Erica Morrow’s struggles this season come at the most inopportune time for both herself and Syracuse.

She entered the season as the Orange’s star player and the heir apparent to Nicole Michael. But she is just fourth on SU in scoring this year at 10 points per game. The struggles put a damper on Morrow’s final season.

And the down year is also putting a damper on SU’s chances of getting back to the NCAA Tournament.

‘I knew it was going to be tough,’ Morrow said. ‘But I never thought it was going to be this tough.’

Morrow and Tasha Harris are the only players on this year’s team who have experienced an NCAA Tournament game in a Syracuse uniform. But entering a year in which expectations were arguably as high as ever for the program, the Orange finds itself in the same position it did last year: on the bubble.

It’s a phrase no one wants to hear. But in reality, SU and its head coach Quentin Hillsman are as much on the cusp of its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history as it is on its way to a third straight National Invitation Tournament bid. Syracuse (17-7, 5-6 Big East) plays Louisville (16-9, 7-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome, in a game that could go a long way toward punching SU’s ticket to either tournament.

‘Coach is talking about he wants to get 8-8,’ SU guard Iasia Hemingway said. ‘So if we can get 8-8, I think we will definitely be in a great position.’

To reach that mark, Syracuse will need to rely on Morrow. Statistically, though, this season has been her worst in her four years at SU. She is averaging a career low in points per game, and although she is playing more point guard, her assist total has not improved much.

There have been some high points — her season-high 27 points led SU to a win over then-No. 6 Ohio State. But there have been far more low points — her scoreless outing against Rutgers on Feb. 6 being just one of a few. She missed a game earlier in the season due to an injury, and she left Syracuse’s win Saturday against Villanova with a thumb injury.

With Morrow out, Hillsman used only six players in the second half of what became a 21-point Syracuse victory. With his starting point guard out, Harris ran the point for the full 20 minutes of the second half.

Hillsman said after the game that Morrow would be ready to go Wednesday. And judging by the lack of substitutions in the Villanova game, she will be needed.

‘Erica jammed her thumb, nothing major,’ Hillsman said. ‘She hurt it the other day in practice, actually, and just kind of reaggravated it when she jammed it.’

When Morrow thinks back on her SU career, she said it is almost like she took her freshman year for granted. The Syracuse program made such a jump in that season — winning 10 Big East games, almost winning an NCAA Tournament game — and at the time, it seemed like the Orange was a program rising exponentially.

But that rise has stalled for the past two seasons with two NIT appearances.

The two talented freshmen along for the ride in 2008 have grown up and become the leaders. They haven’t yet done what their elders did three years ago, though. And Morrow said that makes her respect the seniors on the 2008 team even more.

‘We took it for granted a lot, their hard jobs, because we (were) kind of young kids, running around and just transitioning from high school to college,’ Morrow said. ‘But you definitely understand more, so the little tidbits they were trying to give you or little advice they were trying to give you back then, now.’

Morrow said when trying to mentor the freshmen and sophomores on this year’s team, she has to keep thinking back to when she was a freshman. She brushed off the teaching points the seniors in 2008 had for her.

In these final five regular-season games, though, she hopes the young players listen to what the now well-traveled veteran has to say.

‘It definitely has been a mix of emotions,’ Morrow said. ‘Coach is, he’s on us, and he understands the urgency. And I think we do, as players, understand how urgent it is for us right now to get more wins.’

mcooperj@syr.edu

 

Published on February 15, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Mark: mcooperj@syr.edu | @mark_cooperjr