High Post Hoops
Fansided

ACC team-by-team previews: Notre Dame, Duke battle for the top

By Arielle Chambers

TALLAHASSEE, FL - JANUARY 12: Asia Durr (25) guard Louisville Cardinals stumbles with the basketball against Brittany Brown (12) guard Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) match-up on Thursday, January 12, 2017, at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Florida. FSU wins 65-72. (Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - JANUARY 12: Asia Durr (25) guard Louisville Cardinals stumbles with the basketball against Brittany Brown (12) guard Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles in an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) match-up on Thursday, January 12, 2017, at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Florida. FSU wins 65-72. (Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 13
Next

Syracuse

Projected finish: 7th

Last year’s record: 22-11, 11-5 ACC

Key Returners (last season’s stats)

G-Gabby Cooper, 5’10, (Lansing, IL), SO- 9.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 29.8 MPG; set school record for first-year player with 81 three pointers, Cuse’s only returning starter.

Biggest losses (last season’s stats)

G- Brittney Sykes, 5’9, (Newark, NJ)- 19.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 33.3 MPG; selected seventh overall in 2017 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream, ranked first in program history with 137 starts.

G- Alexis Peterson, 5’7, (Columbus, OH)- 23.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 35.6 MPG; selected 15th overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm, ranked first on school’s all-time assists list (590).

SYRACUSE, NY – JANUARY 12: Gabby Cooper
SYRACUSE, NY – JANUARY 12: Gabby Cooper /

Newcomers

C- Amaya Finklea-Guity, 6’4, (Dorchester, MA), FR- five-star recruit ranked 40th by espnW HoopGurlz.  

G- Tiana Mangakahia, 5’6 (Meadowbrook, AUS), SO- top-ranked junior college point guard by espnW HoopGurlz.

F- Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi, 6’2, (Paris, FRA), FR- 2017 FIBA U20 European Championship: 12.0 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 1.7 APG.

Head Coach

Quentin Hillsman, 12th season

“We’re very deep this year at the guard spot…They’re going to play the way they want to play,” Coach Hillsman said.  

Syracuse has a notable number of international players on the team. HIllsman said, “[The international players] come in with a different mentality and work ethic. They know what it means to play with passion, [knowing it’s] something bigger than you.”

Key non-conference games

Nov. 30- Northwestern

Dec. 9– Drexel

Dec. 21– Mississippi State

Outlook

This is a Syracuse team that lost former All-American Brittney Sykes and offensive terror Alexis Peterson, but are still guard-deep with freshmen and transfers. 

At center, Cuse added five-star recruit Amaya Finklea-Guity.  Cooper is the only returning starter, as five freshmen (seven total newcomers)  join the roster. The team, because of their guard position so deep, should be able to avoid the otherwise painful transition to a Peterson and Sykes-less team.  Hillsman teams are known for easily transitioning into a new dynamic upon player graduation.

Best case scenario:

Depth in guard position makes the young, transitional Syracuse an offensive threat. Tiana Mangakahia and Gabby Cooper lead this team to a top five position in the ACC.

Worst case scenario:

Without Brittney Sykes and Alexis Peterson, not to mention Cooper being the only returning starter, this is a fresh starting lineup that lacks experience  to compete with experienced ACC guard combos such as Duke’s Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell.

Home/ACC