The precursors to the Buddy vs. Jimmy Boeheim duel on Saturday night at the Carrier Dome unfolded a few miles east, more than a decade ago, in a small play area next to the Boeheim family kitchen.

There, the brothers created scaled-down basketball games. They took off their shoes, grabbed a mini basketball and went at each other. Their mother, Juli, introduced the boys if they were coming out for pregame introductions. They’d pick one of the Syracuse players of that particular year’s iteration to reenact a game they’d seen in the Dome.

“They come running through, dribbling the ball coming and lay it up, just like starting lineups,” Juli said.

Their father, Jim, sometimes reffed the games, Buddy said, and the younger son made sure to voice his displeasure when the Hall of Fame coach called fouls on him. The games usually ended in a fight.

Jimmy said he always won: “Buddy always went out crying.” Buddy has an excuse: “He only won most because he was bigger and older.” Nobody really knows why Jimmy won the majority of the games, but only one brother will be a winner Saturday night when Syracuse (4-2) hosts Cornell (4-3) in a matchup between Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim’s two sons.

“It’s good that I’m easing into this thing, I’m thankful for that,” Juli said. “Last step was kind of a baby step into this. Now this year we’ll take it to a whole ‘nother level.”

Buddy and Jimmy have never played against each other in organized basketball. Their 18-month age gap prevented it. To this day, they haven’t played much one-on-one basketball. “For the better,” Jimmy said. “It probably wouldn’t end well.”

The matchup could be the first of several brother-against-brother meetings, given Jimmy is a sophomore and Buddy a freshman. One famous brother meeting in college basketball took place in the 1992 NCAA Tournament, when Bobby Hurley’s Duke played Dan Hurley’s Seton Hall. And in 1999, Wisconsin and Duany Duany played at Syracuse against his brother, Kueth Duany.

Although Buddy plays guard for Syracuse and Jimmy usually plays forward for Cornell, the two could end up in the same areas on Jim Boeheim Court due to SU’s 2-3 zone. If Cornell plays Jimmy at the high post, he could bump hips with Buddy. If Buddy attacks the basket, it could be Jimmy protecting the Big Red’s rim.

Saturday night, Juli joked that she’ll root for Cornell to even out the Boeheim family at two “members” per team. She’ll sit in her usual spot, near center court, opposite the team benches. Jim, SU’s 43-year head coach who adjusts practice times so he can see Jimmy’s games in Ithaca, will of course roam the Orange sideline. And Jamie, known as “Sissy,” said in a text message that she will “probably” attend the game — despite previously being “scared to check” whether she had a conflict that day.

For Jim and Jimmy, this will be round two. Last November, Jim and Jimmy faced off against each other inside the Carrier Dome. Beforehand, when the elder Boeheim was asked whether he had given thought to playing his son, Jimmy, he said: “No. I’m trying not to.”

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Juli wore a “Boeheim vs. Boeheim” white shirt in support and the Orange beat the Big Red, 77-45. In his collegiate debut, Jimmy drilled a 3-pointer in front of his dad’s bench on the first possession of the game, and he finished 4-for-13 with 11 points. Afterward, Jim told his son he was “close to having a good game.”

“You watch your son play your whole life and you’re pulling for two things: That he plays well and that his team wins,” Jim added last November. “I was only hoping for one of those tonight. The way he started out, though, I was a little worried.”

In Jim’s assessment of his sons this summer, he would not say who is better. He loves them both. One always dreamt of playing at Syracuse, while the other was less concerned about playing for his dad.

“They’ve always had a burning desire,” Jim Boeheim said of his sons. “Jimmy worked more than the normal college player, but Buddy worked twice as much. It’s the way he was built. He’s done our lifting program here for five years, from eighth grade on. He’s a little bit faster than Jimmy, a little quicker, more of a guard. But Jimmy’s older, and he’s gotten bigger and stronger.”

Courtesy of the Boeheim family

Their mother named the family gym “JB Court” because each member of the family has “JB” initials (Buddy’s name is Jackson on his birth certificate). The court became their training ground. “Lot of hours in there,” Buddy said this week.

“I know one thing,” Boeheim said after SU defeated Ohio State Wednesday, “Both better play or I’m not going home.”

But rather than play against each other, the Boeheim brothers trained independently in the home gym. Buddy spent the most time there, crafting his shot, while Jimmy developed his overall game. Saturday night, they’ll channel the competitiveness they displayed years ago during “horse” games in the basement, Sunday night board games and basketball matchups in the play area off the family kitchen.

After nearly 1,000 wins, a national title and a spot in the Hall of Fame, Boeheim can add another feat to his ledger: watching his sons play against each other on the court named after him.

“When I look at it, I think, gosh he’s pretty much done it all,” Juli said. “What’s left? And then you get this. And it’s just the biggest blessing in the whole world, and I’m just thrilled, so incredibly thrilled for our family, all of us, that this is happening.”

Published on November 29, 2018 at 6:26 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21