Trevor Cooney on making the NCAA Tournament: ‘It’s almost everything’
Logan Reidsma | Senior Staff Photographer
The two players who have lead SU, Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney, will get the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament during their senior seasons.
As Syracuse sat on the bubble, unsure of whether it would make the NCAA Tournament, Michael Gbinije went about his day before he started to think about it in the afternoon. When the bracket leaked and spread throughout the Internet, Trevor Cooney still wasn’t certain the Orange would make it.
But SU did, as a No. 10 seed, and the two fifth-year seniors that have led Syracuse all season will have a chance to play on college basketball’s biggest stage once again.
“It’s almost everything,” Cooney said. “It’s why we come to places like Syracuse and you want to play in the Tournament and that’s what we strive to do.”
The Orange (19-13, 9-9 Atlantic Coast) will take on No. 7 seed Dayton (25-7, 14-4 Atlantic 10) in the Round of 64 on Friday at 12:15 p.m. in St. Louis. After a self-imposed ban prevented SU from playing in the postseason last year, Syracuse is back in the Tournament for the 32nd time in head coach Jim Boeheim’s 40 seasons.
Happy for Mike and Trev. Great senior leaders. Watching them get selected was priceless! #CuseMode #MarchMadness
— Coach Mike Hopkins (@Coach_Hopkins) March 13, 2016
The last time Syracuse played in the NCAA Tournament, in 2014, then-No. 11 seed Dayton upset the then-No. 3 seed Syracuse in the Round of 32. When asked if getting a chance at revenge meant anything, Cooney simply said yes.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Syracuse earns No. 10 seed in NCAA Tournament, will face No. 7 Dayton in Round of
- Rapid thoughts on Syracuse-Dayton NCAA Tournament matchup
- Trevor Cooney on making the NCAA Tournament: “It’s almost everything”
- Storify: Community reacts to Syracuse basketball earning a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament
“For Mike and Trevor to get back to the Tournament is just great,” Boeheim said. “Couldn’t be happier for them. Their leadership this year when we struggled was really tremendous.”
Boeheim said he was less optimistic that this year’s team would make it compared to past years’ and said he had never been happier on a Selection Sunday. It gives Cooney and Gbinije, two players who could have chosen to transfer from SU after last season without having to sit out a year, a shot they didn’t have a year ago.
“It’s just an honor. In high school you watch college basketball and you’re imagining, OK, playing in these types of games,” Gbinije said. “Syracuse as a whole I think deserves it, especially after going through last year and everything like that.”
Published on March 13, 2016 at 8:31 pm
Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds
