The Carmelo K. Anthony Center film room was silent except for the ESPN commentators on the giant projected screen talking about Syracuse, just seconds after they announced its first-round opponent in the NCAA tournament.

No one said a word. All the SU players, coaches and family were intently watching.

Then Syracuse center Briana Day broke the silence. “That’s us,” she exclaimed boldly, before the rest of the team acknowledged the accomplishment with a quiet round of applause.

“At first I heard it, but it didn’t register to me,” Day said. “Then, I’m like, ‘Ah, that’s us.’ I got really excited. It was a really good feeling.”

It’s a feeling that eighth-seeded Syracuse (21-9, 11-5 Atlantic Coast) has gotten used to. Now, as it prepares to face No. 9-seed Nebraska (21-10, 10-8 Big 10) at 7:30 on Friday in Columbia, South Carolina, the questions surrounding SU head coach Quentin Hillsman and his players on Monday were more about excelling in the tournament rather than just reaching it.

And as the Orange filed into a small film room to watch the tournament selection show with media members surrounding them, it was clear that the sentiment around the program is continuing to shift.

“We know what it’s like to be in the NCAA tournament,” Hillsman said. ”I think that moving forward, the experience of knowing what to expect, knowing how you’re going to travel, what you’re going to do, it gives us a lot of confidence.”

Guard Cornelia Fondren said she spent the whole day anxious in class, wanting to know what seed the Orange would get. She had been checking the projected brackets regularly, and had seen SU’s projection go up and down from a five seed to an eight during the season’s final weeks.

Hillsman said he stopped concerning himself with the projections ever since the 2010-11 season in which his 25-10 SU team was projected to be sent to the WNIT.

This time around there was no question as to whether Syracuse would make the tournament. It was just a matter of where and when.

“The anxiety is just knowing who you’re going to play, just so you can get back into the office and work,” Hillsman said. “… Moving into this game, we just want to be ready, want to be prepared, want to be rested.”

The ESPN broadcast showed teams jumping and screaming when their names were called. It showed packed gyms with hundreds of fans waving towels and pom poms. It even showed a team that had printed T-shirts for the occasion.

But for Syracuse, the moment was far more subdued. The players each came in at different times leading up to the screening. Hillsman — sporting a leather jacket and jeans — helped entertain his toddler son. Before the event started, junior Brianna Butler was playing a trivia game on her phone with her teammates.

There was no reason to jump up and shout for the Syracuse players. They’ve been there before.

“It just feels like I’m a freshman all over again,” Butler said, “and this is the NCAA tournament and to get called is something you usually dream of, and for it to be a reality for three years is good.”

Published on March 16, 2015 at 9:57 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3