Finalists last season, Syracuse starts anew
Syracuse coach Quentin Hillsman has not watched the tape of last season’s NCAA championship game against Connecticut. That’s not uncommon, since Hillsman hardly ever watches film of games that the Orange lost.
Besides, it’s not like he needs a reminder of that one anyway.
Going to the national title game last season — as a No. 4 seed, a relatively uncommon occurrence in women’s basketball — didn’t make Hillsman change his expectations. From the very beginning of his collegiate coaching life as an assistant at Siena nearly two decades ago, Hillsman has always put lofty demands on himself.
He’ll do the same this weekend when Syracuse starts another NCAA quest — in Storrs, Connecticut, with a title-game rematch against No. 1 UConn looming as a second-round possibility. The eighth-seeded Orange open on Saturday against No. 9 Iowa State, while the Huskies begin with 16th-seeded Albany.
“Anything can happen, and we know that, and we’re just ready to go out and compete,” Hillsman said after Syracuse fell earlier this month in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. “That’s why we do it. We’re in the best conference in the country, and it really prepares you for anything you’re going to see in the NCAA Tournament.” Even UConn? Hillsman isn’t the least bit worried about the Orange looking ahead to a potential rematch.
“Play the Iowa State tape,” he said. “I think that’ll keep us focused.”
The Orange (21-10) struggled at times this season, but there are reasons for optimism heading into this NCAA run.
Syracuse’s offense is improved over a year ago, though the defensive numbers aren’t quite as airtight as last season — or as Hillsman would like. Then again, hardly anyone would have picked the Orange to be a title contender at the start of the 2016 tournament, either.
“We’ve always talked about winning championships at our place,” Hillsman said. “We’ve always talked about winning at a high level. We’re in the ACC. If it’s not your goal to go undefeated and win the national championship, you shouldn’t be doing it. Last season made me realize you don’t want to go backwards. You want to stay at a level. So we try to push forward.”