CHICAGO - Becky Cummings is used to hearing play calls clearly from the sidelines because of small attendance and the lack of cheering at women’s home basketball games. She also knows how much of a contrast that is compared with the jam-packed arenas at Big Ten powerhouses.

“When you are not used to playing in a big crowd it can be quite different,” Cummings said. “We always hear plays at home. Support in that area, especially on campus with the students is huge.”

The senior forward, who averaged 15.1 points and seven rebounds per game last season, thinks she has found a person who can help make some more noise this season.

In her first year as MSU’s women’s head basketball coach, Joanne P. McCallie is looking to bring intensity and excitement to a team that had dismal attendance throughout most of last season.

“Every guy who can’t dunk a basketball should be in our gym to watch games,” McCallie said. “We are going to try to get more fan support from doing things like public speaking and educating the fans about women’s basketball.”

In a day and age where Spartan athletics have had numerous sellouts in the holy trinity of revenue sports - football, basketball and hockey - there is no better time to build on the MSU fan base.

The 943 member Izzone student fan section for men’s basketball began with a couple of guys talking at the bar about fan support. It has now helped the team post a 63-12 home record during the Izzo era, including three straight Big Ten titles and a national championship.

Fans do matter, hence McCallie’s attempt at putting together her own student fan section - Coach P’s Pack Attack.

She looks at teams like Purdue, Penn State, Illinois and Wisconsin as model programs with the ability to pack arenas.

“A lot of people think that teams first win championships and then the fans come,” McCallie said. “That’s not the case because you have teams such as Wisconsin who sell out every game.”

All four programs received high accolades at Sunday’s Big Ten Basketball Media Day in Chicago, with three-time defending Big Ten Tournament champion Purdue being favored by both the Big Ten media and Big Ten coaches as the top team in the conference. Penn State took the second spot in both polls, while Illinois and defending NIT champion Wisconsin tied for third.

In her new position with the Spartans, McCallie is striving to break records both athletically and attendance-wise.

McCallie said she hopes fan support can increase to where the entire Breslin Student Events Center, with a capacity of 15,138, can be filled to set a women’s basketball attendance record within Michigan.

Cummings is confident McCallie can spark interest in her program.

“She’s really getting out in the community and getting our name out there,” Cummings said. “That type of effort will only make the interest grow and grow.”

McCallie, who brings with her a 167-73 record in her eight years at Maine, didn’t even visit MSU’s campus before she accepted the head coaching position. She knew this was the place for her and her family.

“I decided on coming to MSU without even visiting the campus, during the time when I was nine months pregnant,” McCallie said. “At Maine we had incredible limits we faced due to the lack of financial backing. I felt like I did all I could do there. I have a lot more resources at MSU.”

For the first time in 24 years, MSU looked for a new women’s head coach last March. Now, the future looks promising with a coach dedicated to striking more public interest in a sport desperately in need.

“I’m a high-energy kind of coach and I really want players to express themselves on the floor,” McCallie said. “This team needs to communicate on and off the floor and get to know each other.”

The Brunswick, Maine native guided the Black Bears to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances and was named the conference coach of the year three times, twice in the North Atlantic Conference and once in the America East.

Hopefully McCallie and her coaching staff can gain more athletic accomplishments, but most importantly, cheers.

Eric Lacy, State News sports editor, can be reached at lacyeric@msu.edu.