Here was Jim Boeheim, striding out of the tunnel, onto the court bearing his name for his 1,204th game as Syracuse head coach: his 900th win. At 68 years old, dressed for the occasion in his blue shirt and orange tie, the Carrier Dome crowd praised his every move with a magnificent roar.

Appearing a few steps behind Boeheim came Dave Bing, the Syracuse legend, former teammate of Boeheim and mayor of Detroit. As college roommates, the pair spent countless nights in their room, dreaming and discussing their career prospects.

On a historic, momentous evening, Bing’s presence was both heartwarming and nerve-wracking for the head coach who never envisioned this future as a lanky freshman walk-on in 1962.

“When I went into the locker room he was already sitting there,” Boeheim said. “So that was the first time I’ve been nervous, in I couldn’t tell you. In a long time, anyway.”

As Syracuse leapt out to a 19-point halftime lead, those nerves subsided a little, but Detroit stormed back late, nearly spoiling a night of celebration. Michael Carter-Williams made 5-of-6 free throws in the last 30 seconds to preserve a 72-68 victory for the No. 3 Orange (10-0).

Syracuse’s 10^th win of the season gave Boeheim his 900^th all time, placing him alongside Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight as the only coaches in Division-I men’s basketball history to cross the 900-win threshold, beginning a celebration of the man who built Syracuse’s program into its current form.

The game, despite how tight it got late, was not the main event for the 17,902 in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse legends like Bing and Roosevelt Bouie did not just show up for a random nonconference game in December. This night was about Boeheim.

Bing spoke with Boeheim before the game, and they talked about their history and friendship. Bing traveled to Syracuse unbeknownst to Boeheim.

“This was his 900^th win and there’s no way, regardless of what’s going on in Detroit, that I wouldn’t be here,” Bing said.

Fans were handed miniature, cardboard Boeheim heads on popsicle sticks with nine minutes remaining that read “Coach Jim Boeheim 900 wins” on the back. Most waved them back and forth at the final buzzer.

Boeheim was presented with a commemorative plaque that held a Boeheim jersey with the No. 900, similar to the one he was presented a little more than three years ago after his 800^th win, and was honored on the court alongside his family and team.

Then the montage played on the Carrier Dome screens, featuring images from throughout Boeheim’s 36 seasons as head coach. Legendary coaches Krzyzewski and Rick Pitino offered congratulations, along with media notables like Mike Tirico and Dick Vitale.

Boeheim coached and spoke as if the number did not mean much to him. It was just another game, another win. He coached with the same demeanor.

The same actions: Stern face, hands on his hips, tucked inside his jacket. The only difference was the special attendees and postgame celebration.

“Whether I’ve won 800 or 900 does not matter,” Boeheim said. “Whether I’ve won 800 or 700, the reason I won 900 is I stayed longer than I ever thought I would have.”

Syracuse guard Brandon Triche grew up in nearby Jamesville. His uncle, Howard Triche, played for Boeheim. In watching the montage and reflecting on the moment, Triche said Boeheim means a lot to the community and many in the area look up to him.

Of all Boeheim’s accomplishments that displayed on the video screen, Triche picked one out as most memorable.

“The 2003 one, everybody going crazy, winning the national championship,” he said. “What was going through my head was, ‘Will I be able to get that chance, to hold up a national championship trophy?’”

After the game, Boeheim reiterated that 900 wins, while a large number, is not meaningful to him. It just means he has been coaching for a very long time. He deflected credit for any of his wins to his players and the Syracuse community all evening.

“I’ve had tremendous players for a long time and that’s how you win these things,” he said. “That’s how you win games, and you coach a long time you’re going to win a lot of games. It’s as simple as that. If you’re in a good place and I’m in a good place, I’ve always felt I was.”

James Southerland, who led SU with 22 points Monday, watched the montage and celebration unfold next to assistant coach Adrian Autry. Southerland was a freshman when Boeheim won his 800^th game, and asked his coach, “Where were you?” Autry came back by telling Southerland he was there for Boeheim’s 350^th.

From Bing, to Autry, to Southerland and the current Orange, Boeheim’s legend has lasted longer than either the coach or his college roommate imagined.

“There were so many nights when we were roommates that we just sat up and talked and dreamed and had visions,” Bing said, “and I don’t think either of us ever thought that he was going to be the coach and win 900 games.

“But here we are.”

Published on December 18, 2012 at 3:00 am

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