RIPE FOR A TITLE ORANGEMEN SQUEEZE OUT FIRST CROWN FOR BOEHEIM SYRACUSE 81, KANSAS 78.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

NEW ORLEANS - History and conventional wisdom say that the formula for winning a national championship is to collect a veteran team, ply it with tournament experience and stay away from the one-and-done prodigies.

Syracuse says differently.

The Orangemen, with their collection of three freshmen that includes soon-to-be NBA-bound Carmelo Anthony, wrote a new recipe for success in winning the school's first NCAA championship Monday night with a 81-78 victory of Kansas in front of 54,524 who filled the Superdome.

Behind freshmen Gerry McNamara, Billy Edelin and Anthony, who combined for 50 points, Syracuse built an 18-point first-half lead then hung on until Kirk Hinrich's contested 3-pointer never found the rim.

When the ball was grabbed out of the air by Syracuse's Kueth Duany, the Orangemen's bench at the opposite end of the court emptied and created a dog pile near center court.

``We're national champs,'' said a disbelieving Duany, who until three weeks ago was one of only two Orangemen who had played in a NCAA Tournament victory. ``There's nothing to describe. You know, we're the champs. I'm sorry. I'm speechless. I don't even know what to say.''

The victory was the first in three trips to the title game for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, who had won more tournament games than any coach in the country without winning a championship - a tag he now passes to Kansas coach Roy Williams.

Boeheim did it with a team that began the season unranked, lost its season opener to Memphis and had to rally from a 17-point deficit to survive a second-round game against Oklahoma State.

As for tournament experience? The Orangemen gained theirs in the NIT last year, becoming only the second NCAA champion in the past 29 years - and first since Louisville in 1986, which was also led by a freshman star - to have not qualified for the tournament the previous year.

``We may be young on our driver's license,'' said Syracuse center Craig Forth, ``but we're not young in our minds and hearts.''

Anthony, named the tournament's most outstanding player, carried the Orangemen as he has most of the season, with 20 points and seven assists - both game-highs - and a team-leading 10 rebounds.

``I don't regret coming to college,'' said Anthony, serenaded with chants of ``one more year'' as the Orangemen cut down the nets. ``I had a fun year. I had a great year on the court and off the court at school. Winning the championship - it ain't sunk in yet.''

It was a victory that wasn't so much won as survived.

Syracuse (30-5), which led for the final 38 1/2 minutes, didn't make a basket in the final two minutes and missed four free throws in the 58 seconds. It couldn't breathe easily until Hinirch, racing around a screen, caught an inbounds pass and arched the ball over three onrushing Orangemen for a shot that wasn't close.

``I didn't get a very good look,'' Hinrich said.

Hinrich had a great look at a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 16 seconds left, but it rattled the rim and came out. After Hakim Warrick missed two free throws for Syracuse with 13 seconds left, Kansas had one more possession.

Hinrich got the ball on the wing, but he was double-teamed and passed into the corner to Lee, a 54 percent 3-point shooter. But Warrick, 6-foot-8 with the wingspan of similar length, rushed at him and blocked it out of bounds setting up Hinrich's final attempt.

``Hakeem came, just ran out of nowhere, like he had Twizzler arms,''Anthony said. ``Once he blocked that, I kind of knew the game was over because we were double-teaming Hinrich at the end.''

The last shot won't be the one Hinrich or any of the Jayhawks will regret. There were plenty of others.

Hinrich's last-second shot was the fourth 3-pointer the team missed in the final 45 seconds that would have tied the game. They made just two of 13 in the second half.

What the Jayhawks (30-8) will really regret is their performance at the free-throw line. Kansas missed 18 free throws in the game and made just one of its first 11 free throws in the second half, including the front end of two 1-and-1s.

``Everyone's going to talk about the free throws, and we did miss a lot of free throws,'' said Williams. ``When you're trying to come from behind, you can't make those kinds of mistakes.''

Syracuse rode its 3-point shooting, particularly that of McNamara, who was 6 of 8 in the first half. The Orangemen made 10 of 13 and when Duany hit one in transition, Syracuse had a 47-29 lead with 5:01 left in the half.

``You don't expect a team to make 10 out of 13 with your players on the sideline not guarding them,'' said Williams, who in desperation turned briefly and unsuccessfully to a zone.

Kansas eventually picked up its defense and rallied to within three several times in the second half. But the missed free throws kept them from getting even.

Kansas' big men, Nick Collison and Jeff Graves, punished Syracuse inside. Collison scored 19 points and grabbed 21 rebounds, while Graves had 16 points and 16 rebounds. The combined 37 rebounds were one more than Syracuse had.

But poor free throw shooting offset their effort.

``We missed too many free throws,'' said Collison, who was 3 for 10. ``If we shoot 50 percent (they were 12 of 30), we tie. Just wasn't our night.''

Instead of belonging to the veterans Hinrich and Collison, and the battle- tested Jayhawks, who reached the Final Four a year ago, it was a night when the splendors of youth and exuberance were celebrated.

``It's unbelievable. It's still sinking in,'' Warrick said. ``We came into the season not ranked and to go from not being ranked to the No. 1 team in the nation speaks for itself.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Syracuse players and coaches, with freshman Carmelo Anthony on the bottom of the pile, celebrate Monday's title.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

(2) Syracuse players celebrate their moment with the trophy Monday night.

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

(3) Kansas' Keith Langford reacts after fouling out in the NCAA championship game against Syracuse on Monday.

Bill Haber/Associated Press

Box:

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(2) CLOSER LOOK