Orange women’s basketball makes NIT for 1st time, will play Canisius Wednesday
As Quentin Hillsman watched the NCAA women’s basketball selection show, a certain Big East omission caught the Syracuse women’s basketball head coach’s attention. It wasn’t his own squad’s absence, but rather South Florida’s.
‘It was funny because once South Florida didn’t get into the NCAA Tournament, I knew that it probably took one of the spots from our conference out of postseason play,’ Hillsman said. ‘That did get me a little nervous.’
The nervousness stemmed from the fact that USF missing the NCAA secured it a bid in the NIT, the only tournament the Orange could make, and it could possibly shun the Orange from both tournaments.
But the nerves were eventually calmed. Around 11:20 p.m., Hillsman didn’t have to worry about USF taking away a bid from the Orange, his squad’s spot was safe and secure in the NIT.
For the first time in program history, Syracuse will make back-to-back postseason tournament appearances, as the Orange will host Canisius Wednesday in the opening round of the NIT at the Carrier Dome. The Orange will be appearing in its first NIT.
‘It’s everything,’ Hillsman said in a telephone interview. ‘We always talk about postseason play and obviously you want to be in the NCAA Tournament and win the national championship, but we are still playing in the postseason. We talk about every year about being a postseason team. We’re very happy to be playing.’
One season after earning an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament, the Orange had virtually no chance of making the Big Dance after finishing 5-12 in the Big East. Since the Orange finished above .500 overall and in the Big East, which secured seven bids in the NCAA tournament, the Orange had a chance for an at-large bid in the NIT.
While the NIT only takes 17 at-large bids, (31 teams are granted automatic bids for not making the Tournament, but finishing second in their conference and above .500 overall), SU found a way to be one of those 17 squads.
In his three years as head coach, Hillsman has now led his team to postseason play in two of the seasons. While there is still work to go to build the team into the national contender that Hillsman envisions, his mark on the program is certainly creating a ripple.
‘One thing we really talked about doing when we started was just changing the culture of Syracuse women’s basketball,’ Hillsman said. ‘And I think that by us being in the postseason again for back-to-back years and also have a committee vote you into a tournament that means we are a very good, solid program.’
The game will also allow seniors Chandrea Jones and Lina Lisnere to advance their careers for at least one last game, a hopeful better ending than the presumed last game in a last-second loss to St. John’s in the Big East tournament. Hillsman said he is glad the duo can extend their collegiate days.
Although he might have talked about an NCAA Championship at the beginning of the season, Hillsman will have to settle for a chance to win a different tournament this March, compared to last year.
While their may be only 48 teams in the NIT and no Final Four trip, the NIT still gives him a chance to do what we proclaimed at the beginning of the season: win a championship.
‘Where we are now, it’s still a chance to win a championship, it just has to be an NIT championship,’ Hillsman said. ‘It (missing NCAA) doesn’t hamper anything we’ve done. We’ve stayed positive and upbeat throughout this while season it’s been one of those things where we have been close a lot all year long. We’re just excited for a chance to be playing and come back home and play in front of our crowd.’
