Forgive Rick Pitino for the hint of bitterness in his voice when he talks about Jim Boeheim nowadays. It stems from the frustration of losing a brutal recruiting battle to an old coach he hoped had finally lost his touch.

Pitino heard Boeheim entered the fray, but he remained unconcerned. He maintained a stranglehold on this one. Nobody, least of all an over-the-hill rival in his 34th season, could swoop in.

At least, he thought so.

When the prospect – Fab Melo, anyone? – announced his verbal commitment to Syracuse, Pitino learned what the rest of the college basketball world already knows, but the public refuses to believe.

Boeheim is more than just one of the greatest coaches of all time. That much is inarguable. The numbers alone prove that point.

No, Boeheim remains one of the best coaches in the country right now. Barring a disaster, the Orange will beat Albany tonight, giving Boeheim win No. 800 of his sterling career. With that milestone will come discussion of his long tenure, his list of achievements and his everlasting legacy at SU.

All the praise is more than deserved. But the conversation will likely focus on the past, not the present. This is the wrong approach.

With Boeheim on the verge of becoming just the eighth coach to earn membership to the vaunted 800 Club, now is the time to talk about what he is still doing. After 33 years and 799 wins, he hasn’t lost a single step.

Just ask Pitino.

‘Recruiting is where you lose the eye of the tiger, and that son-of-a-gun has not lost the eye of the tiger,’ Pitino said at Big East media day last month. ‘I wish he would lose it because he beat my ass out on that kid.’

Syracuse currently has the No. 3 ranked recruiting class for 2010, featuring five-star center Melo and four-star guard Dion Waiters, according to Scout.com. If Boeheim lands heralded five-star forward Tobias Harris, who has named the Orange one of seven finalists for his services, Syracuse will likely take the No. 1 spot.

There is a belief among at least a portion of Syracuse fans that assistant coaches Mike Hopkins and Rob Murphy, not Boeheim, are the architects of the great rosters from recent years. Hop and Murph attract the players, while Boeheim reaps the benefits.

The current players hear that complaint all the time and wonder where it comes from. Andy Rautins said criticizing Boeheim is ‘just Syracuse’s way,’ regardless of its validity. Rick Jackson scoffed at the question. A Hall of Fame coach doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone, he said. The players all came to SU to play for Boeheim, nobody else.

Arinze Onuaku admitted that while Murphy initiated contact with him, Boeheim called him before he committed and sealed the deal.

‘When he calls you,’ Onuaku said, ‘you listen.’

Then why, Rautins wondered aloud last month, is Boeheim, a Hall of Fame coach, somehow underrated?

Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun, another 800-game winner and longtime friend of Boeheim, has a theory. He has heard pundits say that Boeheim can’t coach for nearly 25 years. Every season, Calhoun said, the other Big East coaches start thinking Boeheim has slipped.

Every time, Boeheim wins 25 games and puts them all back in their place. Perhaps that’s why Calhoun called him an ‘old bastard.’

And as for why nobody else seems to notice? Well, that’s all part of what makes him special.

‘You can make a choice after a game here in New York,’ Calhoun said at Big East media day at Madison Square Garden. ‘You can go with your family and do a lot of different things. Or you can find people that want to spread the gospel about how great a coach you are. I don’t think Jimmy has ever taken that tack up.’

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has compiled 833 victories in his career, offered similar sentiments.

‘He is a man who’d rather have his players recognized, so he doesn’t seek attention for all that he’s done in coaching,’ Krzyzewski said in an e-mail. ‘Perhaps that is why he doesn’t receive as much recognition.’

Throughout this preseason, Boeheim has remained true to form. During his media day press conference, he did not mention his imminent milestone. At Big East media day the next week, he fielded several question and looked increasingly uncomfortable with each one, wanting to talk about the upcoming season instead.

Then Syracuse lost to Le Moyne last week. It was an exhibition game, but Boeheim didn’t care. He came to the podium in a huff, frustrated with his team’s performance. As he was preparing to leave, one brave reporter dared to ask him about win No. 800.

Boeheim froze, his eyes grew wide, and he delivered a proclamation that defines his career.

‘Let me just tell you something right now,’ growled Boeheim, deliberately, emphasizing every last word. ‘I’m not concerned about anything except this team and getting this team ready. Period. That’s it. Nothing else.’

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jared Diamond is the sports editor for The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at jediamon@syr.edu.

Published on November 8, 2009 at 12:00 pm