One year at Syracuse — national champion as a freshman before becoming a top-three NBA pick.
Carmelo Kyam Anthony was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1984. He attended Syracuse University for one season — his freshman year — and won the national championship in 2003, being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game across the tournament. He averaged 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in the regular season. His freshman performance — carrying a Syracuse team to the championship against top competition — was one of the most complete individual tournament runs in modern history. The championship game victory over Kansas was decided largely on his ability to score inside and from the mid-range against larger defenders. He declared for the draft after his freshman season. Denver Nuggets selected him third overall in the 2003 NBA Draft in the same class as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. His one Syracuse season — one year, one championship, one MOP award, one top-three pick — is the defining example of the one-and-done phenomenon's ultimate potential.
National Championship (2003)
Career Honours
- National Championship (2003)
- Tournament MOP (2003)
- Big East Freshman of Year
- Consensus All-American