2003 National Championship Game

[NKR1978]

I was bored with the Duke/Pitt game and wanted to watch college basketball, so I pulled this game up on YouTube.

Just some random observations:

- Jeremy McNeil was so tough on the defensive glass in the first half.
- We had an amazing offensive team that could just kill you from almost everywhere on the floor.
- Carmelo did things routinely that I've never seen done in college since. He was the best college player in the last 20 years.
- No no no no YES! - My reaction at the time and my reaction while watching the game 12 years later to some of Gerry's 3's.
- The game was so much smoother. None of the crap you see today. The defensive player played about 2 feet off the ball handler and if there was contact there was a foul. The difference between the slog fests we are forced to watch now and that game is shocking.
- And that was a really well officiated game. We got the benefit of a pretty huge call in the first half where Gerry probably should have been called for a block where a charge was called instead, but right before that he was fouled on a 3 point shot with no call. Perfect make up call since each team lost 3 potential points.
- We had 32 points in the first 9:30. I can't even imagine that kind of offense production in this day and age.
- The players did not hit the weight room like they do today. I remember at the time looking at our guys vs. Kansas and Texas and thinking how small they were in comparison. But that's even more dramatic today because those Texas and Kansas teams would probably look "skinny" compared to teams today.
- Billy Edelin was so freaking good.
- We had a near perfect team. They were a puzzle that just fit together and complemented each other perfectly.
- Free throws: I knew what was going to happen and was still stressed watching those last couple minutes.
- All I could think watching that was how lucky I was to have been a student at SU when we won that game and how much I want to experience that at least one more time.

 

[Guinness]

We all jump for joy now just to get 32 points in a half.

 

[djcon57]

- We had a near perfect team. They were a puzzle that just fit together and complemented each other perfectly.

Yep...Duany was an absolute huge part of the team too. His length was devastating in the zone and hit enough shots that he'd hurt them if they left him open (and they often did).

 

[Eric15]

Billy Edelin was so freaking good.

I know every team in the country can play the woulda/coulda/shoulda game, but could you imagine if we had four full seasons of a GMac/Edelin backcourt? Edelin could have been Pearl/Sherm-esque as an upperclassman.

 

[jekelish]

- All I could think watching that was how lucky I was to have been a student at SU when we won that game and how much I want to experience that at least one more time.

I think that every time I think about the championship. Never had a title before. Haven't had one since. Meanwhile, I've been born and raised to bleed orange. What the hell were the odds that we'd get our only (so far) basketball national championship while I was a senior, AND my brother - an equally big SU fan - was going to SU Law at the same time? How remote are the chances that the two of us would both be attending SU at the exact time when we put it all together and win our first title?

 

[NKR1978]

I think that every time I think about the championship. Never had a title before. Haven't had one since. Meanwhile, I've been born and raised to bleed orange. What the hell were the odds that we'd get our only (so far) basketball national championship while I was a senior, AND my brother - an equally big SU fan - was going to SU Law at the same time? How remote are the chances that the two of us would both be attending SU at the exact time when we put it all together and win our first title?

I've told this story a bit on here before, but I was a 3L at SU in 2003. Growing up in CT my first favorite sport was tennis. Then UConn exploded in 1990 and I grew up with that and was caught up in it all through middle school and up to the end of college. College basketball was the only team sport I cared about until I got to SU and got more and more into football. Going to a D3 undergrad I really wanted to go to a "big" school for law school. And by "big" I mean one where I didn't have to explain where it was and that it was a "small school in upstate NY" and one with high major athletics. It was just incredible to have been at SU for that and it really came out of nowhere.

 

[MikeSU02]

With all due respect to Kevin Durant during his time at UT, Melo had an offensive arsenal that was otherworldly compared to everyone else in recent memory.

And the fact that he also grabbed 10 boards a game was incredible.

And the difference between that team and the Deshaun team from the year before was just night and day.

 

[jekelish]

I've told this story a bit on here before, but I was a 3L at SU in 2003. Growing up in CT my first favorite sport was tennis. Then UConn exploded in 1990 and I grew up with that and was caught up in it all through middle school and up to the end of college. College basketball was the only team sport I cared about until I got to SU and got more and more into football. Going to a D3 undergrad I really wanted to go to a "big" school for law school. And by "big" I mean one where I didn't have to explain where it was and that it was a "small school in upstate NY" and one with high major athletics. It was just incredible to have been at SU for that and it really came out of nowhere.

My brother was 2L that year. He also went to a D3 undergrad. That fact doesn't really have anything to do with anything, though.

 

[cpatrocks]

As great as that team was, I am still amazed that we won the NC with Craig Forth as our starting center. Thanks for reminding me how much of a beast McNeil was though.

 

[NKR1978]

As great as that team was, I am still amazed that we won the NC with Craig Forth as our starting center. Thanks for reminding me how much of a beast McNeil was though.

Craig scored the first two points of the game! And he was pretty strong defensively. But his refusal to dunk the ball as a 7 footer was sometimes infuriating.

 

[MSOrange]

I've told this story a bit on here before, but I was a 3L at SU in 2003. Growing up in CT my first favorite sport was tennis. Then UConn exploded in 1990 and I grew up with that and was caught up in it all through middle school and up to the end of college. College basketball was the only team sport I cared about until I got to SU and got more and more into football. Going to a D3 undergrad I really wanted to go to a "big" school for law school. And by "big" I mean one where I didn't have to explain where it was and that it was a "small school in upstate NY" and one with high major athletics. It was just incredible to have been at SU for that and it really came out of nowhere.

Nice post. I always thought it would be neat to go to a school with high major athletics and that I didn't have to explain where it was also. But then Mercer beat Duke last year and I realized maybe I did

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

As great as that team was, I am still amazed that we won the NC with Craig Forth as our starting center. Thanks for reminding me how much of a beast McNeil was though.

Only people who don't get the concept of teams and roles and don't really understand basketball would question Craig Forth's value to that team.

 

[djcon57]

Craig scored the first two points of the game! And he was pretty strong defensively. But his refusal to dunk the ball as a 7 footer was sometimes infuriating.

Everyone can bash Craig (as I did) for his less than stellar finishing and rebounding...

But he was a great passer from the high post, a great screener, and always played big in the zone.

 

[tbonezone]

we don't get past oklahoma state second round without mcneil. down 17 he changed the game anchoring the press.

 

[br801]

we don't get past oklahoma state second round without mcneil. down 17 he changed the game anchoring the press.

Winning a national championship typically takes a village...

 

[jekelish]

Everyone can bash Craig (as I did) for his less than stellar finishing and rebounding...

But he was a great passer from the high post, a great screener, and always played big in the zone.

His passing was extremely underrated. Great vision for a 7-footer.

 

[Vorony]

- All I could think watching that was how lucky I was to have been a student at SU when we won that game and how much I want to experience that at least one more time.

It was my senior year up on the hill. What a way to go out after 4 awesome years. I'll never forget that entire weekend... Partying on Marshall St. after the huge win over Texas. Cars driving all over the hill blaring their horns, students screaming out car windows as they're driving by. Then being in the Dome for the national championship game with over 10,000 people, since most of the city was without power from the ice storm that hit. As soon as that final buzzer hit, we "stormed" the field and everyone went back down to Marshall St. for the insane celebration that lasted basically the entire week. Those were the days... Hope to be able to do it again soon, even though I'm technically an adult now!

 

[RhymesWithOrange]

I know every team in the country can play the woulda/coulda/shoulda game, but could you imagine if we had four full seasons of a GMac/Edelin backcourt? Edelin could have been Pearl/Sherm-esque as an upperclassman.

Edelin was a great PG, but for some reason I'll always be partial to Z.