Everywhere you look, Jim Boeheim is there.

There he is rubbing elbows with Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser on “Pardon the Interruption,” making like the predictors and prognosticators he loves to bash. Now, he’s on the radio from Bennigan’s or ripping into author Murray Sperber on “SportsCenter.”

If Boeheim’s not on the air, chances are his gawky arms are contorting violently on the sideline or his bifocals are glaring at the officials about a foul call that they — and perhaps everybody besides Boeheim himself — missed out on.

It’s hard to overlook Boeheim. He’s everywhere, after all. But somehow the Naismith Board of Selectors did. Two days ago Kentucky’s Tubby Smith was named Naismith College Coach of the Year.

“It’s just unbelievable that people aren’t talking about (Boeheim) as coach of the year,” Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins said before the announcement. “People talk about (freshmen) Carmelo Anthony, Gerry McNamara and all the talent. But to have these guys playing like they are at this time of year is just amazing.”

Smith’s a safe selection. He’s safe like ordering a hamburger in an exotic restaurant or giving your dad a tie at Christmas. Just because it’s safe doesn’t make it right.

The award doesn’t take the postseason into account, so ignore Kentucky’s unexpected exit from the NCAA Tournament. Smith’s Wildcats finished the season No. 1. They were the first team ever to move undefeated through the SEC regular season.

Kentucky started the year ranked No. 17. Five of 15 preseason publications that the SEC lists on its Web site had Kentucky among the top 10. Syracuse, meanwhile, is one of three teams currently in the top 15 that began the year unranked. Louisville and Creighton are the others.

Marquette’s Tom Crean would have been more deserving than Smith. Same with Louisville’s Rick Pitino.

Boeheim trumps them all.

“We weren’t picked in the top 50 in the preseason,” associate head coach Bernie Fine said. “We won the Big East West. We were the youngest team in the country all year.”

Kentucky was led by three seniors — including bona fide superstar Keith Bogans — and three juniors. Three freshmen and a sophomore led the Orangemen.

Boeheim, though, would rarely admit their youth. Anthony, McNamara and Billy Edelin were always “mature freshmen” or “experienced freshmen” or “not your normal freshmen.”

“He’s never treated them like freshmen,” Hopkins said. “The reality of it is he’s treating these guys the way he treated (former SU standout) John Wallace in 1996.”

When the freshmen did struggle, Boeheim rarely blamed them. Instead, he resorted to his usual suspects. Senior Kueth Duany — who’s been Boeheim’s whipping boy for four years — and junior Jeremy McNeil took more than their share of Boeheim’s public tirades. The youngsters took their lumps in practice, not in the papers. Duany and McNeil could handle it.

Earlier in the year, McNamara might not have been able to. Until a breakout game March 4, against Notre Dame, McNamara struggled shooting on the road. As often as he could, Boeheim found others to blame.

If an unusually poor game forced Boeheim to criticize McNamara or Anthony, he didn’t rip them like the other Orangemen. He matter-of-factly called them what they were.

“These two guys played like freshmen in the first half tonight,” Boeheim said after SU struggled to a win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Oklahoma State.

Said Hopkins: “He’s a good psychologist, he knows who he can push and he knows who he can’t push.”

Players praise Boeheim for letting them play. Boeheim forgets forward Hakim Warrick’s fading jumpers when they aren’t falling and ignores McNamara’s occasional contested 3-pointer. Instead of pulling the plug on a player’s night after an awkward shot, Boeheim allows them to continue.

In practice, he’s allowed their youthful exuberance free reign. Stretching lines resemble stand-up acts. Layup drills turn into dunk contests. Smiles, jokes and wrestling matches are unchecked, as long as they don’t interfere with the hour of serious practice Boeheim demands.

The lax discipline might not work with every team, but Boeheim’s kids need their playtime.

“I’m more patient than I used to be,” Boeheim said. “I don’t get upset as easily.”

Most impressively, though, Boeheim’s handled any impending crisis with skill.

He weathered the rocky return of Edelin, allowing the point guard to miss the first 12 games of the year, work his way back slowly and eventually become one of the team’s primary scorers.

He’s kept Anthony, who may head to the NBA next year, focused on now rather than later.

“I’m biased,” Fine said. “I think he should be Coach of the Year.”

Sure you’re biased. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong.

“I don’t rate my seasons. You guys (the media) do a good…” Boeheim paused. “You guys do that for me.”

This year, maybe Boeheim should have done it himself. The other guys didn’t do such a good job.

Chris Carlson is a staff writer at The Daily Orange. E-mail him at chcarlso@syr.edu.

Published on April 3, 2003 at 12:00 pm