Head coach Quentin Hillsman addresses the media on hand for the BIG EAST Media Day held at the ESPN Zone.
Women's Basketball Invades New York City
10/25/2007 10:38:23 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK – The cameras and tape recorders were rolling as members of the Orange women's basketball team participated in BIG EAST Media Day at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan Thursday. Head coach Quentin Hillsman, senior center Vaida Sipaviciute and sophomore forward/guard Nicole Michael attended the festivities and interacted with the media about the upcoming season.
Hillsman was participating in his second BIG EAST Media Day as head coach of the Orange. He will be guiding five starters, eight letterwinners from a year ago and six newcomers. The freshman class is being touted as the best incoming class in school history.
Sipaviciute is only the 16th student-athlete in school history to register more than 1,000 career points. Last year she finished second on the team with 13.2 points per game and third with 5.8 rebounds per game. She led the Orange with a .468 shooting percentage, .723 free throw percentage and 57 blocks.
Last season Michael was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team and received honorable mention all-conference honors by averaging 17.3 points per game – sixth in the conference. She became the first Orange to eclipse the 500-point plateau in a single season, setting the Syracuse record with 501 points.
The Orange is slated 13th in the BIG EAST preseason poll, up two spots from a year ago. Connecticut (225) has been projected to win the conference and Rutgers (111) and West Virginia (186) are slated to finish two and three, respectively.
The Orange begins competition by participating in the Women's National Invitational Championship in Chapel Hill, N.C. The team plays Coppin State on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 3:30 p.m. and North Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. SU begins its home schedule when it hosts Lehigh on Sunday, Nov. 25 at Manley Field House. Click here to purchase tickets.
| 2007-08 Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Pool | |
| 1. | Connecticut (225) |
| 2. | Rutgers (211) |
| 3. | West Virginia (186) |
| 4. | Pittsburgh (169) |
| 5. | Notre Dame (165) |
| 6. | Louisville (154) |
| 7. | DePaul (152) |
| 8. | Marquette (124) |
| 9. | South Florida (105) |
| 10. | Seton Hall (93) |
| 11. | St. John's (83) |
| 12. | Villanova (77) |
| 13. | Syracuse (61) |
| 14. | Cincinnati (49) |
| 15. | Providence (36) |
| 16. | Georgetown (20) |
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