Syracuse Basketball: Top 3 NCAA Tournament games in Boeheim era

1. Syracuse vs. Kansas, 2003 National Championship Game

The Syracuse Post-Standard sports page headline the next day said it all. “BELIEVE IT” screamed across the top, reassuring all of us that may have thought SU winning the national championship was a dream, that what happened in that game the night before was indeed real.

I see that headline and sports page every day, because it hangs framed in my home. I remember every play of that game, from the breathtaking first-half blitz when the Orange put up 53 points and took an 11 point lead at the break, to a second-half praying for the clock to run down as the Jayhawks dominance on the boards threatened to wear us down. And, I remember every minute of that day, including getting a speeding ticket in my haste to get home from work to prepare to watch.

Syracuse basketball, a team depending on freshman leadership during an era where that was practically unheard of, beat favored Kansas, 81-78, in front of 54,524 fans, to cap a 6-game run through the 2003 tournament (which included four wins over Big 12 teams: the Jayhawks, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma in the East Region Final and Texas in the Final Four).

The game and the championship brought pride to all of us who love Central New York. It exorcised the Keith Smart demons right there in that same New Orleans Superdome where our magical run in 1987 had ended at the hands of Indiana. And it validated Boeheim, solidified him as a legend who had built a Championship program so rich and unique that it helped shape college basketball.

It took this long to say his name: Carmelo Anthony. The best freshman in Syracuse basketball history, the best freshman in the country, the player we could all tell, from Game 1 that season, was the special person that could take us all the way to the promised land. We loved Melo. We still do. His smile, his well-rounded game, his flair for the dramatic, his headband, his passion for playing and for winning. He looked perfect in Orange. Boeheim used him perfectly. And in this national championship game, Melo lead all scorers with 20 points, had 10 rebounds and 7 assists while battling a bad back the whole second half. Carmelo won the NCAA Final Four MVP award, he was only 19, and he was electric. As CBS-TV analyst Billy Packer said during the game after a spectacular assist, “This young man…understands how to play the game.” It was an understatement, but it was so incredible to hear, on this stage, in this game.

As beautiful as it was watching Melo fulfill our dreams, for the first half of this National Championship game it was the more unassuming freshman guard from Scranton, Pa., Gerry McNamara, who captured our imagination. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from 3 point land in the first half, including some bombs practically from the midcourt logo. GMac took the nation’s breath away with his shooting and confidence. Every re-watch of the first half of that game elicits the same joy, with each of his daggers.

And of course, the game’s punctuation mark was provided by sophomore forward Hakim Warrick, who made “The Block” of Kansas guard Michael Lee’s 3-point attempt, which could have tied it with the clock winding down. Warrick seemingly appeared out of thin air to make the miraculous rejection, right around the same location on the same floor where Smart had broken our hearts with a jumper to win the 1987 national championship. Hakim’s block is now part of NCAA tournament history, and it’s the large image beneath “BELIEVE IT” on that perfect sports page.

Kansas was led by two seniors who had great college careers and long NBA runs, Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison. They combined for 35 points, and Collison had 21 rebounds. In the end, poor free-throw shooting hurt coach Roy Williams’ club, but that team’s great history, its passionate fanbase, its grit and determination made the win even more special.

We have to mention the rest of the Syracuse basketball cast, that all rose to the occasion for big moments in our favorite game ever: Kueth Duany had 11 points including two big 3s; center Craig Forth played 24 minutes, had six points and three blocks, and his backup Jeremy McNeil played 13 minutes with five huge boards battling the power of Kansas underneath; and then there was Billy Edelin and Josh Pace, who slashed and dashed for a combined 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, protecting the ball and making big plays.

The game: