SI.com’s Stewart Mandel breaks down the national championship.

Kansas (29-7) vs. Syracuse (29-5) Monday, April 7, 9:21 p.m. EST (CBS) Louisiana Superdome (54,500)

For sentimental types, it doesn’t get much better than Monday night’s coaching matchup. With a combined 42 years at their schools and seven Final Four appearances, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Kansas’ Roy Williams have won more NCAA tournament games without claiming the title than any other coaches. That drought will now come to an end for one of them. A victory would also be storybook for Kansas’ two senior stars, Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich, either of whom could have bolted for the NBA after last season but returned for one more shot at the title. But just because the Orangemen’s brightest stars Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara are only freshmen doesn’t mean they don’t want the prize just as badly.
Kirk Hinrich AP Backcourts Kansas’ lightning-quick fast break obviously begins with its guards -- Hinrich, Aaron Miles, Keith Langford and Michael Lee -- all of whom are skilled ball-handlers capable of getting upcourt in the blink of an eye. Syracuse’s McNamara and Kueth Duany, as well as backups Josh Pace and Billy Edelin, have to be careful to get back on defense, after both made and missed field goals. The versatile Hinrich’s first instinct is to attack, but if the Orangemen are able to set up their 2-3 zone, the onus will be on him to hit his outside shots. The Jayhawks aren’t always a great 3-point shooting team but they did make an impressive 8-of-19 in the semifinal against Marquette. Defensively, the Jayhawks have to get out and defend the feisty McNamara on the perimeter but also be careful not to let him penetrate. Miles will start out on him but look for Hinrich to assist.   Carmelo Anthony AP Frontcourts Syracuse will present the most athletic frontcourt Kansas has seen. Superstar Carmelo Anthony, who had an astonishing 33 points and 14 rebounds in the semifinal against Texas, is capable of attacking inside or out and demands constant attention, yet he also distributes like a guard. And if the Jayhawks’ forwards focus too hard on Anthony they’re apt to get burned by Hakim Warrick, another athletic slasher. Swingman Langford draws the assignment on Anthony, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be able to do it alone. KU All-American Collison, though a more traditional post player, has previously guarded perimeter players like Duke’s Dahntay Jones and may factor against Anthony. On offense, Collison and Jeff Graves have the luxury of a potential mismatch against Syracuse’s Craig Forth and Jeremy McNeil, but only if KU’s guards are able to break the Orangemen’s zone. Their role may be more to crash the boards and get the Jayhawks’ transition going.
Williams knows only one version of basketball, and that’s breakneck speed on offense, tight man-to-man on defense. Boeheim’s claim to fame is the 2-3 zone. Which style will prove superior depends on how well they’re executed. Syracuse knows it has to slow down Kansas but will only accomplish that if it makes shots on offense and gets back on defense. The Jayhawks will need to hit their outside shots and get to the glass. Neither team goes particularly deep, but each has a couple subs who could play key roles, the athletic Lee and Bryant Nash for Kansas and Edelin and Pace, two offensive sparkplugs, for Syracuse.
Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony Freshman, 6-8, 220 pounds vs. Kansas forward Nick Collison Senior, 6-9, 255 pounds It doesn’t get much better than two of the nation’s absolute top players squaring off in the national championship game. It remains to be seen how much they’ll actually go head-to-head, but it’s hard to imagine the Jayhawks will be able to contain Anthony without Collision’s services. Anthony may be only a freshman but he’s quite clearly the best athlete in college basketball. He put on a show against Texas and knows how to take over a game but is also smart enough to dish the ball when defenses focus too much on him. Collison is a classic post-up force who had his own monster game in the Sweet 16 against Duke. If he’s able to establish position in the paint he’ll be hard to stop. Defensively, he might not be able to shut down Anthony but could at least use his physical presence to alter the freshman’s game.
It’s an intriguing matchup because both teams play such different styles and create major matchup problems on either side. Kansas would love to pound it inside to Collision but may not be able to against the zone. Likewise, Syracuse would love to employ the zone throughout but may not be able to amidst Kansas’ rapid transitions. The age factor -- Kansas’ seniors vs. Syracuse’s freshmen -- probably won’t play that much of a factor. But it is clear that the Orangemen will need a monster offensive game to keep up with the Jayhawks, and it would seem they already used that one up against Texas. Anthony alone will give Kansas more than its share of problems. But in the end, the Jayhawks will wear down Syracuse with their pace and deliver Williams his first national title. The pick: Kansas 78, Syracuse 72

 

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