CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim talked with reporters for 45 minutes at ACC Media Day on Wednesday. Here are four highlights of what he had to say.

Appeals of nine-game suspension

Boeheim said that Syracuse has appealed the length and timing of his nine-game suspension at the start of conference play, and that he expects to hear “very soon.” He added that he cannot appeal the rule that he can’t coach in practice or contact the team, in any way, during whatever suspension he’ll serve.

“Asinine is what it is,” Boeheim said of that part of the suspension.

He said that suspending a coach for games is tough on the coach and players, but that making it so he can’t coach in practice is especially difficult for the players whom he guides on a daily basis. He also quipped about not being able to talk to the team, saying his assistant coaches’ kids spend time at his house and that he could pass messages along through them.

“That would be a good way, wouldn’t it?” Boeheim joked. “That would be illegal, I’m sure.”

When asked what he’s going to do during his suspension, Boeheim said it’s really not as simple of a decision as people may think.

“Let’s say for example, I’m just going to go to Florida. I’m play golf and someone takes a picture of me, and my team is getting beat by 20 and I’m playing golf in Florida?” he said. “I don’t think that sells well, I don’t think that’s a good thing.

“Maybe I should go to ESPN for a month and just do games. I don’t think they’d like that either. And my wife doesn’t want me home for 25 straight days, I can guarantee you that. So that’s not going to work. That’s not going to work at all.”

DaJuan Coleman’s status

Boeheim reiterated that Coleman is fully participated in practice every day, and said the team won’t have him on any kind of “minutes limit” at the start of the season.

“He’s either going to go and be all right, or he’s going to go and not be all right,” Boeheim said. “It has nothing to do with minutes. He could play two minutes and get hurt or he could play the whole game and not get hurt. That has nothing to do with his injury, a time limit, no.”

Coleman hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 7, 2014, due to a slow recovery from an OATs procedure on his left knee. He will be the Orange’s starting center this season and will have to carry a thin front court.

Point guard situation

Just like at Syracuse basketball media day, Boeheim did not commit to Michael Gbinije as his starting point guard but said there is a high possibility that will happen. He also said he could change his mind about Gbinije playing point guard once the season starts, and go back to Kaleb Joseph, who started at point guard as a freshman last season.

“If Mike left and graduated,” Boeheim said, “I’d be very comfortable with Kaleb playing at the point.”

Boeheim said that, because the Orange is thin at forward, he may not be able to play Joseph as much as he’d like. But he added that if he’s playing a forward at center, then Gbinije will have to shift to forward which would free up minutes for Joseph.

Joseph gained 14 pounds in the offseason and has made vast improvements to his outside jumper.   Boeheim credits some of last year’s struggles to having to play Joseph at point as a true freshman, but the head coach thinks Joseph is more than ready to contribute this season.

Gbinije and Richardson in zone defense

If Gbinije does start at point guard, it seems likely that freshman Malachi Richardson will start at small forward. In that event, when Gbinije and Richardson are on the court together, Boeheim said Gbinije would play up top in the zone with Trevor Cooney and Richardson will play on the wing.

Gbinije is listed at 6 feet, 7 inches, and Richardson is at 6 feet, 6 inches, and Boeheim said Gbinije would play up top because it is a harder spot. He added that there is an advantage of having Gbinije, who will often be the primary ball-handler on the court, up top should the team want to play in transition off a missed shot.

Published on October 28, 2015 at 6:48 pm

Contact Jesse: jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse