Each week over the summer, The Juice Online will be counting down the top 15 players in Syracuse basketball history. Gerry McNamara is No. 12 on our list.
WHY HE’S NO. 12: McNamara left Syracuse as one of its most beloved players, as droves of fans drove up from Scanton, Pa., for each of his games at the Carrier Dome. As a freshman in the 2003 title game, McNamara drained six first-half 3-pointers to help Syracuse to its first NCAA title. In his sophomore season, he buried nine 3-pointers en route to 43 points to lead SU past BYU in the first round of the tournament. He saved his best performance for last, as McNamara single-handedly willed the Orange to the 2005-06 Big East Title, garnering the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. He was a First Team All Big East selection, and was a candidate for the Wooden and Naismith awards his senior year.
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» No. 13 on our list is Hakim Warrick
AFTER SYRACUSE: McNamara played in the NBA Development League, the NBA summer leagues, and also played overseas. But McNamara never found his niche in the professional ranks, and retired from basketball in 2009. He’s now an assistant coach at Syracuse.
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