Syracuse, NY – After his team’s victory over Miami on Tuesday night, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said the two Orange court holders; Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard were sick with the coronavirus during the program’s recent break.
Syracuse went on an 18-day break, which began after the University of Buffalo players tested positive for Covid after Syracuse’s game against the Bulls on December 19.
Syracuse had to postpone three games during the team’s shutdown before returning to the court on January 6 for a game against Pittsburgh. Syracuse had lost three of his four games since returning from the break.
Syracuse officials did not confirm the Syracuse player’s positive test, but Boeheim noted that both his son and Girard fought the virus after Orange’s 83-57 explosion in Miami. Boeheim and Girard scored 23 points in Tuesday’s victory.
“I think Buddy is just starting to pick up the pace all the time away and have Covid, the whole thing,” said Jim Boeheim. “Both Buddy and Joe were out of this. They were sick and were out. “
Girard did not want to use the coronavirus as an excuse for Orange’s 1-3 record immediately after the Covid-related team’s break, but admitted that he suffered from symptoms, including fatigue and loss of taste and smell.
Girard also has asthma, which he said is a cause for concern for his parents and the SU team.
“Buddy and I don’t like to make excuses,” said Girard. “We like to compete. I don’t want to speak for him, but to be honest, I think I would be lying if we weren’t feeling better progressively. You just need to be patient and be positive. Obviously, we are feeling better over time. ”
Girard said that sometimes he got so tired that even after waking up in the morning, he felt the need to lie down.
Girard and Boeheim were not the only players to test positive during the team’s break in December. Jim Boeheim recently said that first-year striker Woody Newton had to remain isolated longer than some of the other players. In addition, center-back Frank Anselem was not in uniform in any of Syracuse’s four games before Tuesday. He was in uniform on Tuesday, but did not play.
At the start of the season, Jim Boeheim and a player on a scholarship tested positive, forcing the team to stop all activities for almost two weeks before the season opened. Syracuse had a training session before playing against Bryant on November 27.
In early December, an unidentified walk-on tested positive. At the time, Buddy Boeheim had to be quarantined as part of the contact tracking protocols. He lost three games.
The positive test is different than being quarantined due to contact tracking. Positive test players cannot train individually at Melo Center.
While isolated, Girard sent a video to Buddy Boeheim, showing him sniffing a bottle of hot sauce and getting absolutely no reaction.
Before Tuesday’s game against Miami, Syracuse played Pittsburgh twice, Georgetown and North Carolina. In these four games, Girard averaged just 8.5 points and hit 11 out of 33 on the field.
Buddy Boeheim had an average of 14.7 points, but his shot went wrong. He hit just nine of 33 3-point shots in four games.
“Everyone knows that they were (sick), but then they expect them to come back and play as if nothing has happened. It just doesn’t work that way. ”
Girard said he spent part of his recovery time hiking and texting with Jimmer Fredette, a native of Glens Falls, who advised him to solve puzzles and read books.
“I think hiking has helped,” he said.
Girard also admitted that he is still not 100 percent back to normal.
“I’m close,” he said.
In Tuesday’s game, Girard’s 23 points were obtained in 8 out of 15 field shots and 5 out of 9 3 point shots. Buddy Boeheim scored his 23 points by making 9 of 16 pitches, including 4 of 8 from the 3-point line.
“This is the best they have played throughout the year,” said Boeheim.
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Contact Mike Waters anytime at [email protected] or find him on Twitter at @MikeWatersSYR.