On Friday, the NCAA came down hard on Syracuse, specifically the men’s basketball program. Among the most notable sanctions were the loss of 12 scholarships over four years, the nine-game suspension of Jim Boeheim to start conference play next season and the loss of wins for the team in years which ineligible players participated.

Former Syracuse forward Ryan Blackwell, who played for SU from 1997-00, and former guard Nolan Hart, who played from 2010-14, offered their thoughts on the penalties imposed.

“I thought the NCAA overdid it,” Blackwell said in a Facebook message. “I was very surprised at the outcome. I firmly believe if you dig deep enough into any program you’ll find something you can call an infraction.

“There are so many ridiculous rules. I don’t agree with penalizing players who had nothing to do with it, the system of administering punishment needs to be fixed.”

Hart, who just graduated in 2014, expressed more mixed sentiments toward the sanctions levied on his former school. Hart was part of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 teams that will vacate wins due to the participation of ineligible players.

“On one hand, I’m disappointed about alleged transgressions in the program over the years,” Hart said in a text. “But also, to me at least, you can’t take away those wins – those were won on the court.

“That’s like saying Reggie Bush didn’t win the Heisman,” said Hart, referring to a similar NCAA case with the University of Southern California football team. “He sure did.”

Former SU guard Griffin Hoffman (2009-13) and former guard Todd Burach (2004-07) declined to comment on the NCAA’s ruling.

Published on March 7, 2015 at 8:25 pm

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