Syracuse will look to stay alive in Brooklyn without their leading scorer, Buddy Boeheim.
The ACC has announced that the senior guard has been suspended for Syracuse’s ACC tournament quarterfinal game against Duke for punching a Florida State player in the Orange’s 96-57 win on Wednesday.
“The Atlantic Coast Conference today announced a one-game suspension for Syracuse men’s basketball student-athlete Buddy Boeheim as a result of a flagrant act committed during the first half of the Syracuse-Florida State game,’’ the release read. “ He will miss Syracuse’s Thursday ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament game versus Duke.’’
In the first half of the game, Boeheim and Florida State’s Wyatt Wilkes went after a Joe Girard 3-point shot. Following the made shot, as Boeheim turned to go back downcourt, he hit Wilkes in the midsection with a punch. Wilkes went down on the floor for a few minutes, visibly in pain.
There was no foul called on the play, however video spread quickly through social media.
Boeheim acknowledged his wrong, via a statement through the Syracuse Basketball twitter account.
“In the heat of today’s game, after some shoving in the lane, I swung my arm while turning to go back up the court,” Boeheim wrote. “It was wrong to act out in frustration.”
With the Orange facing an uphill battle against top-seeded Duke, this could very well have been Boeheim’s last game for Syracuse. The odds are stacked heavily against the struggling Orange this week. They’ll likely need to win the ACC tourney to qualify for the NCAA tournament. A loss to Duke probably takes them out of consideration for an NIT bid.
