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SPORTS / THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Syracuse fans hold up giant cutouts of coach Jim Boeheim, left, and players Kris Johnson, center, and Wesley Johnson during an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse. N.Y. Syracuse is one of the college basketball programs with a reputable home court advantage.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Home court key for big schools
Programs like Duke, Kansas, Wisconsin thrive at home
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"I can remember vividly driving the 82 miles from Norman to Stillwater, getting to Gallagher-Iba Arena and there would be a gantlet of students we'd have to walk through just for shootaround," said Sampson, who spent 14 years
MADISON, Wis. — Eighty two miles and a sea of orange. That's what former Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson remembers on the way to Oklahoma State.
as a lead coach with the Sooners and Indiana. "And that was at 11:30 in the morning. The game wasn't until eight o'clock."
Junior center Cole Aldrich high-fives freshman guard Xavier Henry during a timeout. Kansas beat Texas 80-68 to remain undefeated in the Bin 12
Fact is, there's no place like home in college basketball.
Like Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.
Since coach Bo Ryan came to Wisconsin in 2001, they've gone 133-11 at home. The Kohl Center opened just a dozen years ago and doesn't have the history of other college basketball landmarks, but two overhanging balconies keep even the highest seats close to the court.
Kansas coach Bill Self, who has a 111-7 home record since taking over in 2003. "No matter who you play, when you play them, you're going to have 16,000 people there."
Four more programs — Gonzaga, Utah State, Wisconsin and Pittsburgh — have won 92 percent or more of their home games over the last nine years.
Wisconsin's loss to Illinois on Tuesday night snapped a 51-game winning streak against unranked Big Ten opponents — something not lost in Illini coach Bruce Weber.
which has a 94.4 percent winning percentage at home since 2001-02. Or Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the Cameron Crazies have helped the Blue Devils win 93.5 percent of their games in that span.
Weston White/KANSAN
"It's a way of life here," said
"It's amazing how successful everybody is at home. Everybody just seems to be a little bit better."
SCOTT DREW Baylor head coach
"It's just amazing what Bo has done here," Weber said. "The arena is great. The fans are great, but it's Bo and the system and the players."
L o u d crowds are just the start of a
successful home court.
Jayhawks feel at home on the road
Since 2001-02, the home team in a BCS conference school has won more than 76 percent of its games overall and 64 percent in conference tilts. To compare, NBA teams win about 60 percent of their home games.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
"It's amazing how successful everybody is at home." Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Everybody just seems to be a little better."
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
www.twitter.com/c_thibodeaux
More than halfway through the Big 12 season, Kansas has dispatched a gritty Kansas State team and a hyped Texas team on the road, as well as all other corners. A weaker second-half schedule presents the question; Can Kansas run the table?
After making quick work of their once-biggest threat in the Big 12, Texas, on Monday, the Jayhawks (23-1, 9-0) are capable of finishing the Big 12 schedule undefeated.
"The Big 12 is a tough conference, and anybody can be beat any night," sophomore forward Marcus Morris said Monday. "Having a three-game lead gives us a lot of confidence. We're still not going to let up, but that doesn't mean we can't lose any games."
As much as they keep saying anyone can beat anyone in the league, the layhawks are breaking that rule so far.
Kansas already survived its toughest road challenges: The overtime victory against Kansas State with what Sherron Collins said was the best crowd he ever faced and against highly ranked, though slowly fading, Texas.
Don't forget the fight the Colorado Buffalooes gave the Jayhawks on their home court, also an overtime victory. The Jayhawks also pounded Missouri, their bitter rival, at home.
With seven games to go — four at Allen Fieldhouse — and a three-game lead in the Big 12, coach Bill Self is trying to keep his team hungry by down-playing the situation.
"We haven't done anything yet, but it certainly puts us in a very favorable position." Self said. "Looking forward, we still have some tough games left."
Here's a look at the rest of their schedule.
FEB. 13; IOWA STATE
Kansas already played this team away and won by 23. Sherron Collins had 11 points. You do the math. The duo of Craig Brackins and Marquis Gilstrap is formidable, but the Jayhawks can find other ways to produce at other positions. The Cyclones can't.
FEB.15: AT TEXAS A&M
take on the 17.6, 6.3 Aggies. The Aggies are tied with the Wildcats for second place in the conference. Donald Sloan, averaging 18.5 points per game, is their only note-worthy player. Just like the other opponents Kansas has faced with a single star on its team, the Jayhawks should focus their defense on him and force the rest of the team to make plays.
If any game left on the schedule spells upset, here it is. The layhawks go back down to Texas, this time in College Station to
FEB. 20: COLORADO
The rematch is at home for Kansas, and the layhawks don't have the altitude to worry about. What they will have to worry about is the return of Alec Burks.
Burks is the second leading scorer on the Buffaloes with almost 17 points per game and he missed only the Kansas game this year. This may be one of the tougher home games, but Colorado is second to last in the Big 12 for a reason — the team can't win on the road.
FEB. 22: OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma is 4-5 in the conference. It isn't ranked in the top five in most of the main statistical categories for the Big 12. Tommy Mason-Griffin can pass the ball around, but again, it's nothing to get excited about.
FEB. 27:
AT OKLAHOMA STATE
The leading scorer in the Big 12, James Anderson, who averages 22.2 points per game, will be the main threat here. The Cowboys are dangerous, having victories against the Wildcats in Manhattan and the Aggies at home. Still, the Jayhawks have the more impressive track record.
MARCH 3:
KANSAS STATE
It was one of the greatest games of the season in Manhattan, but this time the Kansas fans get
to have their say in the matter.
Besides the game against Mizzou at home, Allen Fieldhouse may be as loud as it has been all season.
Can the Wildcats handle that and the Jayhawks at the same time?
So far, the past 55 opponents to visit Allen Fieldhouse haven't been able to.
MARCH 6: AT MISSOURI
This is an interesting matchup. Kansas destroyed Mizzou at home earlier this season 84-65 in the most hostile crowd of the season. You can bet the Mizzou fans will be all riled up in the regular season finale, but will the Jayhawks match that intensity? Worst-case scenario, the Jayhawks will have nothing to play for and won't give the Tigers their best effort. Still, with the coaching staff and personnel this Kansas team has, that shouldn't be a problem.
Edited by Kate Larrabee
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