MSU Women's Basketball Earns National Ranking
12/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's basketball team is ranked No. 24 by the Associated Press in today's women's college basketball Top 25 poll. It marks the first time the Spartans have earned a national ranking since MSU was ranked No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 coaches poll and No. 24 by the AP in the final poll of the 1996-97 season.
But according to head coach Joanne P. McCallie, it's nothing to get excited about yet. The Spartans have their sights set higher than simply sneaking into the bottom part of the Top 25.
"We'd have to be in the top five in March before we'd get too excited," said McCallie. "All that matters is what we think of ourselves. Basically, it's part of the process of getting to the top."
Michigan State jumped into the national rankings on the strength of a 4-0 start that included an impressive 92-63 win over then-No. 17 Notre Dame. The 29-point victory was the largest margin of defeat for the Irish in a regular season game in 10 seasons.
"It (the national ranking) means we're getting better," added McCallie. "We still have a long ways to go but it's always good to be getting better."
The ESPN/USA Today Top 25 coaches poll for Dec. 1 has not yet been released.
The Spartans will aim for their fifth straight win Tuesday, when MSU visits Oklahoma State (1-3) at 7 p.m. Central time.