When Carmelo Anthony arrived at Syracuse in the fall of 2002, he wasn’t supposed to rewrite college basketball history. The Orange weren’t ranked in the preseason and Jim Boeheim was still searching for his first title.
What followed was the greatest freshman season the sport has ever seen.
A Freshman Who Carried a Program to the Top
Plenty of freshmen have put up big numbers. Only one carried his team to a title as the undisputed star. Carmelo averaged 22.2 points and 10 rebounds per game, leading Syracuse in both categories.