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Jim Boeheim, Coach K Preparing to Renew Historic Rivalry

Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim (right) and Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski (left) shake hands before a 2019 meeting at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Cuse.com
Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim (right) and Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski (left) shake hands before a 2019 meeting at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Two of college basketball’s most decorated coaches are set to meet for the 16th time. WAER’s Carson Gambaro provides a primer on the history between Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski.

Plenty of history beckons when Syracuse (9-9, 3-4 ACC) and #6 Duke (14-3, 4-2 ACC) collide in Durham this Saturday. Most specifically, for the two men coaching the rival schools.

Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski are the two winningest coaches in NCAA Men’s Basketball history.

Krzyzewski’s all-time high 1,184 victories make him the only head coach to have ever crossed the millennium mark. Boeheim, meanwhile, sits just nine wins shy of the 1,000 milestone at 991.

Combining the two legends’ track records, you get:

  • 2,175 wins
  • 63 ranked seasons
  • 17 Final Four Appearances
  • 6 NCAA Championship Titles
  • 120 NBA Draftees
  • 4 Naismith Coach of the Year Awards
  • 2 Namesake Home Courts

No matter the circumstances, a matchup between the pair of Hall of Famers is always highly anticipated. Six of their 15 meetings have been decided by a margin of five points or less.
Of those airtight finishes, Boeheim’s bunch has had the last laugh in all but one. Beyond the surface, the Orange and Blue Devils have produced some of college basketball’s most memorable moments.

From John Gillon’s buzzer beater…

To Elijah Hughes’ full court prayer…

The very prospect of Coach K’s perennial powerhouse on the calendar often serves as a call to action for the Orange faithful. So much to where fans set the attendance record for an on-campus college hoops contest in the Carrier Dome back in 2019. The mark of 35,642 remains untouched today.

Syracuse and Duke have brought the very highest drama to the court ever since the Orange moved to the ACC. While this rivalry is nowhere near as extensive as SU’s ongoing bloodbath with Georgetown, it rarely disappoints.

Although Saturday’s matchup will not be held in the 315, Orange fans worldwide are sure to be watching and listening every step of the way.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Since the mid-70s, many things have changed. Countless players, coaches and staff members have been shuffling in and out of the NCAA on a rinse-and-repeat cycle.

The two constants since then? You should know their names by now. However, the inevitable looms ever closer for Jim Boeheim and Coach K.

In June, the latter legend revealed that this season would be his final at the helm. With that, Saturday will be the last time Krzyzewski and Boeheim meet in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“He’s the best of the modern era,” Boeheim said of his counterpart. “It’s been an honor for me to just be his friend.”

Though emotional during his retirement announcement, Krzyzewski stated he intends to go out with a bang.

“I want this to be as good of a basketball team as we’ve had in my 46 years,” said Duke’s longtime head man. “That’s the main thing I’m going to focus on, and anything else…let’s react to it.”

Meet the 2021-22 Blue Devils

Coach K’s crew is undeniably a force to be reckoned with talentwise.

Jumping right off the page is Paolo Banchero. The 6’10” true freshman is averaging 18.1 points per game, the highest among ACC forwards. The Italian-American has been the Blue Devils’ leading scorer in 9 out of their 17 games.

Banchero’s evident prowess down low has led professional scouts, including Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, to consider him a #1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Duke’s dominance in the paint doesn’t end with Banchero. Sophomore center Mark Williams leads the conference in blocks per contest. Interestingly enough, Syracuse’s Jesse Edwards ranks second in that category. The two bigs differ greatly in their discipline, however.

Edwards has fouled out in ten games this year. Conversely, Williams hasn’t fouled out in any.

Jesse Edwards (gray) in warmups before Syracuse’s previous matchup against Clemson.
Cuse.com
Jesse Edwards (gray) in warmups before Syracuse’s previous matchup against Clemson.

Rounding out the Blue Devils’ starting five are first year shooting guard Trevor Keels, and stretch forwards AJ Griffin and Wendell Moore. Together, the trio converts an efficient 48.9% of their field goal attempts.

When Coach K said he was aiming to put together the ultimate team for his farewell season, he wasn’t playing around. His offense is the top scoring unit in the Atlantic Coast Conference thus far. On the other side, Boeheim’s defense ranks dead last in points allowed per game.

On paper, Syracuse is at a disadvantage. Historically, Syracuse has been at a disadvantage more often than not. But as SU’s most recent win over Duke shows, no disadvantage is too great to overcome.

Unranked Florida State proved just that on Tuesday. The Seminoles took the Blue Devils into overtime, and hung on for a 79-78 upset. Inside the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Where Syracuse edged out FSU earlier this season.

Moral of the story: never count out the Orange. Perhaps we’re in for another timeless Cameron Indoor classic after all.

Either way, it’ll be bittersweet for the two head men knowing that this year signifies the closing act of their illustrious rivalry. Barring a coincidental clash in the ACC tournament or March Madness, this will be the penultimate rodeo between the two greats.

Like any true rivalry, Jim Boeheim and Coach K share a tremendous deal of respect.

Above all, Boeheim admires Krzyzewski’s unique ability to command a basketball unit. He noticed this “gift” unfold while assisting his adversary coach Team USA at three Summer Olympic Games.

“I was able to watch him work with LeBron, Kobe, and all the great players,” said Boeheim. “They just fell in line…Mike Krzyzewski was able to do that at all levels.”

However their final Durham date plays out, you won’t want to miss a second. WAER’s full coverage begins at 11:30 with GZA Countdown to Tipoff, with a noon opening tip. You can tune in at 88.3 FM or stream live right here on waer.org.