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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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FAYETTEVILLE, AR – JANUARY 14: Rashad Madden #00 of the Arkansas Razorbacks celebrates with fans after an overtime win against the Kentucky Wildcats at Bud Walton Arena on January 14, 2014 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Wildcats 87-85. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – JANUARY 14: Rashad Madden #00 of the Arkansas Razorbacks celebrates with fans after an overtime win against the Kentucky Wildcats at Bud Walton Arena on January 14, 2014 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Wildcats 87-85. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

20) Arkansas – Bud Walton Arena

Arkansas is the epitome of a team that always seems to be significantly better at home than they are on the road, and the atmosphere at Bud Walton Arena is a fairly big reason why.

The Razorbacks don’t fill the arena on a consistent basis – they haven’t averaged 16,000 fans per game in a decade despite having a capacity over 19,000 – but it remains one of the best home-court advantages in the Southeast.

Since Bud Walton Arena opened prior to the 1993-94 season, Arkansas has gone 358-84 at home, good for a winning percentage just below 81 percent. In those 26 seasons, the Razorbacks have only had seven years in which they lost more than four games at home.

Part of the reason for that is Arkansas’ traditional style of play, nicknamed “40 Minutes of Hell” by former head coach Nolan Richardson. They prefer an up-tempo style and to play pressure defense, and their energy level gets ramped up a notch when the crowd is at their back. When they get going at Bud Walton, it often feels like an avalanche for opponents – Arkansas is usually good for at least one big run per game that can turn the game around.

The Razorbacks have been up and down over the past two decades but, no matter how their season is going, they’re always extremely tough to beat at home.

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