A lot has changed in guard Tracy Harbut’s two years at Syracuse.

Marianna Freeman, the coach who recruited Harbut, left Syracuse before Harbut played one game for her. She’s the only player on Syracuse not to play a single game for the coach who recruited her.

Keith Cieplicki, who Syracuse hired from Vermont, suspended Harbut for violating the team’s academic policy in her freshman year.

And nearly everyone who has ever worn an Orange uniform with her left the team, either due to graduation or the new coaching staff. The only other upperclassman, Jill Norton, played sparingly last year after considering transferring from Syracuse. So Harbut will likely be the lone upperclassman on the court.

In order to overcome the loss of six players from last year’s team, Harbut, who scored only four points a game last season, made perhaps the biggest change in the past two years to herself. After starting 12 times for SU last season, Harbut knew a more demanding role would come her way this year. So instead of going home to Lexington, Ky., she stayed in Syracuse and worked.

But Harbut brought work to a new level. Not only did she work on the usual things – ball handling, rebounding and shooting – but she enlisted the help of Syracuse strength and conditioning coach William Hicks.

Harbut diligently worked in the weight room while her teammates were home enjoying summer. She watched game tape and looked for weaknesses in her game. She did everything Hicks asked of her and even more. With all the work Harbut did this summer, Hicks said she’s in perfect position to surprise the Big East.

That was certainly the case when her Syracuse teammates returned to campus in the second session of the summer semester. The Harbut on the court was not the same person they’d left in May.

‘Just in her game and her physical appearance, she’s looking so tough,’ Syracuse sophomore Amanda Adamson said. ‘She has huge muscles on her arms. It’s definitely noticeable, and you can tell it’s paying off. Yeah, I noticed it when I came back in the second session, but it’s even more so after the whole summer.’

It’s all part of Harbut’s goal to establish herself as the team leader. She’ll never be the type to yell and scream on the court. She’s much too quiet for that. Harbut instead puts faith in her work, believing if the young core of the Orange follows her example, she can salvage a team that’s had one winning season in the past 15 years.

Despite Cieplicki’s assertions that this year’s team could make the NCAA Tournament, it’s hard to expect that from a team with players who only played together for one year. But the future does seem brighter for the women’s basketball program. Now, the entire team works with Hicks and his staff after the success Harbut had with the lifting program.

‘I think I’m more a silent leader because I’m a little less vocal than other leaders have been,’ Harbut said. ‘But I’m definitely going to work hard and lead that way. Since I’ve been in the weight room, I’ve definitely toned up. I’ve improved over the summer and it’s important to improve from year to year. You never want to plateau.’

Normally, it’s a lot to ask of a player who scored only four points per game last year to bring a program riddled with failure and controversy to the top half of a strong Big East conference. The Syracuse coaches don’t think so, though. They said all the work Harbut did this summer warrants that kind of responsibility.

‘You can tell all the work that she’s put in,’ Syracuse assistant coach Quentin Hillsman said. ‘She just looks more comfortable. She definitely turned the corner. Now every time she gets in the lane, it’s a very strong shot. You can just tell in her confidence and in her comfort level. Last year, there were shots she wouldn’t take.’

This year, Harbut needs to take those shots. While she occasionally was hesitant to drive the lane last year, Harbut now has the strength and the confidence to take the ball strong to the basket.

‘I think Tracy has really done a fantastic job,’ Cieplicki said. ‘It has been nice to watch her develop over the last couple of years. Obviously, those of you who have followed the team closely know that we want her to be more and more of an offensive threat and I think she’s ready to do that this year. She’s going to have a good year and she’s going to be a key to our success this year.’

Published on November 6, 2005 at 12:00 pm