Freshmen Anthony and McNamara lead Orangemen to National Championship

The monkey is finally off coach Jim Boeheim's back. The Syracuse Orangemen captured the NCAA Championship on Monday night. After heartbreaking championship game losses to the Indiana Hoosiers in 1987, courtesy of Keith Smart, and in 1996 to the Kentucky Wildcats, Boeheim depended on a group of freshmen to win him that elusive championship 81-78 over the Kansas Jayhawks.

Syracuse's freshman duo of Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara played with experience and composure throughout the entire tournament, especially in the Championship game. While the Orangemen dominated this game in the first half, the contest was well within reach for the Jayhawks in the final seconds. Ultimately, it was the lack of bench depth and poor free throw shooting that led to the Jayhawks downfall.

Not since Danny Manning of Kansas single-handedly led his Jayhawks to the championship in 1988 has one superstar carried his team as much as Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, was the most versatile athlete on the floor, scoring 20 points, downing ten rebounds and amassing seven assists.

He was guarded by Kansas' Nick Collison for the majority of the game and clearly had the athletic edge. With a barrage of outside shots and drives, Anthony repeatedly drew Collison away from the ball. The usually surefooted Jayhawk was left frustrated and in foul trouble. Even in the second half, when Anthony was obviously hurting from a back injury he suffered in the semifinals, he was able to rebound and bring the ball upcourt when Gerry McNamara was double-teamed.

McNamara, the freshmen point guard, might have been the difference in this game. He scored 18 points, all in the first half, on six three pointers. The Orangemen's first half lead completely wore out the Jayhawks as they were forced to run with the fast paced Syracuse offense.

Kansas was also forced to push the ball up the court on offense in order to keep Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense from having sufficient set up time. At the half, with a 53-42 Syracuse lead, Kansas was completely worn out and the Orangemen seemed to have the championship in the bag.

While the game was far from over, it was the Jayhawks' deficiencies rather than the Orangemen's play that led to the Syracuse win.

In the second half, the Jayhawks missed free throw after free throw, shooting 12 for 30 on the night from the line. They also ran deep into foul trouble as a result of a shallow bench.

Keith Langford, who proved to be the Jayhawks' most dominant offensive force, fouled out with nearly six minutes left, and Collison was forced to foul out to stop the clock with under a minute to go.

It was Collison's absence during the final two Jayhawk shot attempts that was most obvious. Without having to face either of these two players, the Orangemen were able to double and triple team Kirk Hinrich, who had resprained his ankle, as he came off screens in the final few minutes.

Syracuse left room for a Kansas comeback, as the Orangemen players showed their inexperience by throwing the ball away on several consecutive possessions and missing key free throws that would have sealed the win in the final seconds.

By the time Kansas was primed for a comeback, there was just no juice left in their tanks from the tiring first half. In the end, the Jayhawks' two last second shots were no good, with the first one being blocked and the potential buzzer beater by Hinrich sailing wide.

The conclusion of this game leaves two of the most interesting questions in college basketball up in the air.

First, will Anthony bolt for the NBA where he is projected to be the third pick in the draft? Anthony's college dreams may have been achieved last night, or he may decide to return and make a run at another championship.

The other question is whether Kansas coach Roy Williams will stay in Lawrence or jump ship to his alma mater, the North Carolina Tarheels, where he is rumored to be the successor to Matt Doherty. Williams has baffled parties at both schools as he has refused to answer questions about his possible departure during the Final Four media days.

To add more fuel to the fire, CBS sideline reporter Bonnie Bernstein pushed Williams a little too far after Monday night's Championship game when she questioned him about the subject. Many expect Williams to leave because he obviously can't win the big one at Kansas.

With the Final Four done and a new champion crowned, the only thing left to do now for college hoops fans is wait until next November for the beginning of the 2003-2004 season, and the new class of freshmen.