Point guard
Gerry McNamara
6-2 182 Fr.
13.3 ppg 4.4 apg

Michael Carter-Williams
6-6 185 So.
12.1 ppg 7.4 apg

McNamara’s a Syracuse legend, but in 2003 he was just a talented freshman point guard with upside — there was no talk of the countless game-winners or “Overrated?!” Carter-Williams, meanwhile, has transformed into one of the best guards in college basketball during the NCAA Tournament. His length has given smaller point guards, such as Indiana’s Jordan Hulls, trouble all postseason long.

Shooting guard
Kueth Duany
6-6 190 Sr.
11 ppg 2.0 apg

Brandon Triche
6-4 210 Sr.
13.7 ppg 3.5 apg

Duany finished his Syracuse career as one of SU’s top 55 all-time leading scorers. Triche has moved into the top 20 on that list right now. Both were the senior leaders on the team — Duany was the only one on the team in 2003 — and the difference makers. When the shooting guards go, both 2003 and 2013’s teams go.

Small forward
Carmelo Anthony
6-8 220 Fr.
22.2 ppg 10 rpg

James Southerland
6-8 215 Sr.
13.5 ppg 5.2 rpg

Southerland can get hot at any moment and shoot Syracuse into any game, but there’s no player in college basketball today that can match the level at which Anthony, the 2003 NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, dominated during that season.

Power forward
Hakim Warrick
6-8 219 So.
14.8 ppg 8.5 rpg

C.J. Fair
6-8 215 Jr.
14.3 ppg 7 rpg

They get compared all the time, and even the numbers are similar, but Fair adds a bit more versatility. Warrick became a Syracuse legend with his block in the 2003 national championship before winning Big East Player of the Year two years later, but Fair’s ability to play inside and stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting ability is a major matchup issue for any opponent.

Center
Craig Forth
7-0 256 So.
3.8 ppg 3.3 rpg

Rakeem Christmas
6-9 242 So.
5.1 ppg 4.6 rpg

Both are far more effective on the defensive end than they are on offense, but Christmas struggles to stay on the court for extended periods of time, while Forth was truly an anchor of the 2-3 zone and finished ninth on the all-time blocks list at Syracuse.

Published on April 4, 2013 at 1:26 am