Syracuse, N.Y. -- This is going to be a season of high expectations for the Syracuse women's basketball team, and Athlon Sports magazine started to set the bar on Wednesday.
The publication slotted the Orange at No. 15 in its preseason rankings. Defending NCAA champion Notre Dame earned the top spot while Connecticut, Baylor, Oregon and Tennessee round out the top-5.
Syracuse posted a 22-9 record a year ago and reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth-straight season. The Orange added a top-10 recruiting class to a team that returns 94.5 percent of its scoring from last year.