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College basketball: March Madness 2005
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Louisville rocks as fans pour out to fete Cardinals
By wire services
Published March 30, 2005
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Someone who didn't know better might have thought it was a rock concert Tuesday afternoon.
Thousands of fans arrived up to 21/2 hours early to post near the stage. They carried signs declaring their love for their favorite performers. By the end, voices had gone hoarse from screaming and people kept dancing to the music long after the main act was gone.
But neither Usher nor Linkin Park performed at Louisville's 4th Street Live downtown entertainment district.
The Louisville Cardinals, bound for their first trip to the NCAA Final Four since 1986, were the headliners.
Kimber Goodwin, director of marketing for the Cordish Co., which owns 4th Street Live, estimated the crowd to be at least 17,000 strong, nearly the capacity of the Cardinals' home venue, Freedom Hall. The company ran out of admission bracelets at 10,000, she said.
The players and coaches arrived about an hour after the scheduled start. When coach Rick Pitino took the stage, the cheers became a deafening roar. Just coming from practice in a black sweatsuit, he tried to talk but paused when he realized the microphone and speakers were useless against the fans' screams.
Pitino introduced his staff and players, with Francisco Garcia and hometown product Larry O'Bannon drawing the most noise.
O'Bannon, Garcia and a few other players spoke to the fans. Most kept their speeches short, giving thanks for the support. Junior guard Taquan Dean wasn't shy, though, when his turn came.
"This is for you all," he yelled as he jumped up and down.
Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson declared March 29, 2005, Cards March to the Arch Day in the city.
Louisville (33-4) plays Illinois (36-1) at 6:07 p.m. Saturday.
SPARTANS SALIVATING: Michigan State wants to be considered an elite program, worthy of being mentioned with the two teams the Spartans beat to get to the Final Four and the one they'll face in St. Louis.
Michigan State became the first team to knock off Duke and Kentucky in the same NCAA Tournament, winning the Austin Region and earning a Final Four matchup with North Carolina.
"I'm really excited about the opportunity to play the third giant," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said Tuesday.
The Spartans would have to sustain the excellence they've achieved under Izzo for decades to approach the status of the Tar Heels, Blue Devils and Wildcats. But Michigan State's recent accomplishments - four Final Four appearances in seven seasons - stack up with any program in college basketball. In 2000, Michigan State won the school's second national title.
North Carolina was the last team to make such frequent trips to the national semifinals, making it there four times from 1995-2000.
When Michigan State (26-6) tips off Saturday night against the Tar Heels (31-4), Izzo will join former Ohio State coach Fred Taylor as the only coaches in NCAA history to advance to four Final Fours in their first 10 seasons.
"All of those things are just stats, but they do help you get the goal I want to achieve and that's to put this program on a level that people won't say we're impostors if we have one down season," said Izzo.
[Last modified March 30, 2005, 01:04:14]
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