Syracuse’s Title Is a Laugh Riot

Syracuse won the Big One in the Big Easy and, for a change, it was no joke.

The town and team that has put up with more bad weather cracks than Siberia shook off its long, cold championship-game past and defeated Kansas, 81-78, to win the school’s first national title Monday night at the Superdome.

Jim Boeheim?

The 58-year-old Orangeman coach waited 27 years for this coronation after suffering title-game losses in 1987 and 1996.

It was sweeter to think Boeheim did it in New Orleans, site of his most painful coaching defeat, that night in 1987 when Keith Smart’s game-winning shot for Indiana handed Bob Knight his third NCAA title instead of Boeheim his first.

Funny how one shot by one player can affect a coaching career.

“Maybe I guess this building owed us one game,” Boeheim said.

No longer will Boeheim have to wake up with the Syracuse shakes.

The amazing part is the Orangeman did it with three freshmen playing prominent roles, on a national stage, at the expense of a Kansas team led by the one-two senior punch of Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison.

Freshmen are supposed to buckle under pressure, not seniors, yet it was this Romper Room class of 2003 class that answered every bell.

Freshmen Carmelo Anthony, Gerry McNamara and Billy Edelin teamed to score 50 of Syracuse’s 81 points.

Not in a million minutes of game planning did Kansas Coach Roy Williams think that could happen.

“No,” Williams said. “All of us have said freshmen are not like they were five years ago.”

Anthony you know about. He’s probably the best college freshman since Louisiana State’s Chris Jackson.

Anthony received most outstanding player honors and it may be proven that he -- not high school senior LeBron James -- will make the bigger NBA impact next season.

Anthony turned in yet another “like butter,” 20-point, 10-rebound performance but got plenty of help from his scrub-faced friends.

McNamara, a scrawny guard from Scranton, Pa., who still looks young enough to show up at your front porch selling youth-league candy, scored all of his 18 points in the first half, making six three-point shots.

After he made five consecutive three-pointers, McNamara had one thing on his mind.

“Making the sixth,” he said.

Last year, he was leading the fastbreak at Scranton’s Bishop Hannan High.

“It is unbelievable to think that at this time last year, I was playing in high school for the state championship,” McNamara said. “Now we’re national champions. That’s hard to believe. I think when we go to the hotel and a thousand fans are tipping over our bus, it will sink in.”

Not only a freshman, but a freshman who delivers punch lines?

Edelin, a freshman guard from Maryland, had 12 points in 27 minutes.

This was not the way the NCAA title game was supposed to unfold.

Kansas, led by Collison and Hinrich, had too much experience to let this happen.

Last year, while the Syracuse freshmen were picking out tuxes for the prom, Collison and Hinrich were leading Kansas to a Final Four appearance.

But Syracuse’s 2-3 zone gave Collison and Hinrich fits all night. The team that loves to fastbreak ran into basketball’s version of a spike strip.

Then again, Kansas couldn’t even handle the uncontested shots, making a pathetic 12 of 30 free throws.

You do the math. If the Jayhawks make 16 of 30 from the line, they win by a point.

In the end, when needed most, the two Kansas comets flamed out. Collison fouled out with 24 seconds left.

With 15 seconds left, Hinrich gave up an open three-pointer and passed off to teammate Michael Lee, whose baseline three-pointer was swatted into the third row by Hakim Warrick with 1.5 seconds left.

Boeheim joked later about needing Warrick 16 years ago to put his long arm on Smart’s dagger.

“We had Derrick Coleman, but he didn’t get there in time,” Boeheim quipped.

Hinrich did get one last attempt, at the buzzer, under heavy pressure, but it wasn’t even close.

But we’ll remember the shot Hinrich didn’t take.

Syracuse won the national title, and half the team won’t even have to shave tomorrow.

McNamara?

“Gerry, if he makes one he thinks he’s going to make ‘em all,” Boeheim said. “If he misses, he thinks he’s going to make ‘em all. So it doesn’t matter.”

Syracuse won the national title and won’t have to fret now if Anthony bolts for the NBA, his one-year investment worth every pressure-packed point.

You can call it rent-a-player while Syracuse hoists its banner.

“I don’t regret coming to college,” Anthony said. “I had a fun year, a great year on and off the court.”

In a few months, he’ll be able to buy a college.

Syracuse won the title, and now Boeheim can get on with the rest of his wonderful life, never having to answer the question of getting to three national championship games and losing them all.

“I’m the same coach I was a few minutes ago,” Boeheim said. “Had Hinrich made that jump shot, I’d have probably been worse. That’s the game.”

Monday was Syracuse’s night, for two halves and a French Quarter.

With victory in hand, it was time to paint the town orange.

The only question left now is whether they can clear the snow back home in time for the ticker-tape parade.

OK, sorry, we promised.

Syracuse is no joke anymore.