UNC Named Toughest Home Court
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After collecting over 200,000 votes it’s North Carolina that comes away with the distinction of having the toughest place to play in college basketball. The Tarheels will be rated as such in NCAA Basketball 10 with the top 15 having been determined through the voting.
“College basketball fans have spoken and they have determined once and for all the most difficult places to play in college basketball,” said NCAA Basketball 10 Producer Connor Dougan. “Now we are going to design a feature that authentically reflects how difficult it is for opposing teams to play and win at these venues.”
While I was not a big fan of NCAA Basketball 09 I do appreciate that they have made noticeable effort in areas such as atmosphere, team play styles, and home court advantage. It looks like this new feature will work to enhance all of that. This news also makes me think that Tyler Hansbrough has become the leading candidate for cover athlete.
1. North Carolina
2. Clemson
3. Xavier
4. Pittsburgh
5. Duke
6. Kansas
7. Louisville
8. Syracuse
9. Tennessee
10. Arkansas
11. Maryland
12. Illinois
13. UCLA
14. Florida
15. Texas
April 3, 2009 at 11:38 pm
WTF no Kentucky?! Rupp Arena….Just because UK has had a down last few years…Rupp still is one of the biggest College ball arenas and its sold out EVERY game….
psssh
April 4, 2009 at 10:01 pm
That surprises me too that they're not there. Especially now with Coach Cal, you know the atmosphere is gonna be electric next year.
Btw, is that a Dickie V sign in the background? Not surprising since it's North Carolina.
April 4, 2009 at 12:04 am
They had two sets of open voting. The first round had a bunch of schools (including Kentucky) and the final round had the 15 schools listed above.
April 4, 2009 at 2:09 am
WOW! what a crap list……..
U-C-O-N-N……… UCONN, UCONN, UCONN!!!!!!!!
April 4, 2009 at 3:23 am
duke should be higher..the cameron crazies are nuts
April 4, 2009 at 3:25 am
UNC…toughest court?!?!? XFD!
Duke is better than UNC's and I hate both schools. UNC didnt have no speedo guy or fans that work in unison to make the opponents feel welcomed. Joke list.
April 4, 2009 at 10:26 am
Duke fans are right on the court and it vibrates also when they are jumping the entire 40 minutes!!! And Kansas is too low. Once was in the Maui tournament and i swore we was in kansas cause they had the whole gym packed chanting that annoying rant "rock chalk Ku!!! or whatever it is!!
April 4, 2009 at 3:26 am
agreed, speedo guy was hilarious
April 4, 2009 at 3:59 am
lol at Pauley being on there. UCLA is notorious for being a silent crowd.
April 4, 2009 at 6:59 am
I havent played this game since i bought it! look at Ty Lawson player model. That sums up the game for me. A JOKE. And how is Kentucky with all its 20 somthing thousand fans a game not on the list??????
November 1, 2009 at 9:37 pm
That's not Ty Lawson, he's not in this game. # 5 for UNC this year is Dexter Strickland.
I'm a die hard UNC fan but we don't have a great homecourt advantage. Our fans arrive late and leave early, we have alumni sitting courtside instead of students. It's not terrible but the main reason it's an intimidating place to play is because of our history, it's like walking into a basketball museum. The fans will only get riled up though for the big games.
April 4, 2009 at 1:44 pm
The fact that:
1. Duke isn't number 1 (even though I hate them, it's true)
2. Clemson is number 2
3. Kentucky isn't in the top 5, much less then top 15
4. Clemson is number 3
5. Arkansas is even on the list
make this an absolute joke.
April 4, 2009 at 1:44 pm
LOL..NO Kentucky..R U kidding me..That have been sold out for 30 years straight..Obviously this idiot never has been to a game..
April 4, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Louisville never hardly sells out a game..I have been to Louisville and Kentucky games and Kentucky is bigger stadium and always sold out every damn game..
October 6, 2009 at 5:07 am
You are a moron. Louisville has sold out EVERY SINGLE GAME since Rick Pitino has been the coach there (9 years). Go check.
October 6, 2009 at 5:12 am
actually Louisville has the highest percentage of fans to stadium capacity. I think it's like 103%. I don't know how that works out but it does. You are an idiot. And actually Kentucky only filled up 98% on average.
April 4, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Like I said over at ncaa strategies in the ACC it goes DUKE, UMD, UVA, CLEM, then UNC. Clem's home court is just starting to be tough, but Duke, UMD, and UVA have always had the toughest courts in the ACC
April 4, 2009 at 3:14 pm
UNC is my favorite team, but I do not agree that they have the toughest home court. Teams are not afraid at all to step on their home court, the home fans act like NBA fans. No kind of passion for the game.
April 4, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Wow what a joke. Did anyone else here not even know about the voting? I sure didnt. Why do you even need a vote to come up with top homecourts? They could ask coaches, analysts and do alot of other research to make it right on. This list is terrible. No Wisconsin, Kentucky, Purdue, and UNC is at #1? WOW
April 4, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Kentucky is top 5……What a joke of a list.
Clemson at 2………WOW!! REALLY!?!?!
Duke should be no lower than top 3……..They're D-Bags, but it's true.
April 4, 2009 at 4:21 pm
No Memphis (might not be tough next year but it has been consistently)… No UCONN
They really shouldn't base such things around stupid college fans voting.
April 4, 2009 at 5:31 pm
INDIANA?
April 5, 2009 at 2:34 am
haha Indiana? You guys dont even have a true student section!
April 4, 2009 at 5:34 pm
how has kentuckys record at home been the last 4 to 5 years been? any scale worth its salt should factor in data like that along with the whatever rating they allowed people to use (list in order, rate each on a likert scale, etc).
all i thought opening the article is that it would be a total joke if ohio state was anywhere near the list on this one. the schottenstein center had its soul sold to the psl devil before it was built. st johns was a pretty good bball arena but the layout of psls vs the student section at the schott sucks.
April 4, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I am surprised that Michigan State (Breslin Center) wasn't listed. Michigan State had a 34 consecutive win streak (which ended this year). The "Izzone" (student section) is right on top of the court and is loud. Just ask Kansas….
Regardless, good list…
April 4, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Cuse Baby….the LOUD HOUSE!!! Everyone loves to play there, but knows its not easy. 30,000 plus in college??? No contest
April 4, 2009 at 8:54 pm
I second that. The Carrier Dome is well known for its atmosphere. Too bad they have some of the fugliest uniforms ever designed. I wish they would mix in more of the navy….Silver numbers on the white uniforms = not good….I do like The Cuse….
April 4, 2009 at 7:30 pm
buy wow gold from http://www.obaoma.com
April 4, 2009 at 8:59 pm
No Kentucky or Michigan St.. What a freakin joke of a list..Wont be buying this game..!!
April 5, 2009 at 2:36 am
Yeah No Michigan St. is ridiculous. I thought that when I first saw the list but forgot to write it down.
April 5, 2009 at 3:48 am
First off no michigan st is a joke. Then id go to Purdue, the pit in oregon and the kennel in gonzaga not to mention that i think wisconsin is a really big advantage for them in games, something like 110-6 under bo ryan or something. What a joke list.
April 5, 2009 at 11:25 pm
this list is an absolute joke.
April 6, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Whoever wrote this list has never been to a game at these places. UNC the toughest?? How??? Is he measureing quality of team or the crowd noise or what?? Duke by far is the toughest to play at on this list. Take it from a Durham native. Just cause you see it on TV, don't mean you there.
April 10, 2009 at 4:25 pm
One must consider the actual team playing on the court in question to determine which court is toughest. Rupp arena isn't a very tough place to play as badly as Kensucky has been playing. Now that ShadyCal is there to continue the tradition of cheating Kensucky will surely rise into the top 5 toughest places to play.
October 6, 2009 at 11:59 pm
must be a tennesse fan
October 7, 2009 at 3:00 pm
You're as ignorant as your post. This is the ONLY way you can get at Kentucky, bad mouth them on a message board, because you sure can't get them on the basketball court, AND, Cal will just make sure that their great winning tradition goes on. KEEP HATING, I love it. Kentucky is back!
April 10, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Really, Duke and Kansas at 5 and 6? Those two are by far the hardest places to play in the country. Half the time you can't hear the announcers talking. The Crazies are ridiculous and AFH has some of the longest wins streaks including the current at 30 something (They haven't lost there in over 2 seasons!). #1 and #2 should be Duke. What makes so Clemson hard to play at? That has to be a joke. UNC is tough but its more like a retirement home when compared to Cameron Indoor and Allen Field House.
April 15, 2009 at 10:43 pm
IU isn’t on the list? Why don’t you go ask Coach K how tough the ‘Real’ Assembly Hall is. We don’t have stupid student sections with nerds wearing face paint like Purdue, but anyone who knows anything about basketball knows IU should be pretty high up on that list. Clemson? Xavier? Maryland? 2K sports was better than these ‘arcade’ games anyways…
The real college basketball royalty lies in Bloomington (IU), Chapel Hill (UNC), Lexington (UK), Westwood (UCLA), Durham (Dook) and Lawrence (KU).
June 12, 2009 at 7:38 pm
XU #3 fo sho
October 6, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I actually think you all Kentucky toughest place to play mixed up with being the toughest place to coach with their douche bag fans
October 30, 2009 at 3:42 pm
WISCONSIN.
October 30, 2009 at 9:58 pm
…CLEMSON? Who the hell plays for clemson, thats a joke.
October 31, 2009 at 10:53 pm
all u people complaing bout the list should have voted!
November 1, 2009 at 9:05 pm
this list makes no sense at all.
i dont want to repeat everyone else but cmon SON!
kentucky? mich st? wake forest?
-marquette fans are crazy…they dont have much else to cheer about
-and if the list has anything to do with recent success….Missouri!!??? they went undefeated at home last year cmon son!
November 2, 2009 at 8:24 pm
in college games they arent supposed to make the models look exactly like the real people.thats only in pro sports where they can do that
November 4, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I agree, eight out of these fifteen places to play are so whimpy compared to Rupp Arena which should be in the top 5. If you really like to think Rupp Arena is not tough to play in, your’e obviously dreaming plus UNC shouldn’t even be in the top 3 ahead of Duke & Kansas let alone No.1. Focusing on crowds and traditions over the past years rather than what players do, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas & Michigan State obviously have to be in the top 5.