Fresh off his team’s 87-58 trouncing of St. John’s in Madison Square Garden, Jim Boeheim was in a good mood. It probably didn’t hurt that the win made him the first Division I coach to have 31 20-win seasons.

He was asked his opinion on the importance of the upcoming schedule in relation to Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament resume.

So much for the good mood.

‘That’s all nonsense,’ Boeheim said. ‘Don’t even talk to me, please. Just forget it. We’re going to concentrate on the next game.’

Apparently, what should have been asked was how he thought his team responded to a heartbreaking loss to Villanova last weekend. A few seconds into his answer to that question, the Boeheim started campaigning.

‘I think we’ve had some tremendous wins.’ Boeheim said. ‘People tend to get into these numbers things. You’ve lost seven games. We’ve lost five games to teams that are in the top 12 in the country.’

Syracuse won’t get an opportunity to play a top 12 team Sunday, but it will have a chance to pad its resume, as Cincinnati comes to the Carrier Dome for a 2 p.m. tip-off. The Bearcats are right behind Syracuse in the at conference 18-10, 8-7 in the Big East and fresh off a 65-61 win over West Virginia Thursday night.

Judging by the numbers, Syracuse’s resume is pretty impressive. The Orange boasts an RPI of 23, with a strength of schedule good enough for No. 11 in the country. But a 4-7 record down the stretch may be pushing the Orange closer to the bubble.

‘Somehow, people translate that into meaning that you’re not beating the better teams in your league or you’re not that good,’ Boeheim said. ‘Well, that would be good if we had one or two teams in the top 20 and we weren’t beating any of the top teams in the league.

‘But when you’re not beating the top 12, you know what that means? That means you’re not in the top 12 in the country. It could mean you’re 14th. Just because you can’t beat the top 12 teams in the nation doesn’t have anything to do with how good your team is.’

Five of the Orange’s seven losses during the stretch have come against opponents in the top 11 in the RPI. But Syracuse is no stranger to wins against the nation’s elite either. SU has wins over Kansas (No. 7 RPI) and Memphis (No. 8).

The Orange derailed the Tigers at FedEx Forum Dec. 20, 72-65 – one of three Memphis losses all seasons. Boeheim is also quick to point out its win over Kansas came in Kansas City, Mo., which is on paper a neutral site, but what SU’s head coach called ‘their home away from home’ and ‘their second home court.’

Critics have questioned Syracuse not because of its overall record, but because of how it has played recently. The Orange is without a statement win in 2009. Its best to this point is a 74-61 triumph over West Virginia.

Cincinnati would be a quality win, but not a statement win. But it could present itself in the season finale in Milwaukee against No. 10 Marquette.

Then again, the only statement louder than an upset against the Golden Eagles would be winning the Big East tournament, guaranteeing a berth in the Big Dance.

‘In my opinion I think we just have to win these games,’ SU junior forward Paul Harris said after SU’s loss against Villanova. ‘Because at the end of the year, I’ve been here two years and one year people saying you in and you don’t get in. The next year you think you’ll get in and you don’t. You just have to win and go into the Big East tournament and just win it so you just know you’re in and you don’t have to worry about all of that.’

mibonner@syr.edu

Published on February 26, 2009 at 12:00 pm