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Can I Get a WHoop, WHoop?

MSU, others happy to be in Lousiville

By Matt Bishop

Created:
03/19/10 4:33pm

Last updated:
03/19/10 4:33pm

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Louisville, Ky. — It’s safe to say MSU’s athletics department breathed a sigh of relief when it saw the Spartans would be playing in Louisville, Ky., for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Because host schools have to play on their home floor if they make the field of 64, it became a very real possibility that the Spartans would have to travel West and play in either Berkeley, Calif., Tempe, Ariz., or Seattle.

Instead, everybody involved caught a break, including the other three teams that will play at Freedom Hall this weekend: Kentucky, Bowling Green and Liberty, none of which are more than about an eight-hour drive from the city.

When last season concluded, it would’ve seemed nearly impossible for Louisville to miss the field after coming off a Final Four run that ended with a loss to Connecticut in the national championship game. If the Cardinals would’ve qualified, they would be playing here.

“Bottom line is, when you can be in a location where you can have people here and allow these players and coaches to play in front of people, that’s positive,” senior associate athletics director/senior women’s administrator Shelley Appelbaum said. “It’s tough for Louisville. They’re in a situation where you’re trying to host a party and you’re not in it and it’s just painful, but they’ve been first class.”

Appelbaum said the selection committee looked at geography when placing these four teams in Louisville.

“That’s absolutely by design,” Appelbaum said. “It makes sense financially and it makes sense regionally for fan support.”

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State News reporters take readers inside the MSU women’s basketball program and keeps them up to date on the Spartans.

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