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Dwelling groups gained 59.9% of their video games final season in faculty basketball, based on KenPom. That was up from 57.5% over the earlier two seasons. Profitable on the street in faculty basketball is hard, and that is accounted for within the NCAA’s NET rankings method, which rewards any victory over a crew within the prime 75 of the NET with the coveted “Quad 1” standing.
However deciphering the exact power of a crew’s home-court benefit in faculty basketball is troublesome as a result of there are a number of elements to contemplate past simply attendance and residential successful proportion. How shut are the scholars to the opposing bench? In some circumstances, altitude generally is a issue. Whereas some venues can show extremely raucous for sure marquee matchups, the intimidation elements tapers dramatically for unheralded opponents.
When Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander requested which arenas boast one of the best home-court environments to roughly 100 coaches throughout final 12 months’s Candid Coaches sequence, 22 totally different colleges appeared on at the least three ballots. The survey showcased the range of thought round this matter. Whereas applications resembling Kansas and Duke led the best way, some much less predictable colleges resembling Wichita State and Texas Tech additionally fared nicely within the coaches’ rankings.
For this week’s Dribble Handoff, our writers are weighing in on the subject. Which faculty basketball venue brings one of the best peak home-court benefit within the sport? Listed here are our responses:
Kansas
The one correct technique to begin this record is with Allen Fieldhouse, the historic house of the Kansas Jayhawks. There is no extra particular place in faculty basketball, and it is my private favourite.
Have you ever been there? If not — and if you happen to can — it’s best to attempt to get there sometime as a result of it actually needs to be a bucket-list kind place for all hoop heads. The constructing is known as after Phog Allen, in any other case often called the “Father of Basketball Teaching.” The courtroom is known as after Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of the sport.
Arduous to beat that combo.
Allen Fieldhouse has been the house of the Jayhawks since 1955. It seems cool. It sounds wonderful. And it is undeniably among the finest, if not the greatest, home-court benefits within the sport — particularly since Invoice Self changed Roy Williams 20 seasons in the past. Since then, the Jayhawks are 307-17 inside Allen Fieldhouse. In different phrases, Self has averaged fewer than one loss at house per season. And he’ll enter 12 months 21 at KU with the identical variety of Massive 12 regular-season titles (17) as losses inside Allen Fieldhouse (17).
It has been constant excellence for twenty years. Self is the most important motive for the success. However the magic within the constructing issues. — Gary Parrish
The wonderful thing about faculty basketball is {that a} story like this might embrace 20 gyms and it nonetheless would not fairly refill a listing of actually essentially the most intimidating and intoxicating environments within the sport. Purdue, for instance, is definitely a top-10 barn in faculty hoops — however it’s not listed right here in the present day. I am going to go along with the Kennel. I took this video on my journey there in 2021, and the video in all probability will get throughout 1/one hundredth of what it felt wish to be in that constructing that evening.
College students in ridiculous costumes, in a single day tenting to get one of the best seats, big-time hype movies, coordinated cheers and crowd motion. They do it proper up there in Spokane.
One enormous factor Gonzaga’s house enviornment has going for it’s the measurement. McCarthey Athletic Middle holds roughly 6,000 folks, which is simply cozy sufficient to really feel like an intimate atmosphere but in addition massive sufficient to really feel like big-time faculty hoops. It is one of many loudest arenas I’ve ever been in, and the scholar part scenario is emphatic. Gonzaga is a powerhouse of a program tucked away within the Pacific Northwest, and because of two-plus many years of NCAA Match appearances, it additionally succeeds in getting virtually each program of observe to fly up there and play on its house turf.
How arduous is it to beat Gonzaga at Gonzaga? Mark Few’s program has 23 house losses up to now 24 seasons. — Matt Norlander
How imposing can a spot with a Razorback at middle courtroom and an enviornment crammed with chants of “Woo Pig Sooie!” actually be? If that is your query about my choice of Arkansas right here, then buddy, I might wager there is a 112% probability you have not skilled this place for your self. For disgrace. Bud Walton Enviornment on the College of Arkansas is likely one of the most imposing environments in faculty basketball. Sure, there is a literal feral pig serving because the mascot, and sure, the “Woo Pig Sooie!” chant — the hog name, it is identified — is an ungainly squeal that may rival Lloyd Christmas’ all-time shriek. Nonetheless, add within the feral pig with ferocious followers who reside and breathe to squeal at their favourite crew in an enviornment that reverberates in heated moments, and it is easy to see why coach Eric Musselman and Arkansas have probably the most deadly home-court benefits not simply within the SEC, however all of school sports activities. — Kyle Boone
Texas Tech
My colleagues lined the must-hit decisions right here, so I am going to lean into one of the best “peak” home-court benefit and go Texas Tech. You won’t anticipate a venue with the unlucky title of United Supermarkets Enviornment to pose a lot of a nuisance to guests. However a visit to play the Crimson Raiders is something however a stroll down the produce aisle, particularly in case your title is Chris Beard. When the previous Texas Tech coach returned because the coach of Texas within the 2021-22 season, the scene amounted to a riot because the Crimson Raider devoted confirmed the fierce aspect of West Texas to a person they perceived as a traitor.
Beard was flanked by legislation enforcement all through the day, and his crew was no match for the seething, booing, cruel Crimson Raider devoted. Following a 77-64 win for the Crimson Raiders, then-coach Mark Adams stated the followers “have been possibly higher than our gamers.” Texas Tech followers don’t replicate that depth with each house recreation, however their fever pitch is crippling for guests. When the Crimson Raiders are good and their fanbase is impressed, the sector’s 15,300-seat capability turns right into a hornet’s nest.
There’s been no higher show of home-court benefit in American sports activities lately than what we noticed throughout Beard’s return. If new coach Grant McCasland can faucet into that keenness, it might present a shock to the a number of new Massive 12 members set to cycle by way of the league’s venues over the subsequent few seasons. — David Cobb
Duke
Is there a extra apparent selection than Cameron Indoor Stadium? Taking part in at Duke because the street crew must be probably the most intimidating atmospheres in all of sports activities. The sitting capability of the sector is simply over 9,000, which, in comparison with different venues within the ACC, is considerably smaller. For instance, North Carolina‘s gymnasium (The Dean Smith Middle) holds virtually 22,000 folks. The smaller venue and the restricted capability are what make it distinctive, nonetheless. Followers have an opportunity to be throughout the fingertips of opposing gamers due to their skill to sit down proper on the sting of press row and behind different media on the baseline.
Duke college students camp out in “Krzyzewskiville” named after legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, so they do not miss out on the motion. In Coach Ok’s closing recreation towards North Carolina in 2022, followers camped out for weeks so as to safe their spot. Duke is 832-154 (.844) all-time on the enviornment and went 474-59 (.889) at house underneath Coach Ok. Because the 2004-05 season, Duke is 179-12 at house; the one program that is had extra success at house throughout that stretch is Kansas. Watching a recreation at Duke is a bucket record merchandise for any faculty basketball fan no matter rooting curiosity — except possibly you root for North Carolina. Even then, seeing that rivalry recreation up shut in a loud and hostile atmosphere is definitely worth the journey. — Cameron Salerno
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