Carmelo Anthony delivered to Syracuse University the most magical six months in the school's history.
SU wasn't ranked in the college basketball preseason. But by the end of the season, they were national champions for the only time.
'Melo, the freshman phenom from Oak Hill Academy who chose a year in college over a trip straight to the NBA, was the catalyst.
He scored 33 points in a national semifinal win over Texas, then had 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the championship game against Kansas.
Because of all that, The Athletic named Anthony the top college basketball player since 2000.
He was a spot ahead of Jalen Brunson, two ahead of Steph Curry, and beat out the likes of Anthony Davis, Kemba Walker, Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson and Cooper Flagg.
"He was just a second-team All-American and he didn’t win national player of the year (Texas guard T.J. Ford did)," The Athletic's Lindsay Schnell writes. "Still, he takes top billing here because his impact is second to none, and what he did for the program in six months is astonishing. Keep in mind, Syracuse wasn’t ranked in the preseason and had missed the 2002 NCAA Tournament. With Melo, they were national champs."
You won't find a Syracuse fan that would argue this. Of course, fans of every other program in the country might.
Anthony's jersey remains the most popular on campus at SU, the one you'll see everywhere at parties and in the JMA Wireless Dome.
He's a superhero who for less than a year wore his camp in Syracuse.
And the title GOAT fits him just as nicely as that cape.
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