Jim Boeheim called the first losing season he has had in 46 years at Syracuse the best of his Hall of Fame career.

No. 7 Duke began coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament with a tougher-than-expected 88-79 victory over ninth-seeded Syracuse, which was playing without suspended star Buddy Boeheim.

Syracuse star Buddy Boeheim has been suspended for the Orange's Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament game against Duke after he punched Florida State's Wyatt Wilkes in the stomach Wednesday during a second-round 's victory.

North Carolina is launching a group licensing program that will allow current Tar Heels athletes to profit from official school merchandise.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)Buddy Boeheim carried Syracuse into the Sweet 16 with a masterful shooting stroke. The NCAA Tournament run for the 11th-seeded Orange ended on Saturday night in a 62-46 loss to No. It was also the fewest points scored by Syracuse in an NCAA Tournament game. “They’re just really physical, really aggressive and we got some looks that we didn’t capitalize on,” Boeheim said. “Jarreau is a really, really good defensive player and they helped, they were there to help him but he’s a really good defender,” coach Jim Boeheim said.

Now it's taken coach Kelvin Sampson's team somewhere new: the program's deepest NCAA Tournament run since the days of Olajuwon, Drexler and the famed “Phi Slama Jama." That sent the second-seeded Cougars through to their first regional final in 37 years, earning a matchup with No. Houston (27-3) came in holding opponents to a national-low 37.3% shooting, and then harassed Syracuse (18-10) into just 28% (14 for 50). “It’s the best defense that that we’ve seen this year and they deserved to win,” coach Jim Boeheim said. Syracuse had shot at least 52% each time while making 29 3-pointers — but there would be no repeat of that unexpected 2016 Final Four run thanks to Houston's defense.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)For the third time since 2016, Syracuse is headed to the Sweet 16 as a double-digit seed. “It's hard to make the Sweet 16. Here are the six double-digit seeds who made the Sweet 16 from 2016-19:2016 SYRACUSE (No. 11 seed)The Bulldogs beat Seton Hall and Utah by a combined 39 points before falling 63-60 to Syracuse in the Sweet 16. Syracuse lost to Duke 69-65 in the Sweet 16.

Syracuse defeated Syracuse 75-72. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)INDIANAPOLIS – Buddy Boeheim kept shooting, carrying his Hall of Fame father and 11th-seeded Syracuse back into the Sweet 16. The Orange, a top program for four decades under Jim Boeheim, once again showed they're just as dangerous as an NCAA Tournament afterthought. Now they're heading to Jim Boeheim's 20th Sweet 16, thanks to his 6-foot-6, sweet-shooting son. They have advanced to the Sweet 16 each time they’ve been given a double-digit seeding, reaching the Final Four as a 10 in 2016 and the Sweet 16 as an 11 in 2018.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)The Latest on the second round of the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):___7:45 p.m.Florida guard Tyree Appleby has been cleared to play and was in the starting lineup for No. 1 seed in the second round for a third time, joining the 2000 team against Arizona and the 2017 squad against Villanova. Sister Jean Delores Schmidt gave an inspirational pregame prayer to her Loyola Chicago team before the eighth-seeded Ramblers met top-seeded Illinois in Sunday’s second round. UCLA and Abilene Christian face off Monday, assuring that at least one double-digit seed will reach the Sweet 16. This is the first time four teams seeded 13th or worse made it to the second round.

The best COVID-19 vaccine shots in America just might be the two that went into Sister Jean’s arm. The breakout star and model for the most coveted bobblehead of the 2018 NCAA Tournament is now eight months beyond her 101st birthday and still serving as chaplain for the Loyola Chicago basketball team. 1 seed Illinois, is bound to provide a much stiffer test of Sister Jean’s faith. AdYet her celebratory fist bump at the buzzer was one of the signature moments of the first full day of an NCAA Tournament canceled a year ago due the pandemic. 8 North Carolina hardly qualified as an upset, unless you count Tar Heels coach Roy Williams’ first-ever loss in a tournament opener.

(AP Photo/AJ Mast)INDIANAPOLIS – The decades-old zone defense of Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim claimed another frustrated victim Friday night. Marek Dolezaj added 11 points as Syracuse (17-9) advanced to play third-seeded West Virginia, an 84-67 winner over No. It gets harder to drive.”“Buddy Buckets” nearly outscored San Diego State by himself. Schakel finally got a 3-pointer to go right out of halftime, giving the few San Diego State fans in the crowd a long-awaited reason to cheer. San Diego State hoped to make a deep run after its loaded 30-2 team last season missed out on a chance to play in the tournament.

Syracuse defeated Virginia 63-55 in overtime. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Buddy Boeheim and Syracuse had had enough of close losses. 18 Virginia 63-55. Elijah Hughes, who scored 18 points, hit the first 3 of the overtime for the Orange and freshman Joe Girard, who scored 19, hit the second. Syracuse started Saturday averaging 73.7 points and hasn't scored fewer than 54 in a game since the opener.