Boeheim irascible after tourney defeat

NEW YORK - He can't help himself. He just can't. Even when, initially, he puts up a façade, as if he's trying to be on his best behavior.

Simple question, we wanted to know, from Jim Boeheim on Wednesday afternoon at Barclays Center: Does the 41st version of your Syracuse basketball team, eliminated from an ACC tournament now searching for a geographical fit, deserve to be announced as one of the 68 teams invited to the NCAA tournament on Sunday night?

"It doesn't matter what I think," Boeheim said.

New tact: What do you expect?

"I expect the committee to make a decision," he said.

Oh, come on. The hook was baited. He knew the worm would taste yummy. Just open your mouth, and . . .

"The facts in the case . . ." he began, channeling Tom Cruise in "A Few Good Men." And there he went.

He laid out how this year's Orange have a better resume than last year's Orange, and we know last year's Orange went to the Final Four, and if the committee wants teams that can actually win games once they get to the tournament - which it does - well, then, why are we even having this argument?

Put aside whether the merits of Boeheim's argument - particularly after a 62-57 loss to Miami - and treasure that he made it. He is 72 years old, long beyond equivocating. In a world in which corporate coach-speak is so frequently encouraged and accepted, Boeheim spits on the idea, then reaches out his loafer and squishes it into the Brooklyn sidewalk.

It is appropriate that this happened in New York. This is the ACC's first rodeo here, and roughly Boeheim's billionth. Yes, Syracuse has been in the conference for four years now, but Boeheim and the Orange forever will be associated with the Big East - not the Big East of Butler and Creighton, but the real Big East of the 1980s and 1990s.

"Madison Square Garden made the Big East Conference," Boeheim said.

So, Jim, while we have you here, thoughts on sites for the ACC Tournament in the future?

"I think the big cities is where it should be played," he said. "I think it should be played here, Washington, Atlanta."

Oh, but Tobacco Road, and all those ties to North Carolina, where this 15-team conference still has four flagship members. It's so romantic to think about, and . . . Spare him. "There's no value in playing Greensboro," he said.

He paused, and let it hang there. "None," he said. And paused again. Just to clarify, he can't help himself.

"It's there because the league's been there and the office is there, and they have 150 people that the ACC needs," Boeheim said. "That's why it's there. It should not be there.

"You get in the media centers and the recruiting centers. How many players do they have in Greensboro? I mean, New York, Washington, Atlanta - that's where the media centers are."

You might ask, "Why say that, Jim?" The Orange's next win in the ACC tournament will be its first. Before Boeheim's words were even in danger of becoming stale, the city of Greensboro tweeted: "We kindly disagree. But I guess you can lose in the first round anywhere. At least it's a quick ride home."

Oh, sick burn. And yet, Boeheim already had established his position firm.

"I'm saying all that because I don't give a [bad word]," Boeheim said. "I'm just saying what's right. That's what's right."

There are, of course, people who will think what Boeheim said Wednesday afternoon - about his 18-14 team and its NCAA case, about Greensboro and New York and on and on - was ill-advised or insensitive or impolitic.

Whatever. We'll miss these mini-tirades when he's gone, which he is due to be after next season.

PROVIDENCE – Upon the unveiling of the definite and potential draws for the Providence Friars in this year’s Big East Tournament, Brian Blaney put on his scouting hat and went to work on a familiar opponent.

Blaney, the assistant coach who’s been side-by-side with Ed Cooley every step of the way to date at PC, was assigned the Creighton scout during the regular season. That means he was tasked with revisiting the Bluejays’ personnel, playbook, tendencies, and formulating a plan of attack for Thursday’s 9:30 p.m. quarterfinal-round game at Madison Square Garden.

While the game plans utilized for the two previous Providence-Creighton games will be dusted off, the art of tweaking is also in play. As Blaney noted, head coaches like Cooley and Creighton’s Gregg McDermott aren’t shy or bashful when it comes to implementing new packages of plays this late in the season.

“Everybody is going to put fresh stuff in, but not a ton,” Blaney said. “That’s why you see a lot of these games coming down to who can make shots, hit free throws, and their guards making enough plays.”

Unlike the NCAA Tournament where participating teams scramble for information about an unknown opponent, thus leading to sleepless nights, conference tournaments represent a totally different set of challenges.

As an assistant, you’re embarking on a refresher course. By the same token, you’re looking in every nook and cranny for something you may not have seen or noticed prior. For example, do guys like to drive on the baseline or is the preference the middle of the floor? With post players, which shoulder do they turn before making a move?

Reviewing a team for the third time may sound tedious, but that’s why it’s imperative to turn the antenna in a different direction.

“They know our players and we know theirs,” fellow PC assistant coach Ivan Thomas said. “Now it’s about getting guys to dial in at crucial points.”

“There are guys who maybe the first time we played them weren’t much of a factor. Now they’re playing doubledigit minutes,” Providence assistant Jeff Battle said. “You always have to stay on top of what they’re doing X’s and O’s wise.”

In the demanding life of a college basketball assistant coach, conference tournament week shouldn’t be interpreted as a stressful time. Think of it as adding another layer of frosting to a cake.

“The personnel becomes really, really important,” Blaney said. “As you play a team for the third time, you really start to pick up on their tendencies individually.”

“That’s why you see a lot of these games coming down to who can make shots, hit free throws, and their guards making enough plays.”

Added Thomas, “We’ll lock in on the experiences we’ve had, but we’ll definitely prepare the same. Coach Cooley is a big preparation guy, but the routine stays the same with what we do.”

***

Assistants won’t fear the quick turnaround during conference tournament week. The amount of time to prepare might be chopped significantly, yet there’s no reason to panic or feel there’s a great urge to leave no stone unturned in the quest to devise an approach for one of the three teams the Friars could face in Friday’s semifinals should they get past Creighton: DePaul, Xavier, or Butler.

Again, this speaks to the round-robin format the current 10-team Big East arrangement utilizes. There’s already two head-to-head matchups to dissect, plus a host of other games – mainly those that took place near the end of the regular season – to review.

“We’ll make sure everyone is on the same page as far as terminology and how we can clean up some things as well,” Thomas said.

With the Providence-Creighton contest likely to end around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, the wheels won’t completely be set in motion for Friday’s foe until the next morning. Casual conversations figure to be had at dinner, but there’s no need to go back to the hotel at 1 a.m. and begin the process of pouring over footage.

“You pretty much have the reports already done,” PC’s Battle said. “At that point, it’s about deciding how much information you want to give with the limited time you have. Basically, it becomes a day-of-the-game walkthrough.”

On the flip side, playing the last game of the day on Thursday allows additional time for the Friars to hone in on Creighton.

“We get the most rest and we get the most prep time. On the other hand, you’re sitting around and waiting all day,” Blaney said. “You’ve got to sell it one way or another.”

***

One of the valuable things a coach can do in the game planning and preparation process is conduct self-scouting exercises. Through this endeavor, coaches like Blaney, Battle, and Thomas are afforded a deeper look to what’s working for their team and what weaknesses the opponents may think they can exploit.

“If teams are looking to take something away, you better have counters (plays) ready,” Battle said. “You’re always self-evaluating based on how the other team guards you.”

As much as the focus is on what the other team might be planning, an eye is also kept on how the group of players you interact with on a day-in, dayout basis respond to what’s being thrown in their direction. It bears repeating, but the recognizable nature of the opponent list at the Big East Tournament allows coaches the chance to do even more homework on their own personnel.

“It’s more about your own team than the other team,” Blaney said. “You can see when watching our guys on film is that they’re accepting coaching and trusting their teammates. There’s a chemistry in place. Guys like each other and are playing to win, not just to be good.

“More importantly, they’re trusting what the coach is doing with them,” Blaney continued.

“With self-scouting, it’s always about looking to get better,” Thomas said.

***

To have the chance to cut down the nets on Championship Saturday at Madison Square Garden means you’ve survived a series of grueling games on consecutive days. There’s no rest for the weary, but that’s what makes this week akin to a chess match where assistants like the ones on Cooley’s staff have a vital hand in moving around the pieces on the board.

“You’ve got to let the players play, but you also want to put them in the best possible position when they take the floor,” Thomas said. “Any basketball guy enjoys the configuration of trying to figure out what the other team does and what we can do to be successful against them.”

By the way, Blaney was also the designated scout for St. John’s and Georgetown while Battle drew Xavier, DePaul, and Villanova. That means Thomas was left with Marquette, Seton Hall, and Butler.

The way the bracket breaks down, Blaney may not have another Big East team to scout after Thursday night should the Friars advance.

“Whoever we end up playing, the other assistants will get the job done,” Blaney said.