SU has won six consecutive games to improve to 7-1, its best start since beginning with the same mark during the 1997-98 season.
Cohesive Team, Hillsman Look Forward to Season
12/10/2007 9:46:50 AM | Women's Basketball
By Stefanie Slekis
It is a Sunday evening on South Campus at Syracuse University, the smell of turkey and other scrumptious home cooked foods fills the apartment as laughter can be heard from outside.
Inside the apartment is the Syracuse women’s basketball team. Since sophomore transfer Vionca Murray’s mom was in town Murray invited the team over for a delicious home cooked meal. After eating, Murray and junior transfer Chandrea Jones have started their own dance show, accompanied by a few other girls, they stomp, jump, and have everyone watching them “Crank Dat Soulja Boy.”
“It’s a funny team,” head women’s basketball coach Quentin Hillsman said. “I think we’re kind of leading right now by committing because we have so many new players.”
This is Hillsman's second season as head coach of the Orange, who was 9-20-0 in his first season in 2006-2007. Some of these new players include freshman standout Erica Morrow a McDonald’s All-American, fellow freshman Marisa Gobuty, a member of the Israeli National team, and transfers Murray and Jones.
The Syracuse women’s basketball team is not only looking to have a successful season this year, but it is also looking ahead and working hard to create a program that will continue to have success. Part of what should make this program successful is Hillsman’s ability to bring in great players from diverse backgrounds and have them work as a cohesive unit. Murray played at Virginia Tech for a year before joining Hillsman, while Morrow learned to play with other high school elites at the McDonald’s All-America game. The seniors on the team are also part of this cohesiveness as they have embraced Hillsman’s coaching techniques and new program and worked hard to help create a united team with the new freshman and transfers.
The commitment these players have towards the program is apparent in their practices.
“This year it’s a lot more intense and we get up and down the court,” fifth-year senior Tracey Harbut said.
While Hillsman stands prominently on the court, arms crossed, and whistle in mouth, the players encourage each other and stay motivated as they repeat plays with vigor until Hillsman is satisfied. The whistle blows.
Hillsman gives a clap and states, “good.”
“I think the freshman and the transfers have come in and just kind of nestled together with us, they work well with us,” Harbut said. “Everybody gets along, we have chemistry.”
The chemistry the team has on the court is evident by how well they pass and communicate with each other while running plays during practice.
Harbut believes that the chemistry on the court comes from how well all the players get along off the court.
“We always hang out,” Murray added. “We love hanging out together, it’s a lot of fun, everybody is just cool.”
The players definitely were having fun at their team dinner that Sunday evening. They made jokes and laughed and applauded each other’s dancing abilities. Murray explained that it is always like that when the team hangs out. They enjoy each other’s company and have a good time.
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