Saturday, January 27, 2007

Jim Boeheim Coaches #1000

Tonight, Jim Boeheim will coach his 1000th game for Syracuse University. Congratulations Mr. Boeheim on the milestone, and more importantly for 31 seasons of leadership that the Orange fans have been privileged to watch.

Fittingly the game is against Louisville, coached by Boeheim's first assistant coach back in 1976-1977, Rick Pitino. And of course, Bernie Fine will be by Boeheim's side tonight... his 1000th game as a Syracuse assistant coach. No small feat in deed.

Let's take a look at the numbers, as you know I am prone to do.

Boeheim's career record is 741-258 going into tonight, with a 285-155 Big East Conference record. He's the all time winningest coach in Big East history, and with no signs of retiring, and nobody else even close, that record will likely stand a long long time.

He has coached 31 seasons, winning 20+ games in 27 of those campaigns (surely to make 20 again this year), making the NCAA tournament 25 times, the NIT 4. He has reached the Final Four three times, and in 2003 showed the third time is the charm by winning the National Championship. He is already a Hall of Famer, inducted in 2005, and has the Syracuse court named after him. He has won 5 Big East Tournament Championships, been to the Big East Finals 13 times, and has been named the Big East Coach of the Year 3 times.

Stevie Thompson has the fortune (or misfortune, some may say) of playing more games for Boeheim than any other player, at 144. Derrick Coleman started more, with 142 to his credit. And Gerry McNamara logged more court time sith 4,801 minutes (averaging 35.6 per game for his career).

31 different players scored 1,000+ points on Boeheim's watch, six of those scoring 2,000+, and Lawrence Moten leading the way with 2,334. Before anyone writes me, yes, Dale Shackleford, Jimmy Williams and Marty Byrnes scored 1000+ points and played under Boeheim, but they did not score 1,000 while playing for Boeheim (Roy Danforth had some of those points).

168 different players had the opportunity to play for Jim Boeheim. 56 of them played 4+ seasons; Jeremy McNeil played 5 seasons (with the benefit of a medical redshirt).

21 of Boeheim's players have played in the NBA, 30 have been drafted by the NBA. Three were named Big East Players of the Year (Derrick Coleman, Billy Owens and Hakim Warrick), and four were named Big East Rookie of the Year (Pearl Washington, Derrick Coleman, Lawrence Moten and Carmelo Anthony).

Two Boeheim players have scored 40+ points in a game (Gene Waldron and Gerry McNamara), and five have recorded a classic triple double (Leo Rautins twice, Allen Griffin, Lazarus Sims, Derrick Coleman).

As mentioned previously, Lawrence Moten is the all-time leading scorer under Boeheim. Derrick Coleman is the leading rebounder with 1,537 (also a NCAA record). Sherman Douglas the all-time assist man with 960. Jason Hart leads the way with 329 steals, Etan Thomas with 424 blocked shots. Gerry McNamara had an even 400 three point field goals for Boeheim.

Boeheim is reaching is 1000th game as the head coach of Syracuse, but its not his 1000th in connection. He played for 76 games for Syracuse, and was an assistant coach for another 230 games. For those of you who are sticklers, that means tonight is his 1,306 game with Syracuse University; if my calculations are right, his 1000th game in association with the university occurred on January 21, 1998, on the road vs Notre Dame, in a game the Orangemen lost 83.63.

Congratulations to Coach Boeheim on this 1000th game. I hope the second 1000 are as wonderful as the first.

RY

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