PHOENIX – Last year, before any games were played, it was never given a chance. Two freshmen starting? One senior in the rotation?

This year, after a rocky patch of games, it was left for dead. Losing four of five games? A starting point guard gone AWOL?

For two seasons, reasons why the Syracuse men’s basketball team should have failed have piled up like newspapers on a dead man’s doorstep.

But this weekend, beginning tonight at 9:40 against Alabama at America West Arena in an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal, the Syracuse men’s basketball team has a chance to do what just six teams have done in the past 20 years: advance to back-to-back Final Fours.

‘This year would be especially sweet,’ SU guard Gerry McNamara said. ‘When we hit that low point, a lot people counted us out, especially without Carmelo (Anthony). The day we won, it was because of Carmelo. The day he left, we weren’t going anywhere because of Carmelo. Obviously, he was a great player, but so was Kueth Duany. If you look around, there are some pretty good players on this team.’

Just how great, we’ll find out this weekend. Chasing its national championship with another trip to the Final Four would put Syracuse (23-7) on the same level as the greatest teams in the past 30 years.

And, as improbable as it seemed back in mid-winter, when SU lost Billy Edelin’s presence and the Orangemen lost four of five games, Syracuse very well could return to the Final Four. Like last year, its bracket busted perfectly. Despite being a No. 5 seed, SU is the second highest ranked team left in the Phoenix region, behind only No. 2 Connecticut.

A year ago, the Orangemen received a Sweet 16 break when it drew – sound familiar? – a high seed from the SEC. Last year, it was No. 10 seed Auburn. This season, No. 8 Alabama (19-12) awaits.

Unlike last year, SU has more experience than any team in the tournament. Other than senior Jeremy McNeil, no Orangeman has lost an NCAA Tournament game. The core of SU’s team – Josh Pace, Hakim Warrick, Gerry McNamara and Craig Forth – is a combined 32-0 in Bracketville.

‘The way we’re going out there thinking is, (the championship) is still ours until someone takes it,’ McNamara said. ‘I wouldn’t say we’re more confident, but we are more experienced. There are so many guys from that championship team that are back here.’

But despite the Orangemen’s tendency to leave doubters shaking their heads, there are plenty of reasons why Syracuse won’t book any flights to San Antonio next weekend. The biggest? A 6-foot-10, shot-blocking piece of steel who suddenly has a healthy back and wears No. 50 for Connecticut.

But before SU has to worry about Emeka Okafor, it will have to get by Alabama – and that seems a much tougher task now than it did just two weeks ago. By knocking off No. 1 Stanford last weekend, the Crimson Tide became one of the hottest teams in the nation.

‘As a team, they have all the ingredients,’ SU head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘They can shoot, drive, play down low – they have everything. We are playing against one of the best teams in the country. They have as good of a chance as anyone to win this tournament.’

The Stanford win also showed that Alabama can play with any team – not that that should come as a surprise. Alabama played the nation’s toughest schedule this season, which made it afraid of nobody.

Or anything – and that includes SU’s vaunted 2-3 zone. Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said his team wouldn’t change its approach from earlier this season when the Tide faced a zone defense. Alabama faced a zone similar to SU’s against Providence, where former Boeheim assistant Tim Welsh coaches.

‘Basically, I think we’ll probably go about it the same way,’ Alabama forward Reggie Rambo said. ‘We prepared for it like all the other zones. We just have to attack from the inside out, just like all the other zones.’

It might be a mistake, though, to confuse SU’s zone with one they faced earlier this season. A traditional zone sags off shooters and makes it tough for teams to score inside. While adhering to those principles, SU’s zone also forms a maze of long, athletic arms that traps post players and challenges outside shooters.

It was that zone which guided SU to the national championship a year ago. So far, Syracuse hasn’t loosened grasp on the trophy. Though it appeared ready to slip out earlier this year – and onlookers declared it had – the Orangemen are just a weekend away from reclaiming their title.

‘For us to be able to (make the Final Four), it would show a lot people what we’re made of,’ SU center Craig Forth said. ‘We’re a very capable team and very capable of going back there.’

Published on March 24, 2004 at 12:00 pm