Joe Girard III shushes crowd, shouts out grandma in Dome return: ‘Glad they had their fun, we had our fun’

Syracuse, N.Y. — Former Syracuse guard Joe Girard III knocked down a shot like the ones that had elicited joy in the JMA Wireless Dome regularly. This time it brought mostly boos.

Girard lifted his finger to his lips and hushed those who had cheered him so often over the past four years.

A former four-year starter for the Orange and a favored son of Glens Falls, Girard enjoyed a happy homecoming on Saturday. It was less happy for the majority of the announced crowd of 23,050, as Syracuse fell 77-68 to the Clemson Tigers.

“I’m an emotional player no matter where I’m at,” Girard said. “Had it been another crowd somewhere else, I probably would have done the same thing. It’s nothing personal. Glad they had their fun. We had our fun.”

Girard hit multiple big shots and scored his 2,000th point in the same building where he won two state high school football championships and launched his college basketball career.

He helped Syracuse to a Sweet 16 as a member of its program but overlapped with the deterioration of one of college basketball’s great program.

A three-star recruit out of high school who ranks ninth all-time on the National Federation of High Schools career points list, Girard closed a four-year career at Syracuse by leading the team in scoring his senior season and ranking third all-time in 3-point shots made over his career.

Girard’s chance to be a fifth-year transfer lined up with the departure of the players that he had grown closest to at Syracuse. It came with his head coach, Jim Boeheim, moving on.

Transferring to Clemson, his father said, gave Girard an opportunity to have a life experience outside of Upstate New York, a chance to live in housing alongside a lake and join a program that needed only a shooter to make it NCAA Tournament-caliber.

He returned to Syracuse on Saturday in front of proud parents who have attended nearly every one of his college contests, a grandmother, Nancy Girard, watching him in person for the first time this year and more than 100 who made the trip from his hometown. His family gobbled up 24 of Clemson’s 75 allotted tickets.

“My grandma doesn’t go to games, she doesn’t really get out of the house,” Girard said. “Through my four years she’d come once or twice a year. It’s hard for her to make Clemson, so having her in person was awesome.”

Girard high-fived security guards on the way in. Known for being among the first on the court to get shots in, Girard deviated slightly for him tradition, pausing to say hello to old acquaintances and former coaches.

His dad, clad in a purple sweatshirt, was greeted before the game by both Syracuse and Clemson fans, with one Orange fan saying he couldn’t wish him good luck — the last team he’d wished for, unfortunately, was Colgate in back-to-back years — but that he hoped that Girard would score 30.

Despite the warmth of familiar faces, Girard was booed heavily by the Syracuse student section when he was introduced and for most of the team game whenever he touched the ball.

The reaction was more mixed among locals, some of whom seemed to offer muted applause before the game before showing their stronger allegiance once the ball was tipped.

Still, there were more boos than cheers for Girard after a four-year career that included classy representation of SU, no off-court embarrassments, his successful completion of college and productive numbers.

Grandma Nancy was understandably disappointed with the reception. So were others.

“I was a little disappointed in the boos,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “I mean, I get it. The students especially. That’s normal stuff. I hope, and I think, a lot of the fans are Joe Girard fans.”

“Quite honestly, I don’t know why you would boo a guy that gave everything to this school and university for four years, ” Syracuse forward Justin Taylor said. “He played here for four years and did everything they asked him to do. You’re going to boo a guy who did nothing wrong. He did a great job. That’s my guy, obviously, but it is what it is.”

For those who cared more about Girard than the Orange, the results made up for the cool reception.

The shooting guard attempted only six shots, fewer than any game during his senior season at Syracuse.

He made five, including a pair in key moments.

They were the shots Girard never shied away from taking at Syracuse, for better and worse.

“Even back in high school I’ve always been one who wants to take shots and be in those moments,” Girard said.

What was most different for Girard during this Dome appearance was the quality of his supporting cast, which didn’t require his brand of theatrics and an appearance from “Logo Joe.”

For most of the afternoon, Girard was happy to watch Clemson utilize its inside edge over Syracuse. Clemson scored 48 of its 77 points in the paint, shooting 60.8 percent from the floor.

PJ Hall took control when Clemson was at its most desperate, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The center is Girard’s closest fiend on the team and deserves credit for ensuring Girard would be received warmly.

Girard finished with a team-high 18 points. He salted the game away by making four consecutive free throws. The last game him a career milestone in a building that had wirnessed so many of his biggest moments.

“Today was not easy for him,” Brownell said. “Very emotional. We talked a couple times during the week. Folks need to know he loves this place tremendously.”

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