The group, with more veteran players, didn’t make it to this point last year. Now this year’s young squad is there after beating Cincinnati in the Sweet Sixteen and Syracuse in the Elite Eight. But Matta can’t sit around and enjoy it too long, as his group already faced Kansas in the non-conference season and lost by 11 points. The rematch awaits.

Thad Matta joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Dan Dakich to discuss Lenzelle Smith Jr.’s performance, Jared Sullinger battling back from foul trouble, his impressions of Kansas, taking a moment to enjoy the successful run and sharing his story about being handicapped by his leg.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. had another big weekend. How much does he come up big for you guys in big moments?:

“He really did. The biggest thing with Lenzelle is just getting him to understand that job that he needs to do to help this team. I had a long talk with him a couple weeks ago about changing his mindset of every day he needs to ask himself what he needs to do to help this team win. When he does that, he’s very, very effective. Quite honestly, he hit some big shots for us the other night.”

Jared Sullinger had the first-half foul trouble against Syracuse, but it looked like he played angry in the second half:

“I think he did. He had the two fouls and had to sit the last 14 minutes of the first half. He was into the game on the sideline. That was probably the biggest thing. He was talking to guys in timeouts. He was very, very vocal from the bench, and that led me to believe his mind was where it needed to be. I’ve always said this about Jared, he likes the big games and I said at halftime to him, ‘You should be well-rested now and we need a big half from you in the second half.’”

On going with a unique approach against Syracuse’s zone in going inside more than relying on the 3:

“I think that was the one thing we tried to sell our guys. … We talked, from the time we beat Cincinnati after the game, we talked about the zone, we talked about the zone, we went to practice Saturday and talked about the zone. Right before tipoff I said, ‘Hey fellas, the one thing we forgot to talk about is defense.’ If we can guard these guys, that’s what’s going to win us the game. And I do think our defense was very effective.”

What were your impressions of Kansas in the win over North Carolina?:

“We played them in early December and actually a couple guys, their starters, did what they did. But the difference was kind of the guys coming off the bench was what got us. They pose a lot of problems with their size. They’ve got guys that can make plays off the bounce. Once again, we’re going to have be as sound as we possibly can. But the thing, the last three games, I think they’re averaging 17 offensive rebounds a game, so we’ve got to come up with the first-time rebounds.”

Isn’t it strange how seasons work out? A more veteran team last year doesn’t make the Final Four and this one does:

“We were talking about it last night as a staff. We’re going to the Final Four with one senior. It’s funny, we get upset two years ago in the Sweet Sixteen by Tennessee and William Buford is the only player on the team that played in that game. I’m proud of these guys.”

On enjoying victories for one night, reflecting and moving on:

“People don’t understand that, as a coach, you have to decompress after a game. You need time alone. You need to sit down and kind of go through your mind of what worked, what didn’t work. The next opponent, that’s going to come. That’s the one thing that I kind of want to do is enjoy this a little bit. I probably didn’t do it a few years ago when we went to the Final Four. It was just like, on to the next thing. But taking a deep breath and saying, ‘This team has accomplished a lot.’ As I told the team … I said, ‘Hey, we’re going to take this week and we’re going to get better. We’ve got to be a better basketball team on Saturday night than we were last Saturday.’”

What made you come out and tell the story about your leg?:

“My wife kind of talked me into it from the standpoint of letting people know that have a disability that you can go on and do things. … I didn’t want to do it and I told him no several times. … I’m kind of glad I did it because it let’s people know that have a disability that hey, they can go on and do things in life. If one person’s helped by it, I’m happy.”

Listen to Thad Matta on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis

Regardless, Syracuse won, then beat Kansas State to move on to the second weekend, where it will play Wisconsin on Thursday night. Boeheim believes it’s one of the most dangerous matchups for his team because the Badgers have so many players who can shoot from beyond the arc. It’s the first game Thursday night. Could it be the first time we see a No. 1 seed go down in this bracket?

Jim Boeheim joined 1260 The Score in Syracuse with Bud and the Manchild to discuss his team’s play in the first weekend, playing without Fab Melo, those that say Syracuse should have lost its first game, Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach’s postgame comments, Charles Barkley’s take that refs need to use more common sense, the matchup with the Badgers and how the bracket is shaping up with 16 teams left.

How did you feel about the team’s performance in the opening weekend of the tournament?:

“I think we shot the ball well the second half the other night. When we shoot the ball well we’re a different team. It’s a one-point game at halftime; the second half is a 15-point game. It just goes back to if you make some shots, your team’s a lot better.”

How do you think your team is doing — in games and practice — with the absence of Fab Melo?:

“We practiced well all year long when he was here and when he wasn’t here. It hasn’t affected practice. It affects games. He can make some plays that we know very few people — there’s only a few guys in the country — … can make. I think one of the biggest things he was good at was drawing charges. You think back to Marquette, he drew four charges and we won by four points or whatever it was. Without those four charges they probably get four baskets and we lose the game. His effect on the game is important. We can overcome it if everybody else plays better.”

On the people that say Syracuse didn’t deserve to win their first game:

“You look back on the course of the game and the fact that somebody would say we didn’t deserve to win, we had an eight-point lead. We went up eight. It doesn’t matter that they went up eight in the first half. I don’t know how anyone could say we didn’t deserve to win the game.”

Did it bother you when Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach said that the better team didn’t win the game?:

“I think he was wrong. It doesn’t bother me, I just think people make mistakes. If it was a tie game and it was a close out-of-bounds call, then maybe they should get it, maybe they have a chance to win. But we were up three even with that. They would’ve had to make three points and us not score with what, 20-some seconds to go. It was still a long ways from winning.”

On Charles Barkley’s comment that the refs need to use common sense:

“Charles is an idiot. … You have to call calls. If they’re there, you have to call them. If a foul occurs or whatever happens, you have to call it. It’s as simple as that. If referees start doing that, we’ll have a chaotic situation. They have to make the calls that are there. If it’s a little touch foul away from the ball, a good referee won’t call that.”

Looking at Wisconsin now, do they have enough offense to outscore you?:

“They’re probably one of the most dangerous teams we can play because they have five guys on the floor that can all shoot the 3-point shot. I think that’s a dangerous team for a team that plays zone. Most teams have one or two guys that shoots 3s. They have five. … They’re a very good defensive team, one of the best in the country. A very dangerous team. At this stage, it’s pretty much a coin flip from now on in in terms of this tournament. If you play well, you can win. If you don’t play well or don’t shoot well, you’re not going to win. That’s just the way the tournament is now.”

On how the bracket is shaping up:

“I actually didn’t even fill out a bracket this year. … But I would’ve picked Kentucky, obviously, and North Carolina. Now, that changes a little bit depending on the availability of their point guard. And I’m sure I would’ve picked Michigan State, too, going in. I knew there would be a lot of upsets, but I didn’t think those teams would get upset. And I still don’t think they will. I think Kentucky will get there and Michigan State will get there and I think, well, North Carolina’s a little bit more difficult now without Marshall.”

Listen to Jim Boeheim on The Score 1260 in Syracuse here

Now everyone is wondering just how far Syracuse can go without Melo. Never fear, coach Jim Boeheim says. He believes that his players will be more emotionally ready because they know they have to pick up the slack with Melo out. And he says the team has played without him before, so that should help as well.

Jim Boeheim joined Westwood One with Scott Graham to discuss preparing for NCAA tournament games, how his team will handle the absence of Fab Melo, taking on UNC-Asheville in their first game and the success of this team particularly because of all that’s gone on throughout this season.

What’s different about preparing for an NCAA tournament game as opposed to preparing for normal games?:

“You try to do what you’ve been doing all year long. You try to get a little bit familiar with your new opponent. You’re more familiar with your conference people, but they’re more familiar with you, too, so it’s a little bit of a tradeoff there. But when you come into the tournament, you want your team to be able to play at its highest level. That’s what you’re really concerned about. I think when you play in this tournament, you want to walk away thinking, ‘All right, we played as close to as well as we can play.’ And whatever happens, happens.”

How do you think your team will handle the absence of Fab Melo emotionally?:

“I think they really take the opposite view. They’re going to emotionally want to be better because they know he’s not there. They know they’re going to have to play better. Emotionally, they’re going to be more ready, if that’s possible. The NCAA tournament, you’re ready to play anyway. But I think our players will be ready to play even moreso because they know they’re going to have to play better. They don’t have him back there which obviously weakens our defense a little bit, but they’re going to be anxious to prove that they’re a good basketball team. We played without him a couple times this year and did all right in a couple games, so at least we’ve had that experience.”

On facing a guard-heavy team in UNC-Asheville that has experience:

“They’re a very good basketball team and we’ve played teams that have very good guards and they have very good guards. So, that’s something you know going into the game and we have to make sure, defensively, that we’re prepared to play against that type of team.”

Is this as good a group as you’ve had considering they’ve won 31 games and done so during a bit of a tumultuous time?:

“This team has gotten the most out of this season. I think in college basketball today, teams are nowhere near as good as they were 10 or 15 years ago. There’s not even an argument. Kids leaving early, the spreading out of talent, it’s a whole different ballgame now. But as far as what this team’s accomplished, they’ve accomplished more in the regular season than any team I’ve ever coached. In the Big East, only one other team, Connecticut, has won 17 games in a year. So, obviously, they’ve done everything you could ask them to do. It has been a tremendously up and down year. There’s been a lot of stuff we’ve dealt with and the players have dealt with and they’ve always focused on what’s important.”

Listen to Jim Boeheim on Westwood One here

Boeheim argues that Carmelo won his national championship in college without dominating the ball and won at the Olympics without dominating the ball, so Anthony’s addition should only help Lin. I’m not sure I’m necessarily buying that, but Boeheim’s certainly a source that seems like he would know what the situation might be like.

Jim Boeheim joined ESPN New York with The Michael Kay Show to discuss if he’s caught up in Linsanity, why the worries about Carmelo coming back the dumbest thing he’s heard, if there might be any chemistry issues at first between Anthony and Lin, if Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire can succeed together and whether his Syracuse team is good enough to win a national championship.

Are you caught up in Linsanity?:

“I caught a couple of the games that were on ESPN or TNT somewhere, so I did get to see him play. Obviously he’s a good player. He may not be a 25-every-night player like he’s doing now, but he looks like a good player and makes good decisions and it’s been fun watching him play. It’s a great story and we have to wait a little while on time and everything to see how it plays out, but it looks to me like he’s definitely a good player. He’s playing for a coach that’s good for point guards. With Amar’e coming back and then Carmelo, he’s going to have two more weapons, and I think that’s something that will be good.”

Do you think Anthony can play in Mike D’Antoni’s system as it’s being run under Lin?:

“I’ve got to be honest with you, with all the things I’ve heard over the years, and you hear a lot of crazy things, this is the dumbest I’ve ever heard. He won a national championship playing with guys here and took shots, but didn’t dominate the ball. He won on the Olympic team and didn’t dominate the ball, so he’s proven he can play with guys. I think sometimes in Denver he was put in position where he had to make plays, but he’s always shot a good field goal percentage. … Nobody’s ever said Kobe dominates the ball, I guess, or LeBron or those guys. Of course they do. The best offensive players are going to have the ball. I think the point guard situation will help Carmelo and help Amar’e because it gives them somebody to make plays.”

More on the situation:

“He’s already proven that he can play. Great players can play with anybody. I think that’s fairly common sense and he is a great player. I think his defense has gotten better. I think the whole key for the Knicks is going to be their defense getting better. … Their offense is fine. They’ve got to get the defensive end better. … The one thing looking at Jeremy Lin, is his defense going to be good enough when he plays the Derrick Roses and the Westbrooks and the Chris Pauls. That’s the question that’s got to be answered.”

Do you think there will be any chemistry issue when Carmelo first comes back?:

“No, that’s what point guards do. This is what I don’t understand. He’s got another weapon coming back. This is a great thing. Instead of passing the ball to a guy that’s a questionable shooter, he’s passing it to a guy that can shoot and score. I think an overlooked thing is I think Novak has helped this team because he gives them another shooter. … There will be no chemistry issue on offense whatsoever. Jeremy Lin’s a good point guard. He sets people up, and the fact that he can score makes him a better passer.”

What about Carmelo and Amar’e succeeding together. Any issue there?:

“There’s a little bit, in my mind … I think he’s got a good point there. Amar’e needs the ball in certain places. I think it can still work. I think he’ll fit well in the pick and roll. … I don’t think Carmelo needs help. He can get his own shot, he can post up or take the ball. I think that Amar;e might be helped more with a good point guard. They’re not a perfect fit, I don’t think … but I think it can work and I think Lin can really help that.”

How about your team? Is this Syracuse team good enough to win you your second national championship?:

“I think there’s about 10 teams that think they’re going to win the national championship this year and I think that all 10 of those coaches probably have a good shot at it. And that means you’ve got a 1-in-10 chance.” So you’re one of those 10?: “Oh yeah, we’re definitely one of those 10. I just think that college basketball is so balanced. Last year, the two very best teams in the country clearly were Ohio State and Kansas and as I recall, neither one of them made it to the Final Four. … I like this team and I think we do have a chance.”

Listen to Jim Boeheim on ESPN New York here

For Jim Boeheim it was win No.876. That ties him on the list with Adolph Rupp. Mike Krzyzewski sits at No. 1. (915 wins and counting)

It’s been a magical year so far for the ‘Cuse as the number one team in the country. Boeheim’s team went through some growing pains last year with some young players. Now Fab Melo and Dion Waiters are delivering on all the hype surrounding their names.

Jim Boeheim joined 1260 The Score in Syracuse with Bud and The Manchild to discuss being amongst the top three coaches all-time in college basketball wins alongside Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Calhoun, the progressions of Fab Melo and Dion Waiters, Syracuse being underdogs throughout this season despite being undefeated, Brandon Triche reaching his full potential at Syracuse and the current progress of Syracuse moving out of the Big East.

If you and Coach Calhoun and Coach Krzyzewski remain healthy and assuming continue to coach for a few years are going to be the top three guys all-time in college basketball wins and still all be coaching theoretically. Have you given any thought to it?

“Well I mean it is different. In this age it is hard to coach in one place for a long time. I think it will get harder to do that as we move forward. I think it’s possible. I think Bob Huggins’s health is fine. He’ll get to 900 [wins] in West Virginia. He’s got 10 years left at least and he’s on that kind of track, but it’s a lot more wins than we thought we could ever get. I don’t think anyone thinks they are going to coach for 30 plus years, so that’s all quite incredible really. It’s not something you ever think could possibly happen.”

One of the remarkable changes has been Fab Melo and Dion Waiters. Did you guys personally sit down and talk to these guys? What happened in the off-season that got them on track?

“Well you’d have to be naive to think we don’t talk to them every day. We talked to them every day and always pushing to see what we can help them to get better. They work out individually each day. They worked out with the team and they have a strength coach who they work out with, Ryan Cabiles, who is very good. Part of it is usually what they are eating. They are not eating the right things and the other thing part is the natural progression from freshmen to sophomore year. If these guys were playing the same as they did last year we would be the same team we had last year okay. We are a better team because these two guys have improved tremendously. You look at our team every body is playing about what you would expect in terms of improvement. I think everybody has gotten a little better including Scoop Jardine, C.J. Fair. I think Baye [Moussa Keita] and C.J. Fair have improved. Brandon Triche a little bit. The major improvements have come from Fab Melo and Dion Waiters. They are completely different. Well, Fab is a completely different player. Dion is a much improved player. That’s why we are a better team. We’re not just a transition team. I think people – Jay Bilas is a good friend of mine, but he says I tell him all the time seldom always right. They say we are not really a half court team. Maybe you could explain what is a good half court team? How do you determine that? Do you know how you would determine that?”

In response to Jim Boeheim believing Syracuse will be underdogs in four games this season despite being undefeated: Which four places?

“Connecticut and Louisville. I’d say Cincinnati will be very close. There are very good this year. They are 4-1 in the league. I would say it would be a toss up kind of game. Notre Dame has lost one game at home over the past two years. It will be a fairly close game there. Rutgers beat Florida, Connecticut and who did they just beat the other night at home? Notre Dame. They have beaten two ranked teams at home. Connecticut and Florida. It’ll be a fairly close game. We’ll see what people or who the experts think will win. In 3 or 4 games we’ll be close to underdogs.”

Do you see Brandon Triche as someone who will harness his full potential at Syracuse?

“I’ve said that a couple of times, but I think he does. I think he defers a little bit to other players sometimes. I think this year he’ll be ready to step in and be a starting point guard and have the ball more. He’ll play at the end of the year, but I have reservations about that at this point in time, but if he’s playing with someone like Michael Carter-Williams, who’s a great passer, Brandon will look to score more. I think he’ll put up pretty big to substantial numbers on the board next year.”

Today was the 27 month deadline for the Big East departure. For the football team the schedule is coming out and it looks like at this point the football team won’t be playing outside the Big East next year. Your thoughts about where that process is?

“As far as I know the plans are to be in the Big East next year. I don’t see that changing. I don’t know that. It could change. I think that will be the case. I would doubt we would be in the Big East more than one more year. Their football schools are going to come in – in two more years. I would think that would be the time to leave, but I don’t know that. That’s all speculation. That could change tomorrow.”

Listen to Jim Boeheim on 1260 The Score in Syracuse here

Jim Boeheim joined The Score 1260 in Syracuse with Brent Axe to discuss when he found out that Syracuse was going to the ACC, Syracuse being proactive in leaving the Big East, being frustrated that football drives the bus when it comes to switching conferences going from the Big East to the ACC, John Marinatto claiming he will keep Syracuse and Pittsburgh in the Big East through the 2013-14 season and the idea that he would retire before he would coach a game in the ACC.

When did you find out that Syracuse was going to the ACC?

“Late last week. It happened pretty fast. It was one of those things that just came about and the university made a decision, the chancellor, and their concern is what is best for Syracuse University. I think one thing you have to understand about this move is that we are not leaving the Big East that we were founding fathers for. The 9-10 team league where everyone was in the same geographical area. I would be upset if we left that. We wouldn’t have left that conference, but because of football…this isn’t something new. Mike Tranghese is talking about, well football is thriving. Football has driven all the expansions that we have had. The Big East reign…I mean Mike Tranghese is a good friend of mine, but he must have forgotten we raided the Atlantic 10 for West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Villanova then we raided the Conference USA for Louisville, for Cincinnati, and Marquette. This is nothing new in college athletics. This has been going on for 50 years. Conferences grow and change and adapt to what happens. This is nothing new, but we are not leaving that 9-10 team…we are leaving the 17-team Big East Conference that is going to include a team from Texas and Florida and Chicago and Wisconsin and Kentucky. We’re not leaving what we founded. We are leaving something completely different and it’s obviously unstable and a couple of people criticizing this are people that could have saved the Big East. If Notre Dame wanted to save the Big East they could have joined The Big East in 2004 and we wouldn’t be having these discussions today, but they didn’t want to. Then they voted against the TV package. Without the TV package there is a lot of instability there.”

How much of Syracuse making this decision to leave the Big East was proactive before the Titanic sank here?

“This is the Chancellor [Nancy Cantor] and [Athletic Director] Daryl Gross. This is their decision. Obviously the Board of Trustees is aware, but it’s the President’s [Nancy Cantor] decision. I don’t make decisions like this. I make decisions about who we are recruiting and what defense we are going to play. Other then that I don’t make university decisions or policies. They aren’t going to consult me. They have to do what they think is best for the university. If we were leaving the old Big East with 10, 11, 12 teams and a nice league in this geographical area I’d probably be upset, but what we have now in the Big East is not what we used to have. It’s completely different. Am I still upset about it? Yeah. I mean 30-something years in a league? You bet. But the fans that come to our games and I’ve seen a lot of letters and a lot of talk about well we are not going to see this team or that team. The five games in a row at Syracuse could be Marquette, Cincinnati, DePaul, South Florida and Louisville. Those teams weren’t in the Big East, but you see great games. I think what our fans want, the real fans of Syracuse basketball, that go to the games, not the ones who call in, but the ones that go to the games want to see good basketball. If you don’t think that Syracuse-Duke or Syracuse-North Carolina or Syracuse-Wake Forest or Syracuse-Maryland…if you don’t think those are going to be great games then you don’t understand college basketball. They are going to be great games. That’s what our fans want to see. We are not leaving to go to a bad place. We are going to a great basketball conference and a good conference. Great lacrosse. What about the other sports? They are great in field hockey. They are great in soccer. They are great in volleyball. This is a win for Syracuse Athletics in terms of joining a great conference and one that’s on the East Coast. This is an East Coast Conference. This is where we recruit. People ask about recruiting? This can only help our recruiting.”

There are a lot of good things about moving to the ACC, but how frustrating is it that football drives the bus and there’s nothing you can do about it?

“I think you have to understand two things with this. First of all basketball is my concern. Are we going to a great place to play basketball? Yes. How you get there? I don’t think that matters. If you meet a girl on a blind date and she ends up being the girl for you are you upset? It doesn’t matter. As long as you meet her. We are going to a great basketball conference. All the moves in the Big East over the last 15-20 years have been driven by football. Every one. So this is nothing new. This is nothing new. It’s always been about football. When Mike Tranghese was the Commissioner [of the Big East] it was about football. Now that he’s out it is still about football. Are we going to a good place for basketball? The answer is yes. I’m not upset about that. I am fine. If we were going to a bad basketball conference I would be upset. Also you need to listen to what I am saying. This is not the Big East that we founded. This is not the 10, 11, 12 team conference. This is 17 teams spread throughout the country.”

John Marinatto has said he is going to hold Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the 27 months in the Big East. I don’t think that will hold up, but if he’s intent on that, would do you think of that?

“If that’s anything more than a ploy to settle something I would not respect that. The Big East needs to move on. They need to worry about who they are adding and what they are going to do because if they can get a couple of teams why would they say to those two teams you can’t come in right now we are going to hold Syracuse and Pittsburgh for two more years? Now that doesn’t make any sense at all. In the best interest of the Big East I would think is to go ahead and make their moves. What would that keep? Why would they want? What good what it do to keep Syracuse for another year? It just doesn’t make sense to their well being. If they are going to go out of business completely you know and they want to have 2 more years with us I guess that would make sense, but I would hope they are not thinking about going out of business if they would want to go ahead and move on and expand and make the moves they need to make.”

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard and read that you will not coach a game in the ACC, I would be a rich man. Can we clarify that or announce your retirement?

“This move will have 0% input into my decision to when I retire. Zero. If I could go less than zero, I’d go less than zero. Zero. Actually Brent [Axe] you will have more influence on when I will retire than this move [to the ACC].”

Listen to Jim Boeheim on The Score 1260 in Syracuse here

While most leagues around the country are involved in talks, there’s not really been that much official activity that’s occurred. John Swofford, the commissioner of the ACC, and his committees made sure they didn’t stand pat and wait for their fate to be decided by others. Their decision to add Pitt and Syracuse might not be a perfect scenario in everybody’s mind, but from a business perspective, Swofford appears to have made a wise, proactive move.

John Swofford joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with Barnhart and Durham to discuss why Pitt and Syracuse were a good fit to join the ACC, the committee he put together to keep its ear to the ground on realignment issues throughout this crazy process, what the dynamic realignment talks have been like for him, the possibility of the ACC eventually becoming a 16-team league, and why the ACC decided to be proactive in adding Pitt and Syracuse at this particular moment in time.

Why are these two schools a good fit for the ACC?:

“I think for a number of reasons. They’re institutions that, from an academic standpoint, fit the profile of the Atlantic Coast Conference and our member schools extremely well. They’re schools that balance a strong academic standing with quality athletic programs. Both Syracuse and Pitt are very strong basketball programs, as we know, and also have excellent football traditions and balanced overall programs. Geographically, it bridges that gap that we’ve had between Maryland and Boston College and it closes that. We’re very excited about the addition of these two programs.”

How beneficial was it that the ACC had created a committee to keep its finger on the pulse of college athletics and realignment?:

“It was extremely helpful. We put this subcommittee, this ad-hoc committee, together about a year and a half ago when the whole Pac-16 idea came into play and we couldn’t tell quite what was going to be going on. … We just felt that we need to be on top of this on an ongoing basis. … [We] did a lot of information-digging, we looked at scheduling models for 14, for 16, looked at all kinds of profiles on various institutions. We looked at all kinds of geographic implications. … We’ve been well-prepared from an information standpoint for a good while. We’ve been relatively quiet about it because we had continued to feel that 12 was where we were settled, at least during that period of time. Then, a week or 10 days ago, began to feel that maybe we need to be proactive.”

On the ongoing shifts and realignment discussions:

“I’ve never, in my 35 years or so in this business, I’ve never seen the concern and lack of stability in terms of conference affiliation like we’re seeing today. We had had more and more schools reach out to us to inquire about possible membership in the ACC. … I think there’s just a lot of instability right now and I hope we’ll see the day, before too long, when that instability settles and we’re back to knowing sort of where everybody belongs from a conference standpoint and we can get back to talking more about athletes and games.”

What’s the thought process on whether the league should add two more programs to be a 16-team conference?:

“We’ve still got our eye on the landscape and we’ll see what evolves. I’d be surprised if our movement to 14 is the only thing that happens in the near future. I guess that’s an understatement. We’ll just see how that evolves. … In our discussions, it wasn’t just about 14, it was about 16.”

How did the thought process evolve from wanting to be proactive rather than reactive?:

“I don’t think there’s a singular tipping point to that. I think that there’s a certain subtlety there that probably comes into play with the events of the summer before last and then the Big Ten going with Nebraska and the two schools leaving the Big 12 and going to the Pac-10 to make it the Pac-12 and then it all surfaced again with the SEC and Texas A&M and their discussions, which put the Big 12 back on the radar in terms of whether they were going to be viable long-term or not. That’s still to be determined, obviously. I think all of that, together … has created kind of an environment where more and more schools that are not in conferences that were where they feel there’s long-term viability, long-term stability, have started looking around. … I think over a period of time, as we digested that … there just was a gradual growth of the opinion that we’re not sure where all of this is headed, but we are sure of our commitment to making the Atlantic Coast Conference a prominent player going forward.”

Listen to John Swofford on 790 The Zone in Atlanta here

While much of the attention was on what was happening in the Midwest, Syracuse and Pitt suddenly made headlines as they were accepted into the ACC, making the move from the Big East. It’s just the latest in the topsy-turvy world of college athletics, but Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross said the move was a long time in the making.

Daryl Gross joined The Score 1260 in Syracuse with Dan Tortora to discuss how the move came about, how Pittsburgh was the team to make the move as well, what it all means for Syracuse, how fast they were accepted by the ACC, how quickly the shift can go down, the competitiveness of his teams now that they’re in the ACC and what he is looking forward to most.

When did everything come together for a decision that it was time to move to a new conference?:

“I think it’s been a long, long, long process. When I say long, let me put some time-frame on it. When you go back to when the Big Ten announced and made a formal announcement that they were going to evaluate their conference, I think that was a time where folks started to do some self-evaluation of their own institutions. … When you start thinking about all the topics in college athletics, budgets not balancing, and those types of things, everybody’s looking at the long-term. … We’ve been doing this for a long time and we came to the conclusion that we were well-prepared to either enhance our own conference or we would be attractive for someone else if something started to move in the country. … It’s tough leaving the Big East and the history there, but it’s going to be a different world when we wake up in the next few months here. I think it’s great we were proactive and able to move fast.”

What was it that made Pittsburgh the team that would make the move with you?:

“We did this individually. They weren’t aware of us; we weren’t aware of them. Not until the end.”

What does this move mean for Syracuse?:

“Academically, it’s a great fit. I like to call it … the Ivy League of the BCS schools. I really believe that. … It’s the big picture really. And it’s nice that we happen to have the same common interests athletically.”

Was the application process handles pretty quickly or was there a little bit of nervousness in waiting?:

“I think we were at mutual agreement that it would be best for everybody. … I think that’s what made it so smooth and so fast. The dialogue was terrific and we all thought that we had a win-win situation.”

How soon can this happen?:

“We’re going to cooperate with our colleagues at the Big East and I’m sure that will all shake out when they figure out what their identity is and how we move forward. I don’t think we have an answer right now. On the other side of it, if they get another angle toward new teams in their conference, then they may want us out sooner.”

How competitive will your football and basketball teams be in the ACC?:

“We went out and played a good Southern California football team … and they’ve got the best talent in the country. … We’re very proud of our team because, except for a couple of big plays, we’re able to physically hang in there with them. … We think football-wise … we’re going to be a great contender in the ACC. Obviously, in basketball, where we’re well-more established as far as recruiting and talent and Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, I think we have a chance to be the cream of the ACC as well.”

What are you looking forward to most?:

“I’m looking forward to stepping up. Our mission has always been to compete for national championships. What this has done for us is give us the ability to add more resources to enhance that mission. … It’s going to give us a chance to compete for national championships.”

Listen to Daryl Gross on The Score 1260 in Syracuse here

The Sycamores are making their fourth NCAA tournament appearance. For the Syracuse Orange it’s been just another typical year for the powerhouse basketball program making the NCAA tournament with relative ease. The Orange didn’t lose a game until January 17th, finishing the season with a record of 26-7 (12-6 Big East), but finishing 8-7 in their last 15 games including Big East tournament play.

On paper it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Orange just have more talent and height over this Sycamores team that has their tallest player registering in at 6’8” while Syracuse has six players of that height or more. Senior Rick Jackson is a key component to the ‘Cuse defense as he was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Freshmen center Fab Melo has come on of late for Syracuse as well. It’s a daunting task for Indiana State, but this is what first round match-ups in March Madness are all about.

Jim Boeheim joined the Score 1260 in Syracusewith Brent Axe to discuss his team’s first round opponent in the Indiana State State Sycamores, what kind of measuring stick does the Missouri Valley Conference school bring to his team in the NCAA tournament, is it fair to say that Fab Melo is having a breakout over the past few weeks and did he see this coming all along, is 11 teams enough for the Big East Conference in the NCAA tournament and has he ever filled out an NCAA bracket even though he’s technically not allowed to.

What can you tell us about the Indiana Sycamores?

“Well I’m glad Larry Bird isn’t there, that’s for sure, but they have a very good team. They’re hot. They’ve won seven or eight of their last nine. They won their tournament. They beat Missouri State. A team that’s very, very, good. They’ve got really good balance. They’ve got eight or nine guys that can all contribute. They’re a very solid basketball team. They’ve had success all year long. They beat Northern Iowa. A team we struggled with. They beat them by twenty at home and beat them at Northern Iowa, so that gives you kind of a measuring stick that this is a pretty good team. It’s a tough game, but they’re all tough once you get into the tournament. I think the only team that gets an easy win is the first seeds who are probably going to get an easy first game. Other than that everyone is going to have to play.”

What kind of measuring stick does the Missouri Valley Conference provide to your team coming from a small conference?

“Yeah they’re all good. They’ve had success in the tournament. A lot of smaller conferences have been good, but they haven’t had success in the tournament. The Missouri Valley [conference] has. They’re going to come in with a lot of confidence. I’m sure this is a tough game. You know I think our players realize that. They know these are good teams and tough games ahead of us.”

One guy that seemed to benefit from the Big East tournament was Fab Melo. Is it fair to say that Fab Melo is having a breakthrough or is this something you saw coming over the last few weeks?

“Well in the last few weeks he [Fab Melo] played very well against DePaul. He made some really good plays down in Georgetown when he went back in and obviously played very well against St.John’s. I think he got a little too confident against Connecticut. He tried to make some shots that he’s not ready for yet, but I think he’s practiced well. He’s had a couple of good practices this week. I felt from the beginning it would take the freshmen some time to get there. I think Dion [Waiters] and C.J.[Fair] are playing better. I think it’s unfortunate that the Baye’s [Moussa Keita] hand is hurting so much because he’s really getting better too, but his hands still holds him back. We’re going to go as far as our veterans take us. The key is to how much our young guys can help us. For us to win in the tournament the young guys are going to have to help the veterans. I think they’re ready to do that. We’re very confident they can do that.”

Is 11 teams enough in the NCAA tournament for the Big East Conference? Is that enough teams or do the Big East have more work to do?

“Well I think it always comes down to how you do in the tournament. I mean that’s what people always look at. Not that you got in, but how the teams played in the tournament. We have good teams. We have teams that could go right through to the Final Four. That same team might get to the Final Four could get upset on a last second shot in the second game. You know that’s just the way it is. I mean we came within one free throw of losing to Rutgers. If Ricky Jackson who obviously is not a great free throw shooter misses the free throw with :08 seconds to go in the game against Rutgers we lose you know. I mean that’s the bottom line. That’s how close college basketball is. Anything can happen in this tournament. You could lose to anybody you play and it doesn’t mean they’re better. They’re better that night. That’s all they have to be. I guarantee every team playing this first round except probably, well, probably I mean they think so, but everybody except the teams playing in the top four seeds. Everybody thinks they can win. They probably have a chance to win. That’s just the way college basketball is, so I don’t know how our league is going to do. I know we have a good league. We’ve played outside teams all year and had success, so I know that’s the case, but we just don’t know what’s going to happen in this tournament.”

I know you can’t, but have you wanted to ever fill out a bracket just for fun to see where you stack up with people?

“I use to do it. I haven’t done it…well a little bit at home just with my family, which I hope is still legal. I’m not even sure if that’s legal. We did do it [fill out an NCAA tournament bracket] at home. I can’t remember how I faired. I really don’t, but I use to do it all the time just to see you know what would happen. I’ve gone on television a few times to pick them. I’ve picked the winner a few times, but you know it gets harder-and-harder to pick this thing this year. It’s crazy out there. There’s going to be a lot of upsets in these first two rounds. I’m not sure they’re great upsets, but there’s going to be a lot, a lot, of games that are just going to be very interesting to watch. If I can find truTV on my television you know I’ll be watching them. I don’t think I’ll be doing that [filling out a free NCAA tournament bracket on the Score 1260's website], but I appreciate it.”

Listen to Jim Boeheim on the Score 1260 here

At the forefront was his recent record against Rick Pitino and his argument that the story didn’t include his record earlier in his career with Pitino. The rant also included an awkward exchange with the beat writer when she couldn’t tell Boeheim what his record was against former West Virginia coach John Beilein.

When his rant drew criticism on talk shows and such on Tuesday, Boeheim’s rant only spilled over onto a local radio show. In the following interview, he enjoys a constructive argument with the host, Danny Parkins, about the press conference itself and then about comments Parkins has made during the course of the season that Boeheim doesn’t agree with.

If you think the video rant is funny, make sure to listen to the radio portion in its entirety as the debate back and forth between Boeheim and Parkins could not be done justice in transcription. So, here you go, two Boeheim media rants for the price of one …

See the postgame rant here

Jim Boeheim joined The Score 1260 in Syracuse with Danny Parkins to discuss his postgame press conference calling out local beat reporters, why he thinks the media are thin-skinned, if he thinks he’s covered fairly and how much longer he’ll coach in Syracuse.

On his postgame press conference where he called out reporters:

“When do you think I can express my opinion? That’s the only time I have to express an opinion about what I feel about what’s going on in our program and in town. That’s really the only time I have.”

His argument about reporters reporting segments of time:

“I find it very unusual that in your hometown paper they’re going to write about a specific coaching matchup. … It was about fairness and it was about, I don’t believe you can pick a segment just like if you do 100 straight radio shows, you’re going to have a few bad ones in there. … I think it’s bad if someone writes just about your bad ones and doesn’t balance it with other matchups or other things that are good.”

On the media being thin-skinned:

“I asked [the reporter a question]. You guys ask me questions all the time, that’s part of my job. When you get asked a question back, you react like you do, you don’t like it. But you know why? Because the media probably has the thinnest skin of any group in the world. Not in the country, in the world.”

Comparing his relationship with the local media to the national media and whether he’s covered fairly:

“I’m covered very fairly. That was one thing. I don’t agree with comparing coaches and comparing players over short periods of time. That’s all. But most of my friends in the business think I’m covered unfairly here. … I have no problem with it. The media is going to cover you the way they feel they want to cover you.”

How much longer will he coach at Syracuse?:

“I have no idea. I’ll be around for a while. I think in this thing, in coaching, from talking to other coaches, sometimes it just happens, the day comes and that’s the day. There’s no formula, it’s just some point in time that day comes and that’s it.

Listen to Jim Boeheim on Score 1260 in Syracuse here