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Father’s Day special: 10 best college basketball players to play for their dads

By Brian Kinel

Nov 20, 2019; Syracuse, NY, USA; Cornell Big Red forward Jimmy Boeheim (3) and Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim and Syracuse guard Buddy Boeheim (35) pose for a photo following a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2019; Syracuse, NY, USA; Cornell Big Red forward Jimmy Boeheim (3) and Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim and Syracuse guard Buddy Boeheim (35) pose for a photo following a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 20, 2019; Syracuse, NY, USA; Cornell Big Red forward Jimmy Boeheim (3) and Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim and Syracuse Orange guard Buddy Boeheim (35) pose for a photo following the game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2019; Syracuse, NY, USA; Cornell Big Red forward Jimmy Boeheim (3) and Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim and Syracuse Orange guard Buddy Boeheim (35) pose for a photo following the game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

Ranking the 10 best college basketball players that played for their dads in college. Which son had the best career playing for pops?

What’s tougher? Playing for your dad or coaching your kid?  I never played for my dad but I have coached my kids. My daughter will tell you that she was an all-star catcher in spite of and not because of her youth coach. I knew it was time for her to play for someone else when at the first Juniors practice at the age of 13, she pointed at me and said “you know I’m not going to listen to you, right?” God bless the coaches on this list.

College basketball has a long history of players being coached by their fathers. This season is no different. One of 2021’s top five recruits, Patrick Baldwin Jr, chose to play at UW-Milwaukee and play for his father over Duke. Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim will not only coach son Buddy, but oldest son Jimmy who transferred from Cornell.

While some think the coach’s kid gets special treatment, many will tell you that the coach is much harder on his kid than the other players to be sure not to show favoritism. I think Patrick Knight would tell you that he was in the second category while playing for dad, Bobby at Indiana. It might be tougher on the coach at home. Boeheim has said that it’s not an issue yelling at Buddy until he gets home and has to face Buddy’s mom, Juli.

Division I basketball is certainly not Little League. I don’t think any coach gives one of his valuable 13 scholarships to anyone that he doesn’t think can contribute, blood relative or not. It must be so very special for both father and son and in honor of Father’s Day, let’s celebrate the top 10 college basketball players to play for their dad.