Syracuse's Triumph: A Recap of the 2003 NCAA Final Four
The 2003 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship remains a captivating chapter in college basketball history. The final, played on April 7, 2003, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, pitted the West Regional Champion, #2-seeded Kansas, against the East Regional Champion, #3-seeded Syracuse. This game determined the national champion for the 2002-03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. While both teams had navigated challenging paths to reach the final, Syracuse's journey, fueled by the stellar play of freshman Carmelo Anthony, culminated in a historic victory.
Carmelo Anthony: A Freshman Phenom
Carmelo Anthony's impact on Syracuse basketball was immediate and profound. While only playing one year of college basketball, Carmelo Anthony was a transcendent superstar for Syracuse in 2002-03. Even before arriving at Syracuse, Anthony's talent was evident. As a sophomore in high school, Carmelo Anthony was one of the country's 100-best underclassmen to be invited to the Nike Jamboree Invitational basketball camp. As a junior, Anthony was named Baltimore City/County Player of the Year, while leading Towson Catholic to a conference title and a second-place finish in the Baltimore Catholic League tournament. "A smooth and graceful 6-foot-7 junior swingman, Anthony, who could go from the point to the post, left an indelible impression," reported The Baltimore Sun. "Anthony, 16, is a multitalented yet unselfish player who has a lot of fun playing the game." Anthony averaged 23.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game as a junior, despite regularly facing box-and-one defenses, where his defender would play man-to-man against him and the other four defenders would play a zone.
Anthony attended Oak Hill Academy for his senior year, when he averaged 21.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for a 32-1 Oak Hill team that finished the year ranked No. 3 in the USA Today Super 25. Anthony's squad even beat LeBron James' St. Vincent-St. Mary team in a game in which Anthony had 34 points and 14 rebounds to James' 36 points and 10 rebounds. The Louisville Courier-Journal reported that Anthony was a near-unanimous choice as the best high school senior in the country among its panel of experts. He was named to the Super Five alongside Amare Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, and J.J. Redick.
Anthony was a high-level scorer, first and foremost. Anthony could score anywhere on the court, shooting almost 50 percent inside the arc and 33 percent behind it - high enough that opposing defenses had to respect his outside shot. Even though many modern basketball players have now moved away from the mid-range since there are higher-percentage shots available near the rim or higher-value shots from behind the arc, Anthony was lethal in between. His arsenal included a variety of shot fakes, ball fakes, and head fakes. Anthony loved the right wing, where he could drive to the lane, go baseline, or step out and shoot a three. In Carmelo Anthony's college debut, he scored 27 points against Memphis inside Madison Square Garden. So it took no time at all for Anthony to be a scoring machine.
Towson Catholic High School coach Mike Daniel noted, "Carmelo is a great kid and a great player. He's a team player who loves to get the other players involved." The Baltimore Sun highlighted his versatility: "His quickness, leaping ability, soft hands and scoring from the inside or perimeter made him a five-position player." Recruiting analyst Tom Konchalski observed, "There is no confinement to his game. He plays both ends of the floor, which very few of the top players because they save themselves for offense. He plays for results rather than effects. He had the best first step since Fred Astaire. He just attacks the basket, and he plays to win." Konchalski also noted Anthony's academic aspirations: "He wants to go to college. He would be the first person in his family to go to college. He will have a tremendous impact there, but I don't think he'll stay there very long." Hoop Scoop's Clark Francis commented on his scoring ability: "He doesn't handle the ball in the open court as well as Tracy McGrady, but he's better inside than Tracy McGrady. He definitely shoots it better at the same stage than Tracy McGrady." Bill Lyon of The Philadelphia Inquirer added, "And there is this - he's only 18. He may have yet another growth spurt in him. He is still learning the game, the key point there that he is willing to learn rather than assume he already knows all that is required. At 6-foot-8, he simply overpowers any guards or small forwards. Against a larger foe, he is past them in half a hiccup."
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Syracuse's Tournament Run
Syracuse's path to the championship was not without its challenges. Things did not start well for Syracuse. Guards DeShaun Williams[2] and James Thues[3] both left the team. Williams transferred to Iona while Thues left for Detroit. Freshman point guard Billy Edelin was suspended for 12 games for participating in a non-sanctioned basketball league. But things turned around, as Syracuse went 13-3 in the Big East, with several memorable wins. Gerry McNamara would establish himself as a clutch player, nailing a game-winning 3-pointer as then-No. 17 Syracuse notched an 82-80 win over then-No. 10 Notre Dame in February.[5] In an upset of then-No. 24 Syracuse over then-No.
Anthony's best game in the 2003 NCAA tournament was in the Final Four against Texas, when he scored 33 points on an efficient 12-of-19 shooting with 14 rebounds and three steals. He had 20 points and 10 rebounds against Oklahoma in the Elite Eight. In Syracuse's title-clinching game against Kansas, Anthony made a run at a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. In two games at the Final Four, Anthony was 6-of-9 from behind the arc, making three 3-pointers against Texas and Kansas after making just four in the previous four games. 2nd in Syracuse history in 3-point percentage in a single NCAA tournament (min.
The Championship Game: Syracuse vs. Kansas
Leading up to the championship game, much of the conversation revolved around how, no matter the outcome, one of the well-known head coaches would win their first championship.[10] In Jim Boeheim's 27 years as head coach at Syracuse his team had been to two Final Fours, and finished runner-up each time (1987, 1996).[10] Roy Williams, during his fifteen seasons as Kansas head coach, had reached the Final Four four times, and finished runner up once (1991).[10]
Syracuse dominated with a hot shooting first half to lead by 11 at the break. Gerry McNamara connected on an impressive six three-pointers in the half, which were his 18 points for the game. Kansas fought back to within 80-78 in the final minute and had a chance to tie after Hakim Warrick missed a pair of free throws in the final moments. Warrick, however, then blocked Michael Lee's three point attempt with 0.7 seconds remaining on the game clock. After Kirk Hinrich's three-pointer at the buzzer went over the net, Syracuse's victory gave them, and Jim Boeheim, their first ever national championship. Carmelo Anthony was named Most Outstanding Player (MOP) with 21 points in the win.
Reactions and Reflections
Boeheim noted the team's acceptance of Anthony: "I think the thing with Carmelo is, the players all accepted him because of who he is and the kind of person he is. They understand he's about winning, doing what's best for the team. I think any time a freshman comes in and takes 150, 200 more shots than the next guy, there's always a chance somebody might not react well to that, given the culture of today's player." He also emphasized Anthony's impact on the team and the league: "It's obvious with his stats, he's had a bigger impact on our team and on the league, really, than any freshman has in a long time. You have to go back to Patrick (Ewing) and Chris Mullin and Pearl (Washington) as far as freshmen having an impact on our league. Those are the three guys as freshman that have had the most impact, and I think probably (Allen) Iverson in recent history."
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McNamara recalled his first impression of Anthony: "The first time I saw him he was killing people (in pickup games). He left me shaking my head. He hasn't disappointed anyone." Former Syracuse teammate Hakim Warrick stated, "A guy like Carmelo comes around once every 10 years. Everyone knows he had led us here." Former Texas coach Rick Barnes acknowledged Anthony's influence: "He made us change our defense and the way we played." Former Syracuse teammate Keith Duany added, "He's a great player, one of the greatest to ever put on a Syracuse uniform. He showed it throughout the year. He's a great player."
Anthony, reflecting on scoring 27 points in a season-opening loss to Memphis, said: "And we lost, and I was the only guy in double figures. That got me thinking." Anthony on his teammates: "The first day I stepped on the court, I felt like they had their arms open to me and took me in." Anthony on watching friend Juan Dixon cut down the nets with Maryland in 2002: "When I was watching that game, I thought I was part of it. I was just so into it. For him to actually be playing in the game and win it. I want that same feeling Monday night. It doesn't get any better than this. The Final Four is the biggest event ever besides the Super Bowl."
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