Boeheim: ACC won in tournament, unlike Big Ten

For Jim Boeheim, the lone existent barometer of a conference's occurrence is its grounds successful the NCAA tournament.

Based connected that criteria, the longtime Syracuse manager said the Big Ten, which finished 9-9 successful the NCAA tourney past year, was inferior to the ACC, which finished 14-5 and sent 3 teams to the Elite Eight.

"At the extremity of the day, you play for the [NCAA] tournament," Boeheim said Friday astatine his team's media day. "You tin accidental what you privation astir the Big Ten. They sucked successful the tournament. To me, that's what they did. All of their wins were successful their league. If you can't play successful the [NCAA] tournament, past you're not good."

Last season, the Big Ten secured 9 NCAA tourney bids connected Selection Sunday but lone Michigan and Purdue reached the 2nd weekend. Both teams were eliminated successful the Sweet 16, extending the drought of a league that hasn't captured the nationalist title since 2000.

Last year, the ACC had conscionable 5 bids -- its lowest tally since it sent 4 teams to the NCAA tourney successful 2013 -- but North Carolina and Duke matched up successful the Final Four successful Mike Krzyzewski's last crippled and Miami made a astonishment tally to the Elite Eight.

Although Syracuse missed the NCAA tourney past play for the archetypal clip since 2017, Boeheim said the occurrence of the ACC successful the postseason proved its strength.

"I'll instrumentality the Sweet 16 if we decorativeness [sixth successful the ACC] overall," Boeheim said. "Would I similar to bash amended successful the regular play and [reach the Sweet 16]? Sure. But I'll instrumentality that each year. We've been precise bully successful the tournament."

Boeheim, who led Syracuse to the nationalist rubric 20 years ago, is entering his 47th play amid ongoing speculation that helium mightiness discontinue soon. Over the summer, helium told ESPN helium was "close" to retirement. His 2022-23 squad returns aggregate veterans, including Joe Girard, who averaged 13.8 PPG and connected connected 40.3% of his attempts from the 3-point enactment past season.

While Boeheim expects betterment from past year, the archetypal losing play of his career, helium said his squad -- and each teams -- should beryllium judged by its decorativeness successful the NCAA tournament, not the regular season.

"Kansas was the champion squad [last year]," Boeheim said. "But the champion league? What league won 14 games and lone mislaid 5 [in the NCAA tournament]? The ACC. To me, that's the champion league."