HUNTSVILLE – The Middle Tennessee State University women’s basketball team traveled roughly 110 miles by bus Tuesday from Murfreesboro to Huntsville to get their first look and feel of the Rocket City and the Von Braun Center.
Whether or not the early arrival will benefit the Blue Raiders when they play Tennessee today at Propst Arena at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday is yet to be seen. But there’s a bigger picture for MTSU.
The Blue Raiders certainly would like to beat one of the premiere women’s programs in the country, particularly since they’re coming off a loss to in-state rival Belmont and haven’t beaten the Lady Vols in 22 previous meetings.
Those things matter, but that bigger picture involves the Conference USA Tournament that will be played at the VBC in March.
“Some coaches, it doesn’t matter; but I like that we’re going in here, just getting used to work, you know, the hotels, travel,” veteran MTSU head coach Rick Insell, who formerly coached at Shelbyville High School, said during a shootaround at Propst Arena. “You know, we’re just out an hour-and-a-half from here, so it’s not that big a deal.
“I mean, I think (the players) saw that this morning. We loaded the bus at 10 o’clock, and we’re sitting over at the hotel about a quarter to 12.’’
The CUSA tournament has most recently been played in Frisco, Texas.
“I think that excited them too, that we didn’t have to get on the plane, wait two hours, fly two hours, wait another hour, and then go to the hotel,” Insell said. “So, you know, this is kind of a run-through for us.”
Tickets are available at the VBC box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com. The game will be live streamed on ESPN+ with Jake Rose handling the play-by-play and Daron Park doing analysis.
Tennessee, which plans a pregame shootaround prior to the game, comes 4-4 against a challenging schedule. The Lady Vols, ranked before this week in the Associated Press poll, are 1-4 against ranked opponents. Three of those losses came without star 6-foot-2, fifth-year forward Rickea Jackson due to a lower leg injury.
Tennessee is coached by former Lady Vols player Kellie (Jolly) Harper, who also played travel ball for Insell.
Meanwhile, MTSU is 6-3 but coming off the loss to Belmont. Before that, the Blue Raiders had won four straight against a strong schedule that included a trip to the Bahamas to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis. On Paradise Island, they lost to Michigan before defeating DePaul and Memphis. MTSU then won on the road at Southern Illinois and Houston before losing in Nashville to Belmont.
Insell said the loss to the Bruins was “no fluke” but added that his team might have been anxiously awaiting the tilt with Tennessee.
“Belmont took a little steam out of us,” Insell said, “but part of that could have been we couldn’t wait to get down here. We’re excited about this place, I’ll tell you right now.”
According to MTSU 6-0 forward and fifth-year graduate student Courtney Whitson from Kingsport (Tenn.), the well-traveled Blue Raiders have regained any focus lost against Belmont.
“It’s the motivation because it’s the state of Tennessee (opponent),” she said. “And we get to come to this great place where we’re having the conference tournament.”
State pride aside, Insell noted this game offers MTSU a chance to pad its postseason resume, while Tennessee will have more opportunities to do that.
“This game can get you in the NCAA Tournament,” he said.
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