Big East Basketball: Ranking best homecourt advantages for 2020-21 season
By Max Marmitt
1. Xavier Musketeers Home Court: Cintas Center
Undeniably a top ten home-court advantage in the nation, getting a win at Xavier is never easy. In 2010, EASports ranked the Cintas Center as the third hardest place to play in college basketball, and the modern lists you see today will all have Xavier in the top ten as well.
Xavier actually draws some similarities to Butler’s home-court advantage in terms of their atmosphere and passionate fans. The Cintas Center definitely doesn’t have the history that Hinkle Fieldhouse has, but it still has a very wholesome beginning as it was “constructed through private donations as part of Xavier’s Century Campaign,” according to the Xavier Athletics website. With a capacity of 10,250 fans, Xavier always draws more than 10,000 fans per game (and somehow 10,475 fans per game in 2018).
Xavier consistently prides themselves on their grit that outmatches their opponents, something the fans reward with an overall environment that makes Xavier nearly unbeatable at home on a good year. Everything you want in an optimal college basketball home-court advantage, you will find that at Xavier. Xavier is 97-21 at home in the Big East, including a combined 32-2 during 2016 and 2018. Additionally, this century they are an incredible 270-46 at home.
Until this year, Xavier was the only other Big East team besides Villanova to win a regular-season Big East title. A 17-1 record at home in 2018 that year was a huge part of that, a year where Villanova pretty easily won the NCAA Championship. Additionally, Xavier has had the most NCAA tournament success in the new Big East after Villanova as well. They’ve been ranked as a 1 and 2 seed before, but as a 6 seed they made it to the Sweet 16 in 2015 and as an 11 seed they made it the 2017 Elite 8.
The gritty, talented stars have really represented what Xavier is all about. 2014 NBA Draft pick Semaj Christon was overshadowed by Doug McDermott in 2014 but is still one of the better stars since realignment. Naji Marshall, J.P Macura, Tyrique Jones, Matt Stainbrook, and Trevion Bluiett round out the other All-Big East players, and all of those guys were definitely prominent figures in the Big East. Ask Cincinnati fans what they think of J.P Macura, someone who plays with so much grit but also was the type of guy basically every opposing fanbase despised. Speaking of Cincinnati, Xavier’s biggest rival hasn’t won at the Cintas Center since 2001.
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With an elite college basketball atmosphere, Xavier rewards the fans with tremendous home-court success. When Xavier has at least an above-average team, winning at the Cintas Center will take a complete game of excellence. The overall environment of the Cintas Center makes this a team on the road where you can’t win playing well in segments and hope to get lucky.
The ACC has Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Big 12 has Allen Fieldhouse. The SEC has Rupp Arena. The Big East has Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Cintas Center.