On April 7, 2003, freshman star Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to the NCAA Championship by narrowly beating Kansas, 81-78.
Playing against a Kansas team that would produce several long-time NBA veterans -- including current NBA players Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison and Drew Gooden -- Anthony fought through back problems to dominate. He scored 20 points in the game, collected 10 rebounds and dished out seven assists.
He also had a lot of help from his Gerry McNamara, a Syracuse legend who hit six three-pointers -- all of them in the first half.
With the championship sealed, many expected Anthony to declare for the NBA draft, and that's exactly what he did. In the pros, he started his career with Denver before being traded to the New York Knicks, where he currently plays. Despite an accomplished professional career, Anthony has yet to win an NBA championship.
