With less than a second left in the National Championship game, Hakim Warrick blocked a 3-point attempt that would have pushed the game into overtime. Kansas' Nick Collision made it interesting the whole way with 21 points and 19 rebounds, however, freshman superstar Carmelo Anthony was rewarded that night for leading Syracuse through the tournament. Anthony finished the night with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Kansas moved on to the National Championship game for the first time since 1991 after dominating Marquette in a 94-61 rout. Third option Keith Langford had the biggest night of all with 23 points, while Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Miles each added 18 to the total. Kansas later fell short of winning their third title during thriller against Syracuse.

Carmelo Anthony's career-high 33 points and Gerry McNamara's 19 led Syracuse to a 95-84 victory over No.1 seed Texas. The victory sent the Orangemen to their third national championship game ever where they squared off against the Kansas Jayhawks in an unforgettable game that went down to the wire.

No. 3 seed Syracuse routed No.1 seed Oklahoma 63-47 in a game that was expected to be much closer. Instead, Syracuse played tight zone defense the entire game and never let the Sooners get into the game. Future NBA star Carmelo Anthony led the night with 20 points and 10 boards. The Orangemen later took out Texas and Kansas in later rounds to become the 2003 National Champion.

T.J. Ford scored 19 points and dished out 10 assists in an 85-76 victory over Michigan State that propelled the Longhorns to their first Final Four in 56 years. Other offensive leaders for Texas were Brandon Mouton with 16 points and Brian Boddicker with 15. The Longhorns advanced to the next round where they squared off against an unstoppable Syracuse squad.

No.2 seed Kansas knocked off top-seeded Arizona as the Jayhawks held onto a 78-75 win that earned them a trip to the Final Four for the second consecutive year. Kirk Hinrich's game high 28 points and Jeff Graves' double-double helped give the Jayhawks a chance to win the title after a stopover in the Final Four.

Dwyane Wade's 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists allowed Marquette to extend their winning streak to 26 as they knocked off Kentucky during a decisive 83-69 win. Marquette advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 1977, however, their title run was cut short when they lost in a blowout against Kansas.

Top seeded Texas edged out UConn 82-78 to seal their first trip to the Elite Eight since 1990. Brandon Mouton scored 27 points on the night to put the Longhorns in a position to win it with four critical free throws in the final 21 seconds. UConn's Emeka Okafor ended up with an impressive 21 points and 17 rebounds. Texas later took on Michigan State and Syracuse in the later rounds.

Michigan State knocked defending champion Maryland out of the tournament early following a 60-58 nail biter that came down to the final few seconds. Maryland showed plenty resolve while rallying from a 14-point deficit late in the game, however, the Spartans held on long enough to earn a spot in the Elite Eight where they squared off against Texas.

In this down-to-the-wire thriller, Auburn staged an amazing comeback hitting four 3-pointers in the last 78 seconds. However, the Tigers fell one point shy as the Syracuse Orangemen hung on to win it 79-78. Despite the loss, Auburn's Marquis Daniels racked up a game high 27 points and 9 rebounds. Future NBA star Carmelo Anthony scored all 18 of his points in the second half as Syracuse rolled into the Elite Eight where they faced off against Oklahoma.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half as Marquette edged out No. 2 seed Pittsburgh 77-74. Wade dominated the second half with spectacular dunks and clutch jumpers to earn Marquette their first berth in the Elite Eight since they made their run in becoming national champs back in 1977.

Nick Collision had a huge night with 33 points and 19 rebounds as No. 2 Kansas squeaked by No. 3 Duke 69-65 in a much anticipated battle. Kansas ultimately avenged their loss against Duke in the 1991 title game and went on to make it to the National Championship once again where they took on the Orangemen.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half as Marquette edged out No. 2 seed Pittsburgh 77-74. Wade dominated the second half with spectacular dunks and clutch jumpers to earn Marquette their first berth in the Elite Eight since they made their run in becoming national champs back in 1977.

With star Keith Bogans out with a sprained left ankle, Marquis Estill scored a career-high 28 points as the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats posted their 26th victory in a row with a 63-57 win over the Wisconsin Badgers. The victory put the Wildcats on a collision course with Marquette in the Elite Eight.

Top-seeded Arizona started hot and wound up defeating Notre Dame 88-71. High school rivals Jason Gardner and Chris Thomas battled it out with Thomas scoring 20 and Gardner netting 19. Gardner ultimately won out as Arizona went on to play Kansas in the Elite Eight.