Early Hoops Talk - ESPN.com Names MSU To 2009 Predictions

According to ESPN.com and writer Charlie Crème, it's not too early to begin thinking about the 2009 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

Recently, Crème wrote about the 64 teams that had the best chance to make the tournament field next spring.

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Murray State and new head coach Rob Cross were named 59^th in the list of 64 after making the NCAA's last season for the first time in school history. The Racers lost to Duke in a first round game in College Park, Md.

ESPN.com mentioned MSU's returning Ohio Valley Conference MVP Ashley Hayes and tournament MVP Amber Guffey.

The list of contenders for the 2009 NCAA Tournament included: Connecticut, Maryland, Oklahoma, Rutgers, and Stanford in the top-5. Duke, California, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Louisville rounded out the top-10. Other notable mentions by ESPN.com included, Vanderbilt (16), Illinois State (44), Western Kentucky (47).

Cross takes over a team that set school records last year with 24 wins, 13 home wins and 32 games, and tied the MSU women's mark of 15 OVC wins. The Racers (24-8) won their first-ever OVC Tournament last season, and took part in their first-ever NCAA Tournament.

The MSU squad returns nine players to next season's squad along with incoming signees Rachael Isom, Kayla Lowe, Jana Roney and Mallory Schwab.

Murray State University Athletics

Early Hoops Talk - ESPN.com Names MSU To 2009 Predictions

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