Syracuse Orange Basketball

'Thank you but we'll take it from here' was the message to a legendary college basketball coach with the second most collegiate wins ever. Jim Boeheim's 47-year coaching career put Syracuse basketball on the map. However, Boeheim's tenure wasn't without controversy, including its ending.

The story is as old as professional sports. Star athletes make it big one day but never plan for tomorrow. Then bad things happen after they can't play anymore and we hear about them in the media. Donte Greene, who played at Syracuse University during the 2007-08 season before leaving for four seasons in the NBA, has just been added to the list of sports figure tragedies.

What a difference a year makes. Carmelo Anthony played for one season at Syracuse University. In that 2002-03 season, Melo averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds, leading head coach Jim Boeheim's team to their third National Championship. Melo left a few months later in the NBA draft as the 3rd overall pick of the Denver Nuggets. However, Anthony will always be on the Mount Rushmore of Syracuse basketball. Now his son may continue that Orange legacy.

Being a coach's son or daughter, it has its advantages and disadvantages. When you are a coaching legend's child expectations can often be, well, legendary. Syracuse hoops fans had some of those projections satisfied on Tuesday, when their head coach, Jim Boeheim's sons took the court in the NBA Summer League for the Detroit Pistons.

Jim Boeheim and his Syracuse Orange have struggled out of the gate this year. Losses to Colgate, VCU and Georgetown certainly have not been highlights on their road to a 5-5 record to start the season. A legitimate COVID outbreak has forced the program to be put 'on pause' since December 11th. With their 2nd game of ACC schedule just ahead, the Orange were in danger of possibly forfeiting conference games. Syracuse defeated Florida State 63-60 in Tallahassee on December 4th in there only ACC match-up so far.