OMAHA, Neb. — On Friday at about 2 p.m., Jimmy Boeheim was almost done packing his suitcase for a flight from Syracuse to Omaha. He’ll hop on a direct flight with his mother, Juli, from Syracuse Hancock International Airport to Omaha. He’ll arrive in a few hours, then sit near the court with his family to cheer on the Orange in its Sweet 16 matchup with Duke.

Jimmy said he hasn’t missed a second of Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament run, watching every game at a house in Ithaca, New York, with his Cornell teammates.

“It’s awesome. It’s very exciting,” Jimmy said Friday afternoon before he headed for the airport.

For the Big Red, Boeheim appeared in 26 games and started three, including Cornell’s loss at SU in the season opener. Boeheim hit a corner 3-pointer shortly after tip-off. He averaged 11.9 minutes and 3.2 points per game over the season.

“It’s been great. We had a pretty successful year as a team,” he said. “The program’s going in the right direction. I learned a lot this year. There was definitely an adjustment period. Looking forward to next year.”

Jimmy said his parents, Jim and Juli, sometimes drove down Interstate 81 to take him out to dinner and catch up on Sunday evenings. Usually, they dined at Ciao, a wood-fired pizza restaurant, or Mahogany Grill.

“He loves it,” Jimmy said of his dad.

Boeheim, a lefty sharpshooter, is best suited for the 3 position, said Doneilous King, co-founder of King of Kings in Utica, a pro-am basketball league, and a former trainer of Boeheim. Jimmy said he gained more confidence in his shot this season.

At Jamesville-Dewitt, Boeheim was an all-Central New York selection as a senior. He averaged 22.3 points per game and was named MVP at the Hoop Hall Classic as a senior captain. Two seasons ago, he played a “prep” season at the New Hampton (Connecticut) School, averaging 8.7 points per game and 5.8 rebounds.

“That prep year really did a lot for him,” King said. “He needed it for his body. He has grown into a really good basketball player. When I met him in eighth or ninth grade, he was pretty slow on his feet. He didn’t move well, didn’t have much muscle tone.

“Last summer he was really in shape, cut up, he moved pretty quick off the bounce, handled the basketball, rebounded,” King added. “He became a complete basketball player.”

But on Friday night, Jimmy won’t be concerned about Ithaca, the Big Red or his sophomore season a few months away. He will cheer on the Orange as it looks to upset Duke at CenturyLink Center.

“I’m pumped to get down there,” Jimmy said.

Published on March 23, 2018 at 3:12 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21