Kentucky players don’t usually dream of playing in the former arena of their archrival, but Freedom Hall was on a short wish list of destinations the Kentucky women’s basketball team wanted for the 2010 NCAA Tournament. On Monday night, huddled on a couch in head coach Matthew Mitchell’s house, the Cats had their wish come true. Headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006, UK will travel just an hour west on Interstate 64 to Louisville for the first and second rounds of the tournament. The Cats will take on No. 13 seed Liberty on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Freedom Hall. Should Kentucky win, it would play the winner of fifth-seeded Michigan State and 12th-seeded Bowling Green State.Regardless of the opponent, the once red-filled Freedom Hall is expected be painted blue with Big Blue fans.”We are elated, ecstatic to play there and give our fans an opportunity to turn out and watch us play,” said Mitchell, who guided UK to a 25-7 season and second-place finish in the Southeastern Conference in his third season at the helm. “Now we just need them to saddle up and ride with us. They can make a huge difference.”Mitchell said the Cats tried to turn their focus away from the location of their first- and second-round games, but the reaction when UK’s name popped up on the television screen in the Louisville pod said everything one needed to know about their real desires.”It was nerve racking to see where we were going to go, but when I saw Louisville it was exciting,” SEC Player of the Year and junior forward Victoria Dunlap said. “The fact that we get to stay in Kentucky is great. It is close by and our fans can get there and support us. It will be a great opportunity for us.”Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets by calling the UK ticket office at (859) 257-1818, purchasing them at the UK ticket office in the Joe Craft Center or online at UKathletics.com. Tickets, which are $27 for three games, are also available through the Freedom Hall ticket office at 1-800-633-7105 or 502-852-5151.”It can make a tremendous difference if we can somehow, someway, reach our fans and let them know how important it is to go buy tickets and show up,” Mitchell said. “There is nothing that can replace that energy that they can give you. You’ve seen how well we can play at home. Any kind of support or crowd we could get will mean a lot to us and be a big bonus.”The biggest fan of Sunday’s selection and seeding was freshman guard and Louisville native A’dia Mathies. The reigning SEC Freshman of the Year will make a homecoming of sorts this weekend but couldn’t guarantee tickets for the countless friends and family members that are likely to try and catch the 2009 Miss Kentucky Basketball play.”I think that it is going to be twice as much (support as we would normally get) because it is the tournament and it is so close to Lexington,” Mathies said. “We even have fans in Louisville that don’t get the chance to come to Lexington. I think that will be a big crowd and a great atmosphere.”Kentucky will certainly need all the help it can get in a very challenging Kansas City Region. In addition to a one-loss Nebraska team and Big East power Notre Dame, the Cats face a very realistic shot of playing Michigan State in the second round.Sound familiar? In 2006, the last time UK played in the NCAA Tournament, it was bounced by Michigan State in the second round. Overall, the Cats have lost seven straight to Big Ten teams, one of the main reasons the benefits of playing near home – less travel, familiarity and crowd support – can pay dividends for UK.As favorable as the Louisville site is, Mitchell said the Cats will have to continue to do the things they’ve done all year, namely defend and force turnovers, to advance beyond the Derby City and into the Midwest finals.”We cannot get caught in where we are playing, and just because it’s Louisville doesn’t mean that we are going to do something different than we would (normally),” Mitchell said. “We need to keep the same mentality that we would wherever we would have played.”If they do, they’ll likely be dancing long after this weekend’s trip to Louisville.”No matter where we go, no matter where we are seeded, we wanted an opportunity to play for a national championship and now we have it,” Mitchell said. “Now it’s up to them.”INJURY UPDATE: The Cats will be far from 100 percent heading into the postseason. Mitchell said sophomore guard Crystal Riley and freshman center Anna Cole are doubtful for this weekend. Each is battling a stress fracture in their respective feet.Junior guard Carly Morrow is day-to-day with what Mitchell called fatigue. Mitchell said UK’s training staff isn’t sure what’s causing the lack of energy but said the training staff is working diligently to find the solution. Senior Amani Franklin (ankle) and Lydia Watkins (foot, back) are expected to be near 100 percent and play.