All Jim Boeheim was willing to discuss were free throws.

After his Syracuse (14-6, 5-2 Atlantic Coast) team made just 8-of-19 from the line in its 66-62 loss to Miami (14-5, 4-2) on Saturday in the Carrier Dome, Boeheim didn’t expand much in his postgame press conference on topics other than SU’s woeful free-throw shooting.

Until a reporter asked if the head coach thought his team has fallen behind in terms of building a resume worth an NCAA Tournament bid. The Orange, at 14-6 with a demanding ACC schedule ahead of it, is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

“Ridiculous. You’re the worst I’ve ever been around,” Boeheim said to the reporter. “We do not talk — maybe you’re new, I don’t know. We don’t talk about postseason. We don’t think about it. We play the next game. You guys, that’s your job. Don’t ask me that because I won’t answer it.”

Another reporter chimed in and said that ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Sean McDonough, on the air, spoke about a conversation he had with Boeheim in which the longtime SU head coach discussed the NCAA Tournament.

“All I said to him was that every game is important,” Boeheim said, referring to McDonough. “You have to win every game. You have to win to get in the Tournament. We’re not in and we’re not out. That’s all I said to him.”

“… But I never talk about the Tournament, never speculate about it, in or out,” Boeheim continued. “That’s for somebody else to decide that at the end of the year. They’re always tough calls. We’ve just got to play, win as many as we can and put ourselves in position and whatever happens happens. That’s always been my policy. That’s all I’ve ever said.

“I might’ve said it’s not going to be easy, but that’s not a revelation. I think if you watch us play, it’s not going to be easy. But we’ll see what happens.”

Published on January 24, 2015 at 7:53 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb