Jim Boeheim skips postgame press conference to avoid questions about Syracuse scandal

Just a day after his program was hammered by NCAA sanctions which included himself being being forced to vacate 108 wins from his record, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim elected not to face the media following his team’s 71-57 loss to NC State.

Instead, Boeheim released an official statement and sent assistant coach Mike Hopkins to handle the postgame press conference duties.

Hopkins, it should be noted, refused to answer any questions about the NCAA’s sanctions.

On Friday, the NCAA released its full findings and rulings following a lengthy investigation into academic improprieties committed by both the Syracuse football and men’s basketball programs. In addition to the sanctions levied against Boeheim (which also included a nine-game conference suspension for next season), the men’s basketball program was also placed on five years probations, and stripped of three scholarships for each of the next four academic years.

“Over the course of a decade, Syracuse University did not control and monitor its athletics programs,” the NCAA said in a statement, “and its head men’s basketball coach failed to monitor his program.”

The NCAA’s report detailed numerous infractions within the Syracuse men’s basketball program, including rampant academic misconduct, players receiving extra benefits, and a failure to properly administer drug tests. The findings have resulted in a heavy amount of criticism levied against Boeheim, with some members of the national media and his own fan base claiming that the Hall of Fame coach’s 39th season at Syracuse should be his last.

“As I expressed at the Committee on Infractions hearing, I acknowledge that violations occurred within the men’s basketball program, and as the head coach of the program, I take those violations very seriously,” Boeheim said Friday in a statement. “That being said, I am disappointed with many of the findings and conclusions as stated in the infractions report. The committee chose to ignore the efforts which I have undertaken over the past 37 years to promote an atmosphere of compliance.”

Boeheim had needed just 34 wins to join Mike Krzyzewski as the only coaches in Division-I history to reach the 1,000-win mark. Vacating those 108 wins drops Boeheim’s career total to 858, which leaves him at No. 6 on the all-time list.

On Feb. 4, Syracuse announced a postseason ban for the 2014-15 season, meaning the Orange’s loss to NC State on Saturday will be its final game of the season. They finished with an overall record of 18-13, including a 9-9 mark in ACC play.