College basketball fans are CRAZY. The craziest of all, to be specific. There are no fans in sports that impact a game more than college hoops fans. Think about it. No professional team has fans that impact a home court advantage quite like college basketball. The only potential argument? College football. Yes, playing in the Swamp, the Big House or at the Horse Shoe is a huge advantage because of the environment. In college basketball, the fans are feet, sometimes even inches away from the court. Everything they yell, the student athletes hear. Trust me. I talked to a student athlete from the University of Florida this week about it. He told me, that Texas A&M fans were the worst of all due to the things they were yelling. Even when they ignore you, they hear you.
The fact that athletes are impacted by the crowd makes it that much sweeter for them when they beat you, on your own court. How about Marshall Henderson. When Ole Miss knocked off Auburn, in Auburn, he made sure to yell at the Tiger fans. Their response, wasn't exactly PG. How about storming the court? It has become wild, absurd, and excessive. It seems as there is a fan base that storms the court almost every day now. Recently, a ranked Oklahoma State team knocked off their rival and unranked Oklahoma and they stormed the court. Are you serious? While storming the court should be reserved for only beating a top 5 team, the fans made an incredible impact. They rattle the players. The stats prove it.
It is no coincidence that 12 out of the 14 SEC basketball teams have a winning home record while only 2 of the 14 teams have a winning record on the road. The comfort of an environment you are used to and fans that support you makes a massive impact on a players nerves. So, keep it up face painted, camped out, wild hair college students. Stay wild! Help your team get the W! But please, chill out with storming the court.
The fact that athletes are impacted by the crowd makes it that much sweeter for them when they beat you, on your own court. How about Marshall Henderson. When Ole Miss knocked off Auburn, in Auburn, he made sure to yell at the Tiger fans. Their response, wasn't exactly PG. How about storming the court? It has become wild, absurd, and excessive. It seems as there is a fan base that storms the court almost every day now. Recently, a ranked Oklahoma State team knocked off their rival and unranked Oklahoma and they stormed the court. Are you serious? While storming the court should be reserved for only beating a top 5 team, the fans made an incredible impact. They rattle the players. The stats prove it.
It is no coincidence that 12 out of the 14 SEC basketball teams have a winning home record while only 2 of the 14 teams have a winning record on the road. The comfort of an environment you are used to and fans that support you makes a massive impact on a players nerves. So, keep it up face painted, camped out, wild hair college students. Stay wild! Help your team get the W! But please, chill out with storming the court.