CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jim Boeheim sauntered into the print media room at Atlantic Coast Conference media day, sat down behind his nameplate and stared at a recorder in front of him.

Throughout ACC basketball media day on Wednesday, Syracuse’s NCAA hearing at the end of the week sat like an elephant in the room. SU players Trevor Cooney and Rakeem Christmas were asked about it and deferred to focusing on the court. ACC commissioner John Swofford was asked too and confirmed that a representative from the conference will attend the hearing before saying that all compliance issues are a concern.

Then it was Boeheim’s turn and the Orange’s head coach wasn’t willing to offer as many words.

“I’m betting I will be getting up in 15 seconds,” he said, still looking at the recorder as a reporter started a question.

He didn’t leave the table, but discussed the rules of not commenting instead. Syracuse’s hearing, which also involves the football program, is scheduled for Thursday and Friday and Boeheim wouldn’t comment on whether he will attend after The Post-Standard reported that he, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud and Director of Athletics Daryl Gross, among others, will be there.

“It’s against the rules. You’re the writers that write about this stuff all the time,” Boeheim said. “It’s against the rules to talk about an ongoing investigation. Period.

“Whenever these things are written about there’s so much misinformation because nobody can talk, so people take some piece here and it becomes something totally different. To me, it’s just better when it’s done and you look at what happened and you talk.”

When discussing the importance of clarity in discussing these situations, Boeheim was quick to point out that he was speaking about “generalities,” not his team. Syracuse could face sanctions for allegations for extra benefits, academic infractions and more, according to multiple reports.

But instead of discussing details of Syracuse’s case, Boeheim said that Carleton — the Canadian powerhouse that the Orange will scrimmage in the Carrier Dome on Sunday — is what he’s most worried about this week.

Cooney added that nothing has seemed different with Boeheim at practice in the past few weeks.

“No one knows anything,” Cooney said. “We have no idea what’s going to happen. We don’t know anything.”

Christmas, who leading up to the season has described himself as a senior leader, had similar sentiments.

“We don’t worry about any of that,” Christmas said. “We just put it behind us. We just come together as a team and focus on our game, get ready for the season.”

Boeheim more fully sidestepped the topic.

When bluntly asked if he was attending the hearing, Boeheim responded by saying, “I’m waiting for a question that I will answer.”

Then a reporter from the other side of the table started talking and Boeheim cut him off with, “Is this a different way to ask? You can’t get creative, as creative as I’m sure you are.”

And when asked if it had all become frustrating — the reports, questions and everything in between — Boeheim smiled and offered two more words.

“You tried.”

Published on October 29, 2014 at 5:34 pm

Contact Jesse: jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse