Orange Eye Fourth-Straight NCAA Tournament Appearance
3/13/2016 2:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Syracuse will find out its postseason fate on Monday night
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Prior to the 2012-13 season, the Syracuse University women's basketball program had made four NCAA Tournament appearances. That is four appearances in the 31-year history of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Now, the Orange are poised to make their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and host first and second round contests in the Carrier Dome for the first time in history.
"It's been a building process for this Syracuse program," senior guard Brianna Butler said. "We really had to start with basically nothing and make a name for ourselves. We really earned it out there. Coming in as freshmen, we always wanted to go to the NCAA Tournament. For us to achieve that each year is huge for us."
"I think it is great for us," junior guard Alexis Peterson commented on the prospect of hosting NCAA Tournament games. "We are excited about playing at home. We know how good we can play."
Certainly, one cannot downplay the role of Peterson, a First-Team All-ACC honoree, and the fellow underclassmen on this roster. But, one can look at where this program is today and thank the senior class. Undeniably, this group of student-athletes has helped greatly in pushing Syracuse into the national forefront.
The expectations were high for this year's senior class before they even arrived on campus in 2012. They were heralded as the No. 6 recruiting class in the nation by the Dan Olson Collegiate Girls' Basketball Report. Butler and redshirt junior guard Brittney Sykes were the program's third and fourth McDonald's All-Americans.
These group of players have produced nothing but success in their careers. In 129 games played, Syracuse has won 94 contests, winning a program record 72.9 percent of its games played. The Orange have been recognized nationally for their achievements on the court, earning a top-25 ranking in the Associated Press Poll 38 times since the 2012-13 season.
The most important barometer of success comes in postseason play. Syracuse is looking to earn its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, a program-first. In each of the past two seasons, the Orange have advanced to the second round of the national tournament. Only 19 programs can say tout that feat.
This season has been unlike any other. Syracuse finished the regular season with a 23-6 overall record, matching the program record for most regular season victories. The Orange finished in third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, its highest finish as a league member. In addition, the team went on an 11-game win streak before suffering a loss to No. 2/3 Notre Dame in its first ACC Tournament final.
"We have honestly been on a great run this season," stated Sykes. "We have come into a really good stretch of basketball. Let's hope that momentum carries over into the NCAA Tournament."
The future of the Syracuse University women's basketball program is unwritten. This senior class is not done etching their names into the Orange record books. The team will find its postseason fate on Monday night when the NCAA Tournament bracket is officially announced at 7 p.m. on ESPN. From there, this group will look to continue to take this program to new heights.
"Syracuse, now it sounds pretty normal to go to the NCAA Tournament," added Sykes. "We have been breaking records and making history all four years, honestly. We can leave here and now in the back of our minds that we have done all that we could in our four years here."
For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.
"It's been a building process for this Syracuse program," senior guard Brianna Butler said. "We really had to start with basically nothing and make a name for ourselves. We really earned it out there. Coming in as freshmen, we always wanted to go to the NCAA Tournament. For us to achieve that each year is huge for us."
"I think it is great for us," junior guard Alexis Peterson commented on the prospect of hosting NCAA Tournament games. "We are excited about playing at home. We know how good we can play."
Certainly, one cannot downplay the role of Peterson, a First-Team All-ACC honoree, and the fellow underclassmen on this roster. But, one can look at where this program is today and thank the senior class. Undeniably, this group of student-athletes has helped greatly in pushing Syracuse into the national forefront.
The expectations were high for this year's senior class before they even arrived on campus in 2012. They were heralded as the No. 6 recruiting class in the nation by the Dan Olson Collegiate Girls' Basketball Report. Butler and redshirt junior guard Brittney Sykes were the program's third and fourth McDonald's All-Americans.
These group of players have produced nothing but success in their careers. In 129 games played, Syracuse has won 94 contests, winning a program record 72.9 percent of its games played. The Orange have been recognized nationally for their achievements on the court, earning a top-25 ranking in the Associated Press Poll 38 times since the 2012-13 season.
The most important barometer of success comes in postseason play. Syracuse is looking to earn its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, a program-first. In each of the past two seasons, the Orange have advanced to the second round of the national tournament. Only 19 programs can say tout that feat.
This season has been unlike any other. Syracuse finished the regular season with a 23-6 overall record, matching the program record for most regular season victories. The Orange finished in third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, its highest finish as a league member. In addition, the team went on an 11-game win streak before suffering a loss to No. 2/3 Notre Dame in its first ACC Tournament final.
"We have honestly been on a great run this season," stated Sykes. "We have come into a really good stretch of basketball. Let's hope that momentum carries over into the NCAA Tournament."
The future of the Syracuse University women's basketball program is unwritten. This senior class is not done etching their names into the Orange record books. The team will find its postseason fate on Monday night when the NCAA Tournament bracket is officially announced at 7 p.m. on ESPN. From there, this group will look to continue to take this program to new heights.
"Syracuse, now it sounds pretty normal to go to the NCAA Tournament," added Sykes. "We have been breaking records and making history all four years, honestly. We can leave here and now in the back of our minds that we have done all that we could in our four years here."
For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.
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