Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: Ranking the nation’s 25 best home-court advantages

By Brian Rauf

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 09: Lagerald Vick #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks pumps up the crowd prior to the start of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Allen Fieldhouse on January 09, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 09: Lagerald Vick #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks pumps up the crowd prior to the start of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Allen Fieldhouse on January 09, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
18 of 26
Next
CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 09: Xavier Musketeers fans are seen during a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Cintas Center on December 9, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Xavier won 96-69. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 09: Xavier Musketeers fans are seen during a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Cintas Center on December 9, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Xavier won 96-69. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

9) Xavier – Cintas Center

The 10,250-seat Cintas Center opened in 2000 and has helped the Musketeers become one of the country’s most consistent college basketball powers since the turn of the century. They have only missed the NCAA Tournament three times since then, with two of those coming in the season immediately following a coaching change.

Xavier’s success at home has played a major role in keeping the program nationally relevant on an annual basis. They have the nation’s fifth-best winning percentage in their current arena and have a winning percentage over 30 percent higher at home than they do away from the Cintas Center.

In the 298 games played at the Cintas Center, Xavier has posted a marvelous 257-41 record and sold out 180 games, which each of the last four seasons having at least 11 sellouts.

That rabid fan base makes themselves known on a nightly basis. Ranked the No. 3 toughest place to play in the country by EA Sports’ NCAA Basketball 09 (sigh, RIP college basketball video games), the student section comes up with unique chants for each player and usually features plenty of body paint.

All of their screaming helped their Musketeers knock off Villanova last year, win the Big East in 2017-18, defeat top-ranked Villanova in 2015-16…you get the picture. It’s extremely difficult for anyone other than Xavier to win at the Cintas Center.

Home/NCAA Basketball News