Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- qjhillsm@syr.edu
- Phone:
- 3761
The 2007-08 BIG EAST Coach of the Year Quentin Hillsman led the Orange to one of the most successful seasons in history. SU won more than 20 games for the third time in its 37-year history, while setting a standard for Orange NCAA regular-season wins (22). Hillsman became just the second Syracuse head coach to be named BIG EAST Coach of Year and the first since 1987-88 (Barbara Jacobs).
The Orange tallied a winning record for the first time since the 2001-02 season and for only the second time in 18 years. SU also finished above .500 in the BIG EAST for the first time since the 2001-02 season and for the sixth time overall. Syracuse posted the second-best turnaround in the nation, winning 13 more games in 2007-08 than it did in 2006-07.
The 2007-08 season was also highlighted by individual accolades. Junior guard Chandrea Jones earned second-team All-BIG EAST honors and sophomore forward Nicole Michael received honorable mention for the second consecutive season. Syracuse also landed a rookie on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team for the second consecutive year as guards Tasha Harris and Erica Morrow followed up Michael’s naming to the 2006-07 squad. The four all-league players are the most in the history of the program and the two all-freshman team members were also a program best.
ORANGE BEGINNINGS
After just one season on the sidelines, it was clear that Hillsman has the program heading in the right direction. He helped guide the Orange to victories at St. John’s and Georgetown, along with wins against Villanova, Rhode Island, Binghamton, UC Davis, Cornell, Colgate and Loyola.
Even more impressive were the players individual success. Current junior Michael had a magical first season on the SU campus. Michael earned All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention accolades and was named to the conference’s all-rookie team after setting numerous Syracuse records. Vaida Sipaviciute became the 16th player in school history to record 1,000 career points. Fantasia Goodwin and Michael led the Orange during two regular-season tournaments in 2006-07. The Orange competed in the Brown Classic and San Juan Shootout, compiling a 3-1 record. Syracuse played first in the Brown Classic in early December, claiming the title with victories against Rhode Island and UC Davis. The crown marked the first tournament title for the Orange since the team claimed the Carrier Classic and Dartmouth Blue Sky Classic titles during the 2000-01 campaign. Michael was named the Brown Classic Most Valuable Player, averaging 18.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Goodwin also picked up All-Tournament accolades after posting 19 points and nine rebounds in the title game.
RECRUITING
The future of the SU women’s basketball program is bright. For the second consecutive season, Hillsman and the Orange signed a top-15 class. The 2007 class was ranked No. 13 by College Girl’s Basketball Report and No. 15 by Blue Star Basketball. It included the No. 24, No. 54, No. 58 and No. 59 high school seniors and the No. 30 junior college player in the country.
In November of 2006, Hillsman put together Syracuse’s best recruiting class ever. The class, which included the Orange’s first two McDonald’s All-Americans, was ranked the 11th-best in the country by All-Star Girls Report and the 13th-best according to Blue Star Basketball. It included three top-100 high school seniors and the No. 1, No. 3, No. 28 and No. 95 junior college players in the country.
Hillsman joined the SU coaching staff in March 2005 and made his mark as the team’s recruiting coordinator, spearheading the efforts that landed the 45th-best class in the nation according to the All-Star Girls Report. In addition to his recruiting duties, he was also involved in player development, scouting and game preparation. Prior to his appointment at SU, Hillsman spent one season as an assistant coach at Alabama with current SU assistant Rick Moody.
COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
In addition to his prep school experience, Hillsman has several seasons of collegiate experience as an assistant. Hillsman traversed the East Coast coaching circles with stops at Alabama, American University and Siena College, as well as the men’s staff of his alma mater, St. Mary’s College (Md.). While at Siena, Hillsman was on the staff with current Orange associate head coach Matt Luneau. That season, the Saints won the MAAC regular-season and tournament titles and earned a berth in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
Hillsman has experience at almost every level of basketball. Before his stint at Alabama, he served as the head girls’ basketball coach at The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C., where he guided the squad to a 26-1 overall record. The year before he led Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute to a perfect 22-0 record. Both teams were regarded among the premier girls prep teams in the country. His resume also includes a prep stop at The Newport School, where he was on the staff of both the girls and boys’ teams. In one season as the girls’ head coach, Hillsman produced a 22-7 record and was voted the Montgomery County Gazette’s Girls Varsity Private School Coach of the Year.
In all, Hillsman coached 24 women who received Division I scholarships. On the men’s side, 12 of his charges earned Division I scholarships, including eventual NBA Lottery pick DerMarr Johnson. Johnson was the sixth pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks after being named Conference USA Freshman of the Year in his only season at Cincinnati. Hillsman coached two Parade All-Americans, one on the men’s side and one on the women’s side.
PLAYING DAYS
A native of Suitland, Md., Hillsman graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 1993 after a standout playing career with the Seahawks. He led the squad to two Capital Athletic Conference championships and one tournament championship. He earned all-conference accolades and set the school’s single-game and single-season assist records.
Hillsman finished his senior season ranked in the top 20 in the nation in assists. He was also in the top five for both assists and steals among all Maryland Division II and III schools. Hillsman studied sport management at the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala. from 1994-96.
He and his wife, Shandrist, reside in Jamesville.
SYRACUSE BEGINNINGS
Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross elevated Hillsman to the position of head coach on October 17, 2006 after he had spent one year as an assistant coach with the Orange. He is only the fourth coach in the 37-year history of the Orange program.
