SYRACUSE - Quentin Hillsman would rather be coaching a postseason game this week instead of dealing with an early-spring snowfall.

Still, the second-year head coach of the Syracuse women's basketball team is not about to complain.

Not after orchestrating a dramatic turnaround in the program and being honored as co-Big East coach of the year.

Syracuse, a perennial loser, went from 9-20 and 3-13 in the Big East in his rookie season to 22-9 and 10-6 in the conference in 2007-08, winning a school-record 12 games in a row, achieving the school's first national ranking, and making the NCAA tournament for only the fourth time in the program's 37-year history.

“I feel like as far as our talent, as far as how hard we played, we made a giant step,” Hillsman said Thursday as he turned his thoughts to next season.

“Look at us and look at the teams in our conference. It's premature, but with our talent and what we've done this year, I think we have a chance to be ranked in the preseason, even, with who we're bringing back and what we're bringing in.”

Although the Orange lost to Hartford, 59-55, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the future seems very bright.

Hillsman loses a strong rebounder in forward Fantasia Goodwin (7.9 per game), a top shot blocker in center Vaida Sipaviciute (52 blocks), and guard Tracy Harbut.

But he has his second straight Top 15 recruiting class coming in: Tyler Ash, a 6-foot-2 guard from nearby Liverpool High School; Shakeya Leary, a 6-3 forward from Murry Bergtraum High School in New York City; Lynnae Lampkins, a 5-7 guard from Upper Marlboro, Md.; Troya Berry, a 6-2 power forward from Flint, Mich.; JUCO transfer Lynnise Nixon of Philadelphia, a graduate of Monroe Community College; and Juanita Ward, who starred in junior college at Odessa, Texas.

Syracuse also returns four starters from this year's team: guards Erica Morrow (13.9 ppg), Tasha Harris (120 assists) and Chandrea Jones (15.1 ppg); and forward Nicole Michael (11.6 ppg and 7.4 rebounds), as well as key reserves Cintia Johnson, Vionca Murray and Marisa Gobuty.

“We have a great core coming back,” Hillsman said. “If you look at our team top to bottom talentwise, you have 10 players that can start on a lot of teams in this conference. It's hard for me to believe that people wouldn't look at our talent and take a strong look at us being ranked in the preseason. Hopefully, if and when it does happen, we can come out and maintain.”

Although Syracuse closed the regular season with its biggest win of the year - 73-51 over then-No. 14 West Virginia - the Orange were upset by lowly South Florida in the first round of the Big East tournament before bowing to Hartford.

Not the ending everyone on the team envisioned.

No harm done.

“That's the good thing about being so young,” Hillsman said. “They kind of don't know any better. 'We just lost? OK, we lost.' It's good and bad at some point, but right now I think it's probably good that they're not dwelling on it too much. They're all disappointed. They understand the magnitude of the loss, but by no means are they down and out.”

After posting the second-best turnaround in the country, there was an awful lot of good to dwell on.

“It takes years to get to a point like this.” Goodwin said. “It's incredible how we just made that turnaround.”