CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some games, facing a halftime deficit, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim walks into the locker room, sips his Pepsi and hardly says anything.

Rather than lecture his players or pick on missed assignments and flaws, Boeheim elects to keep his halftime message short. He may yell or rip into a player. But always blunt, the Syracuse (20-12, 10-8 Atlantic Coast) head coach of 43 years knows a long speech may not do much. He doesn’t think studying film is that productive, and he’s learned to say less during timeouts because he thinks players don’t usually retain a lot of information at once. The same theme holds true at the half. Simplicity reigns. Boeheim doesn’t mind letting them use halftime as simply a time to take a deep breath or get a snack.

“Sometimes, at halftime, all I’ll say is, ‘Let’s keep doing what we’re doing,’” Boeheim said. “Other times, you need a more radical approach to what’s happening if things aren’t going the right way. You try to make a couple of decisions adjustment wise, offensively or defensively, or related to player personnel. You need a little more detail at halftime, and you can talk individually a little more to guys. It’s a little bit more detailed than timeouts.”

For the majority of games over the past two seasons, Syracuse has made it back on the court for the second half before the other team. The Orange usually come back on the floor about five to seven minutes before the start of the second frame. Most SU opponents return from the locker room with about three or four minutes left.

Players said they appreciate that Boeheim’s halftime approach isn’t about him shedding all of his basketball knowledge. Rather, it’s player-first. “Coach isn’t much of a talker,” junior guard Tyus Battle said. Once or twice per season, the coaches find themselves rushing out because the halftime message was too long. But usually, Boeheim gets them back out on the court.

“He might point out one thing we need to do in the second half,” freshman point guard Jalen Carey said. “He might scream a little bit, but we all know that. He doesn’t overwhelm us with stuff. It’s one thing, not a lot of things.”

The usual set up for the Orange during halftime. Matthew Gutierrez | Senior Staff Photographer

The longstanding perception of halftime as the stage for legendary speeches and pivotal moments is a misconception, players and coaches said. A lot of programs don’t hang out inside the locker room too long. A halftime lasts 15 minutes in college basketball. Usually, players grab a snack or drink and use the bathroom.

Before everyone returns to the court, coaches will draw some scenarios on a whiteboard. Boeheim’s halftime adjustments vary on the game and opponent. But more than a dozen current and former players said his go-to tweaks at the half include: more activity in the 2-3 zone, better coverage on an opposing shooter or more coverage in the high-post area. Usually, it’s just one or two things.  

“It’s very easy to over-complicate basketball,” said Kip Wellman, Syracuse’s director of basketball operations. “But that’s something I learned from coach Boeheim very quickly: The game is simple. Keep it simple, and it usually works.”

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Boeheim has run a simple offense for decades — with an emphasis on high-ball screens, isolation and driving to the basket — so he doesn’t have to spend a lot of time adjusting offensive schemes. Sometimes, he calls a specific play for the first possession of the second half. Other times this season, he’s asked players to pass more to Battle or Frank Howard, players said.

At Pittsburgh last month, Boeheim’s son, Buddy, said the halftime message was simple: “They’re going to come out and play hard, they’re a tough team.” SU returned to the court with nearly 10 minutes left before the start of the second half and won by nine points.

Players said Boeheim’s best halftime talks are when he motivates his players bordering on intimidation. Singling out Battle during the Georgetown game is one example. He was frustrated in the first half, but Boeheim “got into me a bit,” Battle recalled. He exploded in the second half and hit the game-winner.

“When we’re down and not playing well, there are many times he’ll actually say less and get the guys back out to warmups quicker,” said second-year Syracuse assistant coach Allen Griffin. “He wants them to mentally get ready and play better.”

Published on March 14, 2019 at 6:36 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21