Spring Break
The Daily OrangeGreat expectations (for a change)
After a breakout season, the anticipation has never been higher for SU women's basketball. But can the Orange live up to its inflated expectations?
By Matt Ehalt
Posted: 11/12/08, 7:38 PM EST Section: Basketball 2008
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Quentin Hillsman, head coach of the Syracuse women's basketball team, stood on the court inside Manley Field House watching his team sprint up and down the court.
In case they weren't pushing themselves hard enough, Hillsman kept prodding his players, kept blowing his whistle.
"Don't settle. Don't underachieve. Don't cheat yourself. Last seconds of the game here." The chants rang out from the coach clad in shorts and a hooded sweatshirt.
There's a reason Hillsman is so relentless, so demanding of his players. He has grandiose expectations for this program. Last year's out-of-nowhere season was nice. But it was only a start.
He made that clear at his opening press conference of the season.
"Winning a national championship (is the next big step)," Hillsman said. "We don't go into any game thinking that we are going to lose. I don't think there is any team on our schedule that we can't beat, so our expectation is to win them all and hopefully at the end of the year we can have a parade downtown. That is our goal."
Wait, a national championship at Syracuse? The same program that went 9-20 two years ago and 59-84 over the past five seasons? The school still looking for its first NCAA Tournament victory in 37 years of existence?
Yes, Syracuse.
After a breakthrough 22-9 season last year, the women's team is entering this campaign with sky-high ambitions, perhaps the highest in program history. After sneaking up on opponents at times last season, there will be nothing of that sort this time around. With nearly all its key cogs returning, the team, the media and the opposing coaches expect a big season from the Orange.
"I think we're ready to handle anything thrown at us," SU junior forward Chandrea Jones said. "I mean, everybody wasn't expecting us to handle it last year, and we handled it a lot last year. So I mean, we just gotta work together and we'll be alright."
It starts with the coach. Listening to Hillsman speak at media day, one would have thought it was the media day of Tennessee, Rutgers, Connecticut or another national contender. But it's Syracuse, and Hillsman wants his team thinking like those programs do: A national championship is the ultimate goal. Don't settle for less.
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