Boy Wonder

He plays Robin to Carmelo Anthony’s Batman, but you won’t hear Gerry McNamara complaining about filling the sidekick role for Syracuse.

With the Orangemen headed to New Orleans to meet Texas in a national semifinal on Saturday, the freshman point guard is glad to be along for the ride.

“I’m having a blast hanging out with the guys, playing against some of the best teams in the country,” McNamara said. “It’s a great time.”

“Impact freshman” is an over-used term, but it applies to Anthony and McNamara, the highest-scoring freshman duo in the nation.

Last season, Syracuse failed to reach the NCAA tournament. With Anthony and McNamara starting every game and leading the team in minutes played, the Orangemen (28-5) are in their first Final Four since 1996 after routing Oklahoma, 63-47, in the East Regional final Sunday at Albany, N.Y.

Anthony, a 6-foot-8 forward expected to make himself eligible for the NBA draft, deservedly gets most of the attention.

But it would be a mistake to overlook McNamara’s contributions. He leads Syracuse in assists and three-point baskets, and ranks third in scoring with a 13-point average.

“He’s played great for us since Day One,” said shooting guard Kueth Duany, the only senior in the Orangemen lineup. “He got thrown into the fire, but he adapted. That shows great poise and composure.”

Perhaps the least surprised by McNamara’s rapid emergence is Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, who says McNamara has only begun to tap his potential.

“I had much higher expectations for Gerry than I did for Carmelo,” Boeheim said. “I was a big believer in Gerry McNamara from the first day I saw him. I told some people, ‘This kid is going to be a great player.’ And nothing has changed my mind.”

Basketball fans in McNamara’s hometown of Scranton, Pa., were convinced of his talent long before he came to Syracuse.

McNamara earned an enthusiastic following by leading tiny Bishop Hannan High, enrollment 105, to a state championship, two runner-up finishes and a 109-17 record in four seasons. The school moved home games to the 4,500-seat Catholic Youth Center to meet crowd demands.

McNamara’s high school exploits are the stuff of legend. Starting as a freshman, he engineered improbable victories over large-school powers, played through injuries and inspired fans to create a Web site about him.

He is seventh on Pennsylvania’s career scoring list with 2,949 points, saving his best for last when he scored 55 in a semifinal and 32 in the final to lead Bishop Hannan to the 2002 state title.

Although he is gone, McNamara hasn’t been forgotten by Scranton. About 2,000 of his followers filled more than 40 buses in February to make the pilgrimage to Syracuse for the Orangemen’s Big East game with Notre Dame.

“I think people respect the fact that I’m going to work hard,” said McNamara, explaining his popularity. “A lot of people take to that, because I’m a lot like they are. I’m not the 6-7 guy. I’m 6 foot and 175 pounds. But I’m here because I work hard.”

His diligence in practice is reflected in his free-throw shooting. The gym rat set a Big East record by making 53 of 55 free throws in conference play. For the season, he ranks among the nation’s leaders at over 90% (86 of 95), including 19 of 20 in the last minute of games.

After being the go-to player in high school, McNamara has made a smooth transition to role player in college. Occasionally he shows the old offensive flash -- he had 25 points in a victory over Georgia Tech in December -- but mostly he has been content to distribute the ball and wait for three-point shooting opportunities.

“In high school, I was forced to take a lot of shots,” he said. “Here, I don’t have to force anything.”

Boeheim, though, hinted that McNamara could be more aggressive.

“I think he’s better than he’s played this year,” Boeheim said. “He’s not just a shooter, he can do a lot of things, and we’re encouraging him to do more.”

There’s no debate about McNamara’s nerves, however. He has shown remarkable composure under pressure.

With three freshmen and three sophomores among its top eight players, Syracuse was forced to grow up fast out of necessity, McNamara said.

“We couldn’t settle into thinking, ‘Oh, we’re freshmen, we can make mistakes,’ ” he said. “We didn’t have that luxury. We had to go out and perform right from the beginning.

“There’s no freshmen on this team. We’re sophomores and juniors right now.”

Of course, as McNamara pointed out, having a freshman the caliber of Anthony has helped ease any growing pains.

“The first time I saw him, he was brutal; he was killing people,” McNamara said of the East Regional’s most outstanding player. “He left me shaking my head. He hasn’t disappointed anyone. He’s the best player I’ve ever played with.”

Boeheim, though, says Syracuse couldn’t have gotten this far without the steady hand of the baby-faced point guard.

“Gerry is a throwback kind of player,” Boeheim said. “Nothing fazes him. That’s why he really doesn’t play like a freshman.”