Senior center Kayla Alexander is interviewed by Matt Park at Orange media day.
Women's Basketball Hosts Media Day
10/12/2012 5:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Syracuse University women's basketball team celebrated the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign when coaches and student-athletes hosted members of the media during the Orange's annual media day on Friday at the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center. The squad will participate in "Orange Madness" at the Carrier Dome Friday evening.
"We are very excited about the team we have," head coach Quintin Hillsman said. "We have a very good crop of players who, I believe, have a great opportunity to play at such a high level. Coming into this season, we tried to put together a schedule that would give us the opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament."
2012-13 looks to be an exciting season for the Orange as it returns four starters – two-time All-BIG EAST center Kayla Alexander and guards Rachel Coffey, Elashier Hall and Carmen Tyson-Thomas - and eight of its top nine scorers from last season, when it made its fifth straight postseason, advancing to the semifinals of the WNIT.
"We want this to be a different year," Alexander said. "We want to be better than the year before, so everybody is giving their all."
Hillsman welcomes a freshman class of five this season. The talented group was ranked as the sixth-best recruiting class in the country by ESPN Hoopgurlz and features McDonald's All-Americans Brianna Butler and Brittney Sykes, Parade All-American Pachis Roberts, guard Cornelia Fondren and forward Taylor Ford.
"With the class we have coming in, we have the opportunity to be very competitive," Hillsman said. "We are very excited about the depth we have at every position."
Syracuse opens the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 11 when it hosts Fairleigh Dickinson at the Carrier Dome in a 5 p.m. tip-off.
Follow Syracuse Women's Basketball: Twitter | Facebook
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Syracuse University women's basketball team celebrated the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign when coaches and student-athletes hosted members of the media during the Orange's annual media day on Friday at the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center. The squad will participate in "Orange Madness" at the Carrier Dome Friday evening.
"We are very excited about the team we have," head coach Quintin Hillsman said. "We have a very good crop of players who, I believe, have a great opportunity to play at such a high level. Coming into this season, we tried to put together a schedule that would give us the opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament."
2012-13 looks to be an exciting season for the Orange as it returns four starters – two-time All-BIG EAST center Kayla Alexander and guards Rachel Coffey, Elashier Hall and Carmen Tyson-Thomas - and eight of its top nine scorers from last season, when it made its fifth straight postseason, advancing to the semifinals of the WNIT.
"We want this to be a different year," Alexander said. "We want to be better than the year before, so everybody is giving their all."
Hillsman welcomes a freshman class of five this season. The talented group was ranked as the sixth-best recruiting class in the country by ESPN Hoopgurlz and features McDonald's All-Americans Brianna Butler and Brittney Sykes, Parade All-American Pachis Roberts, guard Cornelia Fondren and forward Taylor Ford.
"With the class we have coming in, we have the opportunity to be very competitive," Hillsman said. "We are very excited about the depth we have at every position."
Syracuse opens the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 11 when it hosts Fairleigh Dickinson at the Carrier Dome in a 5 p.m. tip-off.
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