One year in college was all that was needed for ‘Melo to get the top spot.
The most famous one-and-done player in Syracuse Orange men’s basketball program history is back in the spotlight with a pretty major honor bestowed by The Athletic.
On Monday, The Athletic unveiled its rankings for the top-25 best men’s college basketball players of the 2000s and, despite playing just one season for the Orange, Syracuse’s Carmelo Anthony earned the top spot on the list.
Anthony finished ahead of (from 2nd to 5th) Jalen Brunson, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis and Kemba Walker to claim first in the rankings. The rest of the top-10 included Jameer Nelson, Shane Battier, Tyler Hansbrough, Zach Edey and Kevin Durant.
Anthony averaged 22.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks in 36.4 minutes per game in his one year with Syracuse. The now-Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer was a consensus second-team All-American selection and guided the Orange to the 2003 NCAA Championship over the Kansas City Jayhawks.
Here’s how Lindsay Schnell of The Athletic reflected on ‘Melo’s case for the number-one spot:
“Anthony was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player. He was just a second-team All-American and he didn’t win national player of the year (Texas guard T.J. Ford did). 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,” Schnell wrote. “Keep in mind, Syracuse wasn’t ranked in the preseason and had missed the 2002 NCAA Tournament. With Melo, they were national champs.”
Photo by Craig Jones/Getty Images
In the opening to the story, Schnell did list caring for wins and ability lift a program to new heights as two of her pieces of criteria.
‘Melo’s 2002-03 campaign has consistently been discussed by other outlets as arguably the best one-and-done season ever in college basketball, but Schnell does make a pretty strong case in valuing how a player like Anthony can not only produce the numbers, but legit impact.
There were also only a few one-year tenures that made the list. Including Anthony, there’s just six one-and-done careers in the top-25: ‘Melo, Davis, Durant, Michael Beasley (No. 23), Zion Williamson (No. 25) and Cooper Flagg (also No. 25).
For context, here is the full list. Which names stick out the most to you, and how do you feel about ‘Melo earning the top spot?
- Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse, 2002-03
- Jalen Brunson, Villanova, 2015-18
- Steph Curry, Davidson, 2006-09
- Anthony Davis, Kentucky, 2011-12
- Kemba Walker, UConn, 2008-11
- Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph’s, 2000-04
- Shane Battier, Duke, 1997-2001
- Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina, 2005-09
- Zach Edey, Purdue, 2020-24
- Kevin Durant, Texas, 2006-07
- Doug McDermott, Creighton, 2010-14
- Dwyane Wade, Marquette, 2001-03
- Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin 2011-15
- Shabazz Napier, UConn, 2010-14
- Adam Morrison, Gonzaga, 2003-06
- Jimmer Fredette, BYU, 2007-11
- Russ Smith, Louisville, 2010-14
- Emeka Okafor, UConn, 2001-04
- Jay Williams, Duke 1999-2002
- Joakim Noah, Florida, 2004-07
- Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, 2007-09
- JJ Redick, Duke, 2002-06
- Michael Beasley, Kansas State, 2007-08
- Nick Collison, Kansas, 1999-2003
- Tie: Zion Williamson, Duke, 2018-19 and Cooper Flagg, Duke, 2024-25