WBB : SU looks to move forward
As Quentin Hillsman answered questions from the media Wednesday, the Syracuse head coach couldn’t help but gaze at the 2003 men’s basketball national championship banner hanging from the rafters of the Carrier Dome.
‘We might just get one of those banners from 2003,’ said Hillsman, looking at Jim Boeheim’s photo. ‘I don’t think any goal that I’ve set for my kids are unrealistic. We do intend on going out and winning every basketball game. You can make any goals that you want to make, and it just might happen.’
It’s not the type of statement one would expect from a coach whose team was just demolished in a 54-point blowout by Connecticut four days earlier. But Hillsman didn’t see the game as a devastating loss. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity for the team to have ‘a new beginning.’
That new team’s mentality will be tested Saturday as the Orange returns to the Carrier Dome to take on Big East rival No. 25 Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. SU will look to snap its two-game losing streak.
For Syracuse to accomplish that objective, it will first have to establish a lead against the Panthers. And as of late, that’s been a difficult challenge for Hillsman’s team.
In the last two games, the Orange hasn’t led for any period of time, a statistic that didn’t factor into Hillsman’s game preparation for his upcoming showdown.
‘No, I didn’t know that, and I don’t think (the team) even know that,’ Hillsman said of his team’s drought. ‘I don’t think that’s a thing that affects you mentally because obviously our best games are the games where we have been behind to take the lead and win basketball games.’
Still, SU doesn’t intend to reflect on its past problems any longer, due to its new approach. From here on out, all eyes are toward the future. And no player is happier to have that fresh start than junior forward Nicole Michael.
Michael, who has been at the center of controversy all week, was relieved to learn that she would not be reprimanded by Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese for her postgame confrontation with UConn coach Geno Auriemma.
With the burden off her shoulders, Michael believes all the criticisms stemming from the incident will essentially provide her with added motivation for the duration of the season.
‘I get to play. I’m happy,’ Michael said. ‘It’s been distracting, but I have to keep my head up and keep working hard. I’m sure it will light a fire under my feet, for me to play harder and stronger.’
That appears to be timely news for the Orange. Despite having its fourth-best start in school history (13-5, 2-3 Big East), the squad has not lived up to expectations so far during Big East play.
Syracuse has already dropped three of its first five conference games, and another loss could be detrimental for the team’s confidence down the road. While SU still has 11 conference games remaining, the team recognizes the need to approach the Pittsburgh game with urgency.
‘We need some W’s in the Big East, and Pittsburgh is a great team,’ SU sophomore guard Erica Morrow said. ‘It’s on our home floor. We need to get a W; we can’t lose on our home floor again. We may have to go a little harder (than against UConn), because Pittsburgh is a physical team.’
Even with all the challenges that Morrow and her team have endured, Morrow has also bought into her coach’s vision and believes the loss to UConn could be a stepping stone for the Syracuse program.
Morrow is convinced that one day she could help fulfill Hillsman’s dream and bring a national championship banner to the Carrier Dome’s rafters.
‘We got to see firsthand what a national championship caliber team is,’ Morrow said. ‘If that’s what it takes to win, that’s what we want to learn how to do to win championships. I’ve never doubted (Hillsman) from the time he started recruiting me till today as I’m a sophomore. You never know what can happen, but that’s going to be our goal.’
