It turned out to be the only NCAA title of legendary Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim’s 47-year career.
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But Anthony and Boeheim had a lot of help. Point guard Gerry McNamara led the offense that season as a freshman, dishing out a team-high 4.4 assists per game to go along with 13.3 points. A decisive player, he made 90.9 percent of his free throws.
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In the national finals against the Kansas Jayhawks, McNamara hit six 3-pointers for 18 points as Syracuse cruised to an 81-78 victory. McNamara finished his Syracuse career with 2,099 points.
Now, as ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported, McNamara returns to Western New York to take over the Syracuse program.
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McNamara just completed his second season as head coach of the Siena Saints after serving as an assistant at Syracuse from 2009 to 2024. Siena won the MAAC Tournament title this season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 16 seed. The top-seeded Duke Blue Devils struggled before dispatching the Saints, 71-65, in the first round.
The Orange fired former head coach Adrian Autry on March 11, according to ESPN, after the team missed the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. Syracuse finished 15-17.
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