The Journey To 900

BY MISSY ZIELINSKI

As the Big East conference's Syracuse Orange look to go 10-0 in the early part of the 2012-13 National College Athletic Association (NCAA) men's basketball season, tonight's match up against the Detroit Titans will be sure to draw more than the usual pre-conference/Big East crowd as Syracuse rolls through the early weeks of their schedule.

That's because tonight Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim will be going for win number 900 - a milestone that's only been accomplished twice before (Army head coach Bob Knight, 903, and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, 936).

Boeheim's 899th win came Saturday night against Canisius as Syracuse beat the Golden Griffins 85-61 at the Carrier Dome. The victory against Canisius extended their non-conference home winning streak to 51 and their home court winning streak to 29.

The coach of Syracuse for the last 37 years, Boeheim has seen success in many forms with the Orange that includes: being named the 2003 NCAA Champions, reaching the NCAA Tournament 29 times, three Final Four appearances, 11 conference championships and the pleasure of coaching such NBA players as the New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony.

During his tenure Boeheim has seen the university be ranked number one in the Associated Press (AP) Poll four times (most recently in 2011-12, 2009-10, 1989-90, 1987-88) and has donned a .747 career win-loss percentage and an 899-304 all-time record. 

While their lack of competition has been seen more often than not thus far - No. 4 ranked Syracuse's biggest margin of victory this season was 52 against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's Monmouth Hawks and their smallest margin of victory this season was nine against the Arkansas Razorback who's last NCAA tournament appearance came in 2007-08 - the Orange must tighten up come the New Year (January 2nd, 2013 Syracuse will face their first conference team - the Rutgers Scarlet Knights).
The odds are in Boeheim and the Orange's favor in the search for 900 as they lead the all-time series with Detroit, 4-1.

In 1961 the Titans won the first meeting, but Syracuse hasn't looked back from the win column and has won the last four times. Most recently on November 16, 2010 Syracuse defeated the Titans, 66-55. Detroit enters the 7 p.m. matchup at the Carrier Dome as part of the Chevorlet Gotham Classic with a 6-4 record.