Iasia Hemingway could only smile as she thought about the number of options she’ll have when deciding who to pass to. She could go to the perimeter to any of Syracuse’s capable shooters, or she could dish it off inside to Kayla Alexander.

With so many scoring threats, Hemingway has reason to smile. Wherever she goes, she can do so without apprehension.

‘Our perimeter shooters are shooting well,’ Hemingway said. ‘And with them shooting well and Kayla finishing well around the basket, with me getting the ball at the high post and making decisions, it’s easy now. I don’t have to worry about who I’m passing to. I know for a fact that they’re going to make a play.’

For a team looking to break out of a streak of Women’s National Invitation Tournament appearances and earn a berth in the NCAA tournament, that’s going to be key. Syracuse hasn’t been in the tournament since 2008, repeatedly held back with a lack of big victories to make its case to the selection committee. Now, the Orange has five of its top six scorers back, and with that experience on offense and a new up-tempo defensive system, SU head coach Quentin Hillsman and his players say the pieces are in place to finally get over the WNIT hump.

The Orange has its first game of the season on Sunday against Long Beach State at 1 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

Hillsman said he doesn’t want to completely forget last season. If anything, the 2010-11 season, in which SU won 25 games and finished its campaign with a 71-68 overtime loss to Toledo in the WNIT quarterfinals, should provide extra motivation for a team that’s returning most of its starters.

‘We’ve got to continue where we left off, obviously,’ Hillsman said. ‘I thought that last year, winning 25 games was very, very big for us. We want to continue doing the things we’ve done to get the ball into the high post to Iasia and getting the ball down to Kayla. That’s been very good for us.’

Sunday will also be the first time the Orange gets to see whether it can absorb the loss of point guard Erica Morrow, who is now on the bench as a graduate assistant. Morrow was the third-leading scorer on the team last season, averaging 10.1 points per game.

Sophomore Rachel Coffey will likely take over as the starting point guard after starting only two games last season. As a freshman, Coffey only averaged 8.3 minutes per game and one point per game.

Having Morrow on the bench is only going to help both Coffey and La’Shay Taft, who is also going to be seeing time at the point. Morrow will be able to mentor them through the process and give them pointers on leading the offense.

Hemingway said Coffey and Taft both offer different abilities that can make them forces on the floor, and in turn, are two of the steady options she has confidence in passing to.

She said Taft brings speed and quality shooting, while Coffey’s overall IQ of the game can immediately upgrade Syracuse’s level of play. Although Syracuse lost one of its most consistent scorers from a year ago in Morrow, it could be gaining two more in her place.

And Hillsman said he could already see in preseason that Coffey’s been more vocal than she’s ever been when directing the offense.

‘Obviously, our skills are getting better. We’re playing more faster,’ Coffey said. ‘Talent-wise, it’s been there since last year. It’s just that everyone’s improving more, so you could see the talent more.’

Defensively, SU will be employing a faster, more up-tempo style of defense to force turnovers and minimize scoring opportunities for the other team. The pressure defense will also create opportunities for easy baskets in transition for the Orange, which will put points on the board even when the SU offense isn’t clicking.

And that new defensive system coupled with its dynamic offense could be just the formula the Orange needs to attain its postseason aspirations.

For Hemingway, it means helping to lead a faster, more athletic team that’s hungry to ends its streak of seasons without an NCAA tournament appearance.

‘It’s going to be real intense,’ Hemingway said. ‘Honestly, I think it’s going to be a great year. On Sunday, you’re going to see a lot of different things.’

cjiseman@syr.edu

Published on November 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman