INDIANAPOLIS — Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman addressed the media on Monday morning one day before his team’s national championship game meeting with Connecticut on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The No. 4 seed Orange (30-7, 13-3 Atlantic Coast) will try to upset the No. 1 seed and three-time defending national champion Huskies (37-0, 18-0 American Athletic).

Here are three things Hillsman said at his final press conference before SU’s first-ever national title game appearance.

Syracuse’s attendance doesn’t matter to Hillsman

The Orange finished the year with the third-to-worst attendance numbers in the ACC. SU averaged 1,018, which includes two home NCAA tournament games that significantly helped boost the season averages. Over the prior three years, SU drew an average of 674 last year, 599 the year before that and 662 three years ago.

But Hillsman said on Monday that attendance doesn’t matter to him and it’s frustrating how often it’s brought up.

“We’re always told you can’t get here because you don’t play in front of big enough crowds,” Hillsman said. “All these crowds going to affect you? Obviously not. It obviously has not affected us at all. Because we’re here. It’s about the players that’s on the floor and playing the games. It’s not about the crowd. It’s not about anything else. It’s really not.”

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• Beat writers make predictions for Syracuse-Connecticut in the national title game

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Hillsman would root for Breanna Stewart if she wasn’t playing Syracuse

Stewart, the defending three-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, grew up in North Syracuse and was recruited by Hillsman and the Orange. She was the No. 1 ranked recruit in the Class of 2012 by HoopGurlz and spurned her hometown school to go to UConn because she wanted a chance to win four national titles.

On Monday, Hillsman disputed any claim that he has a poor relationship with the Stewarts. He said he still texts her dad, Brian, and they both encourage each other. If Syracuse wasn’t playing in the title game, Hillsman said he’d be rooting for her to claim her fourth national title.

“Bre and her family are good people. I’m really, really happy for her. She’s a great player and a great kid,” Hillsman said. “And Connecticut, can there be a better story line a kid from Syracuse playing against Syracuse? I don’t think there can be. I was hoping that we could fulfill the back end of it because I think everybody has the front end already planned.”

 

Daily Orange File Photo

 

Being the first-ever African American male head coach to reach championship game is significant, but not too significant

Hillsman was the second-ever African American male head coach to reach the Final Four and now the first to reach the championship. He recognized the importance because it’s “tough being the first,” but he also pointed out that he hopes everyone has opportunities like he’s had.

“Whatever your nationality is, whatever your religion is, whatever your race is, this is an amazing seat to sit in. It really is,” Hillsman said. “It’s an amazing seat to be sitting in playing in the national championship game against the best. … I’m very happy that the landscape of basketball is changing and there’s a lot of opportunities for a lot of different people.”

Published on April 4, 2016 at 4:29 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds