Dateline: San Antonio. April 5, 2004. For a second straight season, a freshman phenom powers an NCAA national championship run. Ohio State hybrid forward LeBron James duplicates Carmelo Anthony’s run at Syracuse the previous season, taking charge during one of the most impressive first years in college basketball history, and culminating in the Final Four. James, the likely No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft, out-duels fellow All-American and potential No. 2 pick, Connecticut center Emeka Okafor to secure the Buckeyes’ first national championship since 1960. James shows off his versatility, guarding both Okafor and hot-shooting two-guard Ben Gordon, and leads Ohio State with 18 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. UConn head coach Jim Calhoun calls it the greatest all-around performance in Final Four history. “Bringing a championship to the people of Ohio, I can’t describe how this feels,” James tells CBS broadcaster Bonnie Berstein on the Alamaodome floor. “I don’t want to take anything away from this moment. …
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