Carmelo Anthony thought the game was over. Thought his college career was going to end in Boston, a round before the Sweet 16.
Carmelo's Syracuse Orangemen trailed Eddie Sutton's Cowboys 27-10 in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32. Tony Allen and Melvin Sanders were playing bulldog defense on Carmelo and Sutton's strategy had solved the Syracuse zone that for decades had and would befuddle teams in March.
You know what happened. Carmelo and Syracuse rallied past OSU, 68-56. Then after beating Auburn in the Sweet 16, Syracuse beat three other Big 12 powers:
•OU 63-47 in the East Regional final in Albany, New York;
•Texas 95-84 in the Final Four in New Orleans;
•Kansas 81-78 in the NCAA title game in New Orleans.