Busting Brackets
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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) /
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LEXINGTON, KY – FEBRUARY 28: Kentucky Wildcats cheerleaders perform during the game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on February 28, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – FEBRUARY 28: Kentucky Wildcats cheerleaders perform during the game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on February 28, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

3) Kentucky – Rupp Arena

Rupp Arena is the second-largest arena in the country behind only Syracuse with an official capacity of 23,500, though they’ve named to fit 24,000 in the arena before. Routinely packed to the brim, Kentucky has won roughly 90 percent of all of their games that have been played at Rupp Arena since it was opened in 1976.

However, head coach John Calipari has turned Rupp into a fortress. Since taking over in 2009, Kentucky has only lost nine home games in the 150 they’ve played under Calipari for a .940 winning percentage, which is absolutely insane. They’ve had a perfect home record five times in that span.

Part of that has to do with the kind of talent Calipari has been able to lure to Lexington, sure, but the Wildcats still have a winning percentage at home that is over 30 percent higher than their winning percentage everywhere else. Fan presence and the atmosphere created by them helps with that as much as anything.

Rupp Arena absolutely deserves their spot in the top three and is one of the signature arenas in the sport, but still trail two home-court advantages that have legendary mystique.

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