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2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game
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Men's college basketball tournament game
March 2026
2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
August 2023
2003 NCAA Tournament Championship Game ncg File:2003 NCAA D1 Men's Basketball Championship trophy - Syracuse Orange.jpg April 7, 2003 2002-03 Syracuse University Syracuse Orangemen 29–5 Big East 13 12 Jim Boeheim 53 28 University of Kansas Kansas Jayhawks 30–7 Big 12 6 6https://web.archive.org/web/20030603184723/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/usatpoll.htm June 3, 2003 USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 poll April 8, 2003 USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/usatpoll.htm May 29, 2024 dead Roy Williams 42 36 Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana 54,524 Gerald Boudreaux, Reggie Cofer, Dick Cartmell Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse Kansas by 5 CBS Jim Nantz (play-by-play)Billy Packer (color)Bonnie Bernstein and Armen Keteyian (sideline) 2002 2004
The 2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game was the finals of the 2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and it determined the national champion for the 2002-03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The game was played on April 7, 2003, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, and featured the West Regional Champion, #2-seeded Kansas versus the East Regional Champion, #3-seeded Syracuse. This was the first national championship game since 1989 to not feature a team from either the ACC or SEC.
Participants
Syracuse Orangemen
2002–03 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team
Things did not start well for Syracuse. Guards DeShaun Williamshttps://archive.today/20110805194343/http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2002/08/28/News/Williams.To.Leave.Orangemen-263566.shtml Williams to leave Orangemen – News and James Thueshttps://archive.today/20110708222854/http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2002/04/16/Sports/Thues.Transfers.To.Detroit.Mercy-237882.shtml Thues transfers to Detroit Mercy – Sports both left the team. Williams transferred to Iona while Thues left for Detroit. Freshman point guard Billy Edelin was suspended for 12 games for participating in a non-sanctioned basketball league. Syracuse then started its season with a loss against Memphis, despite Carmelo Anthony's 27 points, a then-high for a Syracuse freshman debut.Memphis Holds Off Syracuse, 70–63 https://web.archive.org/web/20091126013639/http://www.gazellegroup.com/events/cvc/results/2002/memsyrrecap.htm 2009-11-26
But things turned around, as Syracuse went 13–3 in the Big East, with several memorable wins. Gerry McNamara would establish himself as a clutch player, nailing a game-winning 3-pointer as then-No. 17 Syracuse notched an 82–80 win over then-No. 10 Notre Dame in February.The Daily Orange https://web.archive.org/web/20090205015859/http://www.dailyorange.com/media/paper522/news/2003/02/17/Sports/Mcnamara8217s.GameWinning.3.Lifts.Su.To.Win.Over.Notre.Dame-371327.shtml 2009-02-05 In an upset of then-No. 24 Syracuse over then-No. 2 Pittsburgh, Jeremy McNeil, a career 49.1% free throw shooter, hit two key free throws, and added a game-winning tip in a 67–65 upset.USATODAY.com – Syracuse blocks Pittsburgh from first coronation at No. 1
The Orangemen would play five Big 12 teams throughout the year, including games against MissouriNCAA Division I Men’s Basketball – Missouri vs. Syracuse in the regular season, and against Oklahoma (Elite Eight), Oklahoma State (second round), Texas (National Semifinal) and then Kansas (National Championship game).Fresh-squeezed orangeman: Carmelo Anthony carries Syracuse to its first NCAA championship and proves to have the juiciest game of any college freshman—ever The Sporting News 227 15 FindArticles http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_15_227/ai_100048062 https://web.archive.org/web/20060314184409/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_15_227/ai_100048062 March 14, 2006 usurped
Kansas Jayhawks
2002–03 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
Kansas would get off to a rough start as they lost both games in the championship round of the 2002 Preseason NIT to North Carolina and #7 Florida. After dropping a game to #7 Oregon at the Rose Garden, Kansas would go on a 10-game winning streak which was highlighted by home victories over UCLA and Kansas State. Kansas then would suffer two consecutive losses to Colorado and #1 Arizona and would then go on a seven-game winning streak which included victories over #3 Texas, #21 Missouri Tigers men's basketball, and Kansas State, but that streak would end with a loss at #5 Oklahoma. Kansas would win their final four games of the regular season which was highlighted by victories over #16 Oklahoma State and Missouri. Kansas would win one game in the Big 12 Tournament before losing to Missouri in the semifinals. Kansas would get off to a slow start in the NCAA Tournament as they barely beat Utah State in the 1st round, but would catch fire during the rest of the NCAA tournament as they romped Arizona State in the 2nd round and would beat Duke and Arizona (avenging a loss from earlier this season) to reach the Final Four and would romp Marquette in the National Semifinals to reach the 2003 National Championship Game.
Starting lineups
Syracuse Position Kansas Gerry McNamara G Kirk Hinrich Kueth Duany G Aaron Miles Hakim Warrick F Keith Langford Carmelo Anthony F † Nick Collison Craig Forth C Jeff Graves† 2003 Consensus First Team All-American
SourceSyracuse vs. Kansas Box Score (Men), April 7, 2003 https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2003-04-07-kansas.html Sports Reference 29 March 2023
Game Summary
thumb|230x230px|2003 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship Trophy
Leading up to the championship game, much of the conversation revolved around how, no matter the outcome, one of the well-known head coaches would win their first championship.http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney03/columnist?id=1534793&name=wojciechowski_gene https://web.archive.org/web/20030604083305/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney03/columnist?id=1534793&name=wojciechowski_gene dead June 4, 2003 Boeheim, Williams say title won't define careers Wojciechowski Gene April 6, 2003 ESPN.com ESPN the Magazine November 16, 2013 In Jim Boeheim's 27 years as head coach at Syracuse his team had been to two Final Fours, and finished runner-up each time (1987, 1996). Roy Williams, during his fifteen seasons as Kansas head coach, had reached the Final Four four times, and finished runner up once (1991). Syracuse dominated with a hot shooting first half to lead by 11 at the break. Gerry McNamara connected on an impressive six three-pointers in the half, which were his 18 points for the game. Kansas fought back to within 80–78 in the final minute and had a chance to tie after Hakim Warrick missed a pair of free throws in the final moments. Warrick, however, then blocked Michael Lee's three point attempt with 0.7 seconds remaining on the game clock. After Kirk Hinrich's three-pointer at the buzzer went over the net, Syracuse's victory gave them, and Jim Boeheim, their first ever national championship. Carmelo Anthony was named Most Outstanding Player (MOP) with 21 points in the win. Syracuse also avenged a second-round loss to Kansas two years earlier.CNN Sports Illustrated CNNSI.com http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/men/recaps/2003/04/07/5154_recap.html https://web.archive.org/web/20030605101239/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/men/recaps/2003/04/07/5154_recap.html dead June 5, 2003 2003 NCAA National Championship: (E3) Syracuse 81, (W2) Kansas 78 2008-03-06
References
External links
'Will to Win’, documentary by Syracuse.com
NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game
Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball championship games
Category:Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball
Category:Syracuse Orange men's basketball
Category:College basketball tournaments in Louisiana
Category:Basketball competitions in New Orleans
NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game
NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game
Category:2000s in New Orleans