Jim Boeheim responds to question about son's eligibility next season

Jim Boeheim has enjoyed the luxury of coaching two of his sons this season at Syracuse. And if things go his way, he’ll get to coach at least one again next year.

Boeheim said on his radio show Thursday that he is petitioning NCAA for Jimmy Boeheim to receive a fifth year of eligibility. The forward played for Cornell from 2017-20 before transferring to Syracuse.

The NCAA granted every athlete from the 2020-21 season an extra year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Ivy League athletes were denied that same privilege because of the league’s longstanding policy against granting athletes the fifth year of eligibility.

But Jim Boeheim still believes his son has a good chance at a successful petition.

“I think he should be allowed to come back because they weren’t allowed to play last year,” Boeheim said. “Everybody else that played got that year and a free year.”

Jimmy Boeheim has made a significant impact in his first season with the Orange. He is second on the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game in addition to 6.2 rebounds per game. Jim Boeheim’s other son, Buddy, leads the team with 18.9 points per game.

Jim Boeheim is considered by many to be among the greatest college basketball coaches in history. He has spent his entire career with Syracuse beginning in 1969 as an assistant coach. He ranks second among active coaches with 987 victories, and sixth all-time.

The Orange coach also added on the radio show that guards Joe Girard and Symir Torrence will come back for their senior seasons. He did not say anything about the status of Buddy Boeheim, who is in his fourth year at Syracuse.

The Orange are off to a mediocre 8-8 start this season, including 2-3 in ACC play. Most recently, they defeated Pittsburgh by a score of 77-61 on Tuesday.

Syracuse will aim to extend its winning streak Saturday when it is set to tip-off against Florida State at 3 p.m. ET.