Syracuse University sends off Final Four-bound basketball teams with pep rally

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University on Wednesday afternoon sought to send its two basketball teams off to the Final Four in style. The university held a public pep rally for the men’s and women’s hoops teams, which will both participate in the Final Four of their respective NCAA Tournaments this weekend.

Syracuse basketball fans, including many wearing Orange-colored apparel, gathered inside Manley Arena (formerly known as Manley Field House) for the noon-hour event.

Some fans sat in a second-floor section, while others gathered on the arena floor surrounding the stage.

The men’s team will face North Carolina at NRG Stadium in Houston on Saturday at about 8:49 p.m., while the women’s team will play Washington at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Sunday at about 8:30 p.m.

Matt Park, the “Voice of the Orange” on the Syracuse IMG Sports Network, emceed the pep rally.

“This is the biggest fan base in college basketball and you deserve it,” Park said during his remarks to open the event.

Mark Coyle, Syracuse athletics director, will “go back and forth between two Final Fours,” according to Park.

“Not many guys in his position can do this,” Park added, noting it’s the 12th time in the history of college basketball that a school has had both its men’s and women’s teams in the Final Four.

“I can’t tell you what a special moment this is for our student-athletes. We have 615 kids that work incredibly hard to represent this place the right way, and I’m so grateful for Coach [Quentin] Hillsman and the women’s basketball team, Coach [Jim] Boeheim and the men’s basketball team,” Coyle said in his remarks, referencing the total number of students that play sports at the university.

The women’s basketball team, at 29-7, has won 15 of its last 16 games. Hillsman’s goal for the program is to win a national championship, and he credits his players for the berth in the Final Four.

“They play hard every game. They put everything on the line for us to be this successful,” Hillsman said in his remarks.

The men’s hoops team, at 23-13, had to rally to defeat both Gonzaga in the Midwest regional semifinal last Friday and Virginia in the regional final on Sunday in the United Center in Chicago.

Boeheim began his pep-rally remarks, congratulating Hillsman and the women’s team for what they’ve accomplished in advancing to the national semi-final round.

“It’s one of the great things in Syracuse basketball history,” Boeheim said as the assembled crowd roared.

He also said he loved being at the pep rally because “there’s no second-guessers here. There’s no naysayers here. Everybody here is for Syracuse University, Syracuse basketball.”

Besides the players and coaches, the speakers also included New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, and Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, all of whom are Syracuse University graduates.

During her remarks, Mahoney presented proclamations declaring March 30 “Syracuse Basketball Day” in Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse, presenting the proclamations to both the men’s and women’s teams.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com