But is accuser Bobby Davis, a former ball boy who unsuccessfully tried to sue Boeheim and the university for defamation (although case still simmers after reinstatement by New York's highest court), lying about him being noticed in Fine's road hotel room or is additional backtracking in the offing for Boeheim? In a worst-case scenario, could he be equally oblivious to the problematical academic progress and drug testing? Perhaps all of these questions will be adequately answered in the next three seasons before Boeheim plans to retire.

Post-college career or not, it isn't worth recounting the off-the-court distractions encountered by a disconcerting number of "Boeheim Bad Boys" who were All-Big East selections. There doesn't appear to be a smoking gun glowing over some of the garbage. But where there's smoke, there's a high likelihood of orange-tinged fire. By any measure, the unseemly incidents and scholastic neglect covering an extended period leave an unsavory culture-of-corruption stench.