SU's Buddy Boeheim, in COVID Protocol, Will Miss Upcoming Games

Syracuse basketball's leading returning scorer from last season, and the son of coach Jim Boeheim, is among six SU players who are expected to miss at least a week of action following a COVID positive tests on the team.

Buddy Boeheim missed Thursday night's 75-45 rout of Niagara after school officials announced the positive test less than two hours before tip-off.

Coach Boeheim spoke to media and said it was determined Buddy and four other players were in close contact to the teammate - unidentified - who tested positive, based on tracking technology worn by the entire team, 247Sports.com reported:

Jim Boeheim said his son was in close contact with the positive tester for 14 minutes, according to the chip-based data that Syracuse compiles from wristwatches each member of the program wears during all team activities. That triggered New York State's guidelines for a 14-day quarantine because the close-contact period was longer than 10 minutes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses a 15-minute standard, which the NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference have also adopted, as well as a recently adjusted seven-day quarantine as long as the individual tests negative for Covid-19.

Boeheim said he has "no idea" whether New York will match the CDC's revised guidelines.

The Orange (2-0) are scheduled to host Rider on Saturday night (7:00) at the Carrier Dome, then visit No. 24 Rutgers in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday night.

If Buddy Boeheim is only sidelined for a week, he would be eligible to play in the team's first conference game, Saturday, December 12 at Boston College.