Syracuse Director of Athletics Daryl Gross made it a point to talk to men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim this week. Gross knew very few people would have the unique privilege of talking to Boeheim one-on-one before he left for his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. this weekend.

The man Gross talked to was much different from the scowling coach who has prowled the sideline along the Syracuse bench for the past 29 seasons. Boeheim seemed awed by the honor bestowed on him, humbled by the circle of names he would soon be included in.

The experience Gross labeled as ‘out of body’ will only get more intense for Boeheim tonight at 7:30 when he is officially inducted into the Hall of Fame. Along with Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun, former NBA coach Hubie Brown, the late LSU women’s coach Sue Gunter and international women’s basketball star Hortencia de Fatima Marcari, Boeheim will take his place in basketball lore as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2005.

‘Not every university gets this privilege,’ Gross said. ‘You can count on one hand the number of schools that have an active Hall of Fame coach with many years left of coaching.’

Boeheim officially becomes a member of the Hall at tomorrow’s enshrinement ceremony, but the celebration continues well into Saturday. Each member of the Class of 2005 will receive Hall of Fame rings on Saturday morning and fans will have a chance to get autographs following the induction celebration.

This weekend’s events will cap an eventful year that saw Boeheim win his 700th game, his first Big East Tournament Championship since 1992 and Hakim Warrick drafted No. 19 by the Memphis Grizzles in the NBA Draft.

Boeheim, 61, has won 20 or more games in all but two of his 29 years at the helm of Syracuse men’s basketball.

‘Before he got to the Hall of Fame, people recognized Jim Boeheim as an all-time great coach,’ Gross said. ‘It adds to his decorations. This is probably the biggest one of them all. It’s one of these things when you’ll really appreciate it down the road. People appreciate it now. When’s the last time we had a Hall of Famer at Syracuse?’

Dave Bing, Boeheim’s old Syracuse roommate and a Hall of Famer, will induct the Syracuse coach into the Hall. Bing is the only other person with an SU connection in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He played with the Orange from 1962-1966 and still holds the Syracuse record for career scoring average.

This weekend will only seal Boeheim’s fate as a top face in college basketball. While the honor may humble Boeheim, his players won’t treat him any differently.

Andy Rautins, a freshman, has heard about the coach from his father Leo, an All-American in 1983 for Syracuse. In fact, Rautins came to SU already looking at its head coach as an all-time great.

‘It’s about time for him,’ Rautins said. ‘I think he very much deserves it. You can’t have a better coach than him.’

Boeheim’s veterans were less poetic about their coach. They’ve been around Boeheim long enough to anticipate the day when he would be a Hall of Famer.

‘I really expected it.,’ Syracuse forward Terrence Roberts said. ‘What more can you say? It’s Jim Boeheim.’

Published on September 8, 2005 at 12:00 pm