NCAA Tournament 2000 - Sport has grown to point of neutral courts

Sport has grown to point of neutral courts
Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU basketball coach Sue Gunter is very happy with women's basketball these days.

She sees very little in the game that needs tinkering after the Tigers' most successful season ever, going to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals before losing to top-ranked Connecticut.

"We have a very good game, very competitive," Gunter said Wednesday. "It's attracting more fans and more coverage all the time. I think we have a good thing going. Let's not mess it up. We don't need any drama added to it."

Gunter would like to see one change: She believes the sport has grown to the point that tournament games should be played on neutral courts.

Although Gunter got to have the first two games of this year's tournament on her home court, she said she and most other Division I coaches believe that system has to change.

"Let's bite the bullet and do what's fair," Gunter said. "We may lose a little money, but I'm not even sure that's true. If we had two years to promote a regional in this area, I can guarantee you we'd fill the arena and make money."

Gunter was heading to Philadelphia on Wednesday, hoping the Women's Basketball Coaching Association will get that recommendation during its meeting Thursday morning.

"All these committees that have been studying it will make their reports," she said. "That's the only reason I'm going."


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