Knicks Legends Sweep Top Spots in College Hoops Ranking

New York Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Jalen Brunson put the "big" in Big East during their respective collegiate careers at Syracuse and Villanova.

A list from The Athletic recognized those contributions in a new ranking unveiled earlier this week, one that counted down the top 25 men's college basketball players through the first quarter of the new century. Anthony needed but one season to land the top spot for his work in Orange, while Brunson is right behind him for his three years on The Main Line.

Some may question Anthony's status at the top considering he spent but his freshman season at the Carrier Dome, but it no doubt stands as one of the most accomplished outings in college hoops history.

Anthony averaged a double-double at 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds and earned All-American honors as a freshman en route to guiding the historic Orange program to its first national championship.

Things culminated with a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double in the final triumph over Kansas, earned after he set the NCAA Tournament record for points by a freshman with 33 in the Final Four win over Texas. For his efforts, Anthony was granted the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player Award before embarking on a lengthy NBA career best-known for seven seasons in Manhattan.

"A key piece of Jim Boeheim’s vaunted 2-3 zone defense (Anthony’s 7-foot wingspan was ideal in a zone), Anthony led Syracuse in scoring, rebounding and minutes played," list curator Lindsay Schnell declared, labeling Anthony "arguably the greatest one-and-done player in the history of college basketball."

"He takes top billing here because his impact is second to none, and what he did for the program in six months is astonishing. Keep in mind, Syracuse wasn’t ranked in the preseason and had missed the 2002 NCAA Tournament. With Melo, they were national champs."

Right behind Anthony is the current Knicks star Brunson, who earned two national championship rings before paving his own metropolitan path. Brunson was in the starting lineup for the Wildcats' memorable 2016 triumph over North Carolina and racked up numerous individual honors before Villanova made the return trip two years later, which saw it earn a one-sided win over Michigan.

Mar 9, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) celebrates a basket against the Butler Bulldogs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Imagesa | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"By the time Brunson was a junior, he was the best player in the country mostly due to his elite basketball IQ and craftiness with the ball," Schnell said."[He solidified] his legacy with a second championship and consensus national player of the year honors."

Other names familiar to Knicks fans on the list include Kemba Walker (Connecticut), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Joakim Noah (Florida) and Michael Beasley (Kansas State). Walker rounded out the top five, with only Stephen Curry (Davidson) and Anthony Davis (Kentucky) separating him from Anthony and Brunson.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!