In 2002-03, Carmelo Anthony led the Syracuse men’s basketball team to a national championship in his only season with the program.
It proved to be the only NCAA championship won by legendary Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim in his 47-year career.
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But Anthony and Boeheim got a lot of help. Point guard Gerry McNamara directed the offense that season as a freshman, averaging a team-high 4.4 assists and 13.3 points per game. He is a key player, shooting 90.9% from the free throw line.
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In the national final against the Kansas Jayhawks, McNamara scored 18 points on six three-pointers to help Syracuse win 81-78. McNamara finished his Syracuse career with 2,099 points.
Now, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, McNamara will return to Western New York to take over the Syracuse program.
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McNamara just completed his second season as the Siena Saints head coach after serving as an assistant at Syracuse University from 2009 to 2024. Siena won the MAAC Tournament this season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 16 seed. The top-seeded Duke Blue Devils struggled in the first round before defeating the Saints 71-65.
According to ESPN, the Orange fired former head coach Adrian Autry on March 11 after missing the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. Syracuse ended the game 15-17.
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