Head Coach Quentin Hillsman at the NCAA First Round press conference in Starkville, Miss.
Media Central: NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament
3/16/2018 3:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Starkville, Miss. – The NCAA Tournament was in full effect for Syracuse on Friday in Starkville with a press conference and media practice ahead of Saturday's first round game against 9-seed Oklahoma State at 3:30 pm EST (2:30 CST). The Orange earned the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Regional and will make their sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh under head coach Quentin Hillsman.
"It's a great time of the year," said Hillsman. "Every year, this is what I want my spring break to be. I hope spring break is over for the rest of my life, and we're just playing basketball. Going into this season, we understood what success was. We want to win a national championship, and you can't do that without being in this tournament. This is another opportunity to win another national championship, and that's our goal every year. We have a great young team, and we have high expectations. Our expectations are to be here and compete for championships."
Hillsman has led the Orange to the NCAA Tournament in seven of his 12 seasons at the helm of the program. For the fourth time in program history and second in as many years, 'Cuse has earned an 8-seed. Last year Syracuse defeated Iowa State 85-65 in Storrs, Conn., in an 8/9 matchup before being eliminated by Connecticut in the second round.
But Syracuse and Oklahoma State have never met before. Ever.
"The eight and nine seed games are always very even matchups. We have a tough opponent that has had some great success," Hillsman said. "They have players who put up 18 to 20 points per game. We understand the task in front of us."
(3/16/2018) Media Day at NCAA Tournament
Press Conference Quotes
Quentin Hillsman, Head Coach:
On team expectations...
"We wanted to define roles, get the level of intensity we wanted and blend new talent. Expectations are the biggest part of getting new talent. We don't make low hanging goals that we know we can reach. My dreams scare me. We are trying to win national championships. If your dreams don't scare you, then you're cheating yourself. We don't let our kids cheat themselves by thinking a successful season is just being here or winning 10 conference games. We want to go undefeated and win national championships. You want to win them all and win championships. We want to play to a different level."
On tomorrow's matchup...
"It's going to be a contract of styles. We will play fast, press and run. They will run when they have opportunities. Their strength is their point guard attacking the rim. They play high level basketball. It's going to be a contract of styles, and I think that will be the difference. It will be a very good game."
Tiana Mangakahia, Sophomore Point Guard:
On Oklahoma State…
"We watched a bit of film last night. They have a very good point guard. Their post players look very versatile, and they like contact. Key points are pushing the ball. We run well in transition and we want to make them run with us."
On team strengths…
"Our strengths are definitely shooting. When we knock down shots, we can win the game. When we played UNC, we had 20 threes that game. That's what we need to stick to. We need to focus, push the ball and work together in transition. We need to work as a team."
Gabrielle Cooper, Sophomore Guard:
On facing Oklahoma State for the first time this season…
"We have a lot of media and hype. They've probably seen film of us. When you play us, you never know who will come out and shine. We have people who can put up big games, every game. They will need to face that adversity at some point in the game. You don't know where it's going to come from."
On what will make the difference…
"I think our preparation will make the difference. Our coach has prepared us and we've put in a lot of work. We've had a lot of good practices since the ACC Tournament. I think we will come out and play our game. We will play patient and fast at the same time. We will do what we do, and make shots. If we stick to our game, we will be fine."
Saturday's tip-off is slated for 3:30 pm EST (2:30 pm CST) on ESPN2 with Courtney Lyle and Tamika Catchings on the call.
For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.
"It's a great time of the year," said Hillsman. "Every year, this is what I want my spring break to be. I hope spring break is over for the rest of my life, and we're just playing basketball. Going into this season, we understood what success was. We want to win a national championship, and you can't do that without being in this tournament. This is another opportunity to win another national championship, and that's our goal every year. We have a great young team, and we have high expectations. Our expectations are to be here and compete for championships."
Hillsman has led the Orange to the NCAA Tournament in seven of his 12 seasons at the helm of the program. For the fourth time in program history and second in as many years, 'Cuse has earned an 8-seed. Last year Syracuse defeated Iowa State 85-65 in Storrs, Conn., in an 8/9 matchup before being eliminated by Connecticut in the second round.
But Syracuse and Oklahoma State have never met before. Ever.
"The eight and nine seed games are always very even matchups. We have a tough opponent that has had some great success," Hillsman said. "They have players who put up 18 to 20 points per game. We understand the task in front of us."
Press Conference Quotes
Quentin Hillsman, Head Coach:
On team expectations...
"We wanted to define roles, get the level of intensity we wanted and blend new talent. Expectations are the biggest part of getting new talent. We don't make low hanging goals that we know we can reach. My dreams scare me. We are trying to win national championships. If your dreams don't scare you, then you're cheating yourself. We don't let our kids cheat themselves by thinking a successful season is just being here or winning 10 conference games. We want to go undefeated and win national championships. You want to win them all and win championships. We want to play to a different level."
On tomorrow's matchup...
"It's going to be a contract of styles. We will play fast, press and run. They will run when they have opportunities. Their strength is their point guard attacking the rim. They play high level basketball. It's going to be a contract of styles, and I think that will be the difference. It will be a very good game."
Tiana Mangakahia, Sophomore Point Guard:
On Oklahoma State…
"We watched a bit of film last night. They have a very good point guard. Their post players look very versatile, and they like contact. Key points are pushing the ball. We run well in transition and we want to make them run with us."
On team strengths…
"Our strengths are definitely shooting. When we knock down shots, we can win the game. When we played UNC, we had 20 threes that game. That's what we need to stick to. We need to focus, push the ball and work together in transition. We need to work as a team."
Gabrielle Cooper, Sophomore Guard:
On facing Oklahoma State for the first time this season…
"We have a lot of media and hype. They've probably seen film of us. When you play us, you never know who will come out and shine. We have people who can put up big games, every game. They will need to face that adversity at some point in the game. You don't know where it's going to come from."
On what will make the difference…
"I think our preparation will make the difference. Our coach has prepared us and we've put in a lot of work. We've had a lot of good practices since the ACC Tournament. I think we will come out and play our game. We will play patient and fast at the same time. We will do what we do, and make shots. If we stick to our game, we will be fine."
Saturday's tip-off is slated for 3:30 pm EST (2:30 pm CST) on ESPN2 with Courtney Lyle and Tamika Catchings on the call.
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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