The Complete List Of Pre-Final Four Topics Involving Jim Boeheim, Mike Hopkins And Syracuse Basketball

Before heading off to Atlanta Tuesday for his fifth visit to the Final Four, Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim addressed the local media at the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.

At the presser, the 68-year-old coach addressed a few interesting topics surrounding the future of Syracuse basketball.

Topic one: Mike Hopkins not getting the USC Trojans head coaching job

"Well, I knew they were going to hire a head coach,’’ Boeheim said. "Mike was, by far, the best candidate they had. Far and away, the best candidate they had. People in those situations, they try to take a guy who is a head coach so they can say they hired a head coach, that’s all.’’

Topic two: Mike Hopkins as the future coach as Syracuse basketball

"I’m not disappointed because he’ll be coaching here soon, so I’m not that disappointed.’’

Topic three: His retirement

"Every time I say that someone goes on. Don't read anything into that. Soon could be anything. Soon. It's not like tomorrow. It's not Tuesday, that's not happening. I'm not going to come out Tuesday. No. Wednesday, ehhhhhh? You guys are so fun. No. No announcements."

Topic four: His retirement that WILL NOT come even if Syracuse wins a National Championship

He said even with a victorious weekend he will not retire on Monday night.

Topic five: Enough with the freakin' 2-3 zone talk
*footnote the column I wrote Tuesday.

"There's all this obsession about the zone. We've been playing it 15 years now or, I don't know, 20 years. People are acting like this is something new. It's nothing new. It's just what we do.

Topic six: Jim Boeheim's bracket is better than your bracket

"We have die-hard fans that have always picked us to go the Final Four and they didn't pick us this year. I did. I picked us. We have a family bracket. I did pick us to go there.