Syracuse Women's Basketball No. 23 in Preseason AP Poll, Highest Start Ever

Coach Q keeps raising the bar for Syracuse Orange women's basketball and his program has reached another high mark with the news that SU is No. 23 in the Preseason 2015-2016 AP Poll, the highest starting point in program history.

Last season was the first time SU had ever come into the season ranked when they started at No. 24.

The Orange also received votes in the Preseason Coaches Poll and came in what would be considered 31st overall.

The Orange are coming off of a 22-10 season that took them to the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight year. They return their top five scorers as well as a hopefully-healthy Brittney Sykes.

Three-time defending champion Connecticut is the preseason favorite, no surprise, with South Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Baylor rounding out the top five, respectively. The ACC had a nation-leading six teams in the AP Top 25 (No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 7 Florida State, No. 8 Louisville, No. 14 Duke, No. 22 North Carolina and Syracuse.

Eight Orange opponents appear in the AP Top 25 as well as nine teams that received votes. After opening the season on Friday, November 13 vs. Rhode Island, they'll head to Knoxville to take on mighty No. 4 Tennesee on November 20.

And remember, if you're going to a home game in the Dome, the women have to score 70 points now for free tacos.