Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman has reiterated the idea that his team has “seven starters.”

Seven players play starters’ minutes, and all players on the SU roster play in the game.

But Hillsman said that if basketball was a game played six-on-six, he would start sophomore Taylor Ford. The forward has excelled early in the season, taking the reins from the graduated Big East Sixth Man of the Year Carmen Tyson-Thomas.

“We’re going to look for her when she’s in the game,” Hillsman said. “She’s a player that’s coming off the bench who should be a starter. Her performance coming off the bench has been tremendous.”

On Wednesday night, Ford will look to continue a productive stretch as the Orange (3-0) hosts Maryland Eastern Shore (1-2) at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

“She’s been rebounding and hitting the open shot,” SU guard Brianna Butler said. “Right now she’s probably one of the best 3-point shooters on our team. She’s knocking down the open shots, she’s playing hard, and she’s doing exactly what coach needs of her and what the team needs of her.”

With the graduation of center Kayla Alexander and the transfer of forward Pachis Roberts to Georgia, Ford’s minutes have skyrocketed. The 6-foot forward averaged just five minutes per game last season, yet in SU’s season-opener against Washington State this year, she played 25.

In a game where SU took the lead for good with only 47 seconds remaining, Ford shot just 1-of-9 and finished with three points.

“I think the first game at Washington State everyone shot bad, so it was one of those things where nobody shot the ball particularly well,” Hillsman said. “But Taylor is very capable of scoring the basketball and very capable of making plays for us.”

Ford said the poor performance was due to some first-game jitters and because she rushed her shot.

“I’m a pretty good shooter, so if I take my time, I’m good,” she said.

In SU’s next two games against Dartmouth and Cornell, she was more than good.

In 14 minutes against Dartmouth in the home opener, Ford finished with a career-high 13 points. She didn’t miss any of the four shots she took in the first half, all of which were 3-pointers.

On Monday night against Cornell, Ford shot 2-of-3 from the field. Although she only played eight minutes, she finished with four points, an assist and a steal.

Ford checked into the game at the 17:56 mark of the first half, and it took her just three seconds to score. Two minutes later, Ford made a slick pass inside to center Shakeya Leary, who made a turnaround hook shot. The basket gave the Orange an 8-7 lead — one it wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the night.

“The first game I was rushing ‘cause we were down,” Ford said. “… The second and third games I just took my time.”

While Ford is just beginning to find her niche on the Orange, Butler knows the potential her roommate has. Ford and Butler have known each other for more than four years, having played together on the renowned AAU team Exodus NYC and at Nazareth Regional (N.Y.) High School in Brooklyn.

Butler said Ford has always been aggressive and a force on the glass, and in the time she’s known her has become a better decision maker and quicker on defense. Ford has also extended her shooting range.

While her minutes are unpredictable, what is predictable is her production. Excluding the game against Washington State, Ford is shooting 75 percent from the field and 80 percent from 3-point range.

“She’s getting more comfortable,” Butler said. “Going from last year from playing little minutes and then this year playing big minutes for us, I think it’s more so each game she’s getting more comfortable, getting more relaxed and playing more of her game.”

Published on November 20, 2013 at 12:31 am

Contact Josh: jmhyber@syr.edu