Perhaps the permanent smile pasted on Carmelo Anthony’s yap — along with the rest of the No. 12 Syracuse men’s basketball team — is mocking basketball logic.

History says the NCAA’s top player can’t be a freshman, but if Anthony isn’t the best, he’s close.

The past has proven inexperienced teams falter, usually prone to blunders in tight situations. Instead, led by freshmen Anthony and Gerry McNamara, the Orangemen (21-4, 11-3 Big East) have made all the right plays.

Now, they’ve smiled their way into first place. And, with a win tonight at 7 in Notre Dame’s Joyce Center, SU will secure a bye for the first round of the Big East tournament.

‘It’s weird,’ sophomore Hakim Warrick said. ‘We had some games that I don’t think we would have come back last year. We were supposed to be a much more experienced team last year. We believe more than we did.’

Said McNamara: ‘A lot of people didn’t think freshmen could do this. But Carmelo and (point guard) Billy (Edelin) and I aren’t ordinary freshmen. We’re more mature.’

If Syracuse wins both of its remaining games, at No. 16 Notre Dame (21-7, 9-5) and home against Rutgers on Sunday, SU will win the Big East West Division. Although the Orangemen are tied with Pittsburgh, they have a better record against division opponents, thus securing the top spot.

‘We want first place, man,’ Warrick said. ‘We just want those rings, those big ol’ championship rings. The bye for second place is nice, but the rings are what we want.’

No team starting two sophomores and two freshmen is supposed to win 10 games by fewer than 10 points. And no group of youngsters is supposed to come back from a second-half deficit 11 times.

‘Eleven times,’ Boeheim said. ‘I’ve never seen a team, and I doubt there’s even been a team, that’s been behind by as many points as we have in 11 games in the second half and won all 11.’

Boeheim’s not the only one who’s been surprised with his team’s play. Syracuse didn’t enter the Associated Press Top 25 until after its record stood at 10-1.

‘We’re the only people that have to believe in us,’ senior Kueth Duany said. ‘No one else knows what’s going on in everyday practice. It’s our job to believe we can be good. We knew from the first practice we had a chance to win the Big East.’

It’s fitting that they’ll go through South Bend to do it. In an 82-80 win against the Fighting Irish on Feb. 15, McNamara hit his most memorable shot of the year — a game-winning 3-pointer from the corner — and proved SU’s rookies aren’t affected by traditional freshman jitters.

Although Notre Dame has faded — losing four of its last seven, including two in a row to Connecticut and Rutgers — the Irish remained tied for second with Syracuse for most of the season.

Like Syracuse, the Fighting Irish have four players scoring in double figures, led by guards Matt Carroll and Chris Thomas.

‘They have a bunch of guys we have to key on,’ McNamara said. ‘Against Georgetown (on Saturday), we were able to put four guys on Mike Sweetney. It’s tough to play a team like this especially with so many outside shooters.’

During the previous meeting, Notre Dame spread its shooters around the perimeter, forcing Syracuse to extend its zone and allowing freshman Torin Francis space inside.

Francis took advantage by scoring 17 points — seven above his average — and going to the foul line 17 times. If that happens again, Syracuse’s grinning days will be over.

‘This is probably the biggest game of the year for us,’ Warrick said. ‘If we win this one, all we have to do is come home and protect our home court like we have been all season.’

Published on March 3, 2003 at 12:00 pm