Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski may coach against each other for the final time on Saturday and Boeheim feels his close friend may again have a team that can win a national title.
“I think Duke is one of the four or five teams that can win it all,” Boeheim told College Hoops Today by phone on Friday. “They’re better defensively than they’ve been and they’re better offensively, too. They’re really good.”
Boeheim served as Kryzyzewski’s assistant for USA Basketball and was a part of a staff that won three Olympic gold medals from 2008-16.
The Blue Devils are 24-4 entering Saturday’s game at the Carrier Dome while the Orange are just 15-13. Syracuse will finish the regular season with Duke, North Carolina on Monday in Chapel Hill, and then return home to host Miami on March 5th. It has never had a losing season under Boeheim.
The Orange are simply trying to just stay afloat after starting center Jesse Edwards was lost for the year earlier this month to a season-ending wrist injury.
“It’s really unfortunate that happened,” Boeheim said of Edwards’ injury. “He was really starting to get it. I think he averaged 15 and 10 in the last few games before he was injured.”
Boeheim said earlier this week on his radio show that his two sons — Buddy Boeheim and Jimmy Boeheim along with Villanova transfer Cole Swider — would not be returning to school next season.
The 77-year old Hall-of-Famer though, plans to be back for another year.
“All I’m thinking about is finishing up this season and then having a really young team next year,” Boeheim said.
Syracuse currently has the 25th ranked recruiting class in 2022 according to 247Sports.
Leftovers
- Florida, Miami finalizing agreement to meet this season in Jacksonville
- CBS Sports Podcast (6/16) — Minnesota’s Niko Medved
- Dayton, Florida State to begin home-and-home series
- Florida/TCU, Wisconsin/Providence to headline 2025 Rady Children’s Invitational
- Texas A&M, Florida State to start neutral site series in Tampa
