Is it the new digs?

[TommyT]

Just to throw this out - just an interesting stat and if I have this wrong, please someone let me know. Since the Macleod opened, we are 16-8 at home? 6-6 in conference? I'm pretty sure these are correct (or at least darn close).

Does this mean we don't have a home court advantage? I wish there was a way to track how many points opponents scored at the south basket (Jake's Jungle) when the students were in class versus how many the score on the north basket.

We have to get the Mac-LOUD. Not just after a dunk or the last 2 minutes. It has to be a tougher place for teams to come into.

[Matt Trump]

Re: Is it the new digs?

It has more to do with the team on the court and little with the venue.

[TommyT]

Re: Is it the new digs?

I would agree except that I know people in the south side of the arena can hear me yelling from the north side of the arena during games. We need more energy from us, the fans, to feed the players.

[Panthers to the Bone]

Re: Is it the new digs?

The crowd has been down right apathetic during the games this year. The fans in the front have to stand up in order to get things going unfortunately. Get more video of stuff to get fans into the game (or prompt them to stand up for a big defensive stop coming out of a timeout, etc...). We, as fans, have to be able to get the team 'up' when things aren't rolling the way we want.

If you see, Jake is trying to get the team/people fired up by clapping his hands...unfortunately, I can hear him at the top. We need to take that as a cue to get clapping. Jungle members...don't feel as though you can't get the crowd going around you either. Send a crazy student around the gym telling them to get up on their feet!

[Back2BackCats]

Re: Is it the new digs?

I thought that I read somewhere that even though we love the McLeod Center it is not unlike most other arenas from the floor, meaning that there is nothing unusual or different about it. This also brings some comfort to opposing teams. I truly believe that we needed the facility in order to continue to recruit, the Dome and the locker rooms didn't persuade any recruit to commit but it sure had an affect on opposing teams, they hated playing in there, I guess it is somewhat of a double edged sword.

[Matt Trump]

Re: Is it the new digs?

People would be more into it if there was a better, less predictable product on the court.

[Khan4Cats]

Re: Is it the new digs?

Someone brought this up in a conversation about some of the "slow-down" styles employed around the country and the effect on crowds. Teams that play at that slower pace often fare fairly well on the road because they can sap the energy from crowds that don't want to cheer for defense for 33 seconds every time. This effectively neutralizes some of the homecourt advantages the visitors have to face.

I notice that we have generally been successful at dictating pace and style of games on the road both this year, and in the past, and that that has allowed some wins in some places that have been traditionally tough to play in. Unfortunately, I think it also works in reverse in our case when we are at home. Our style tends to take our own crowd out of it at times.

The McLeod isn't a particularly unique or intimidating building, especially with no students or band for half the games. The 'typical' UNI fan isn't terribly vocal anyways, we just have never had that opportunity to develop that type of fan base yet, and I think a lot of that was due to the vacuum-effect the Dome had on sound for basketball.

As fans, we can really only affect one side of this issue and that is to make as much noise as possible for those that are there, and not just for the starting lineup/one player.

[UNIAlum95]

Re: Is it the new digs?

People would be more into it if there was a better, less predictable product on the court.

Amen. Let's see some fire on the court. The fans will follow. Sorry but the fans are not going to carry this team on to victory...

[Back2BackCats]

Re: Is it the new digs?

Very interesting point of view Khan, I have often felt that we take our own crowd out the game with the pace but didn't think of us doing the same thing on the road.

[Newt99]

Re: Is it the new digs?

It has more to do with the team on the court and little with the venue.

Absolutely, 100% agreed. The McLeod should be a much better home court advantage than the Dome ever was. Fans are closer to the court, near sell-out crowds, much louder in there when the team actually gives us something to cheer about.

I never quite got why people thought it was so hard for visiting teams to play in the Dome. I played in a few pick-up games on the court on the Dome floor back in the day, and I never paid any attention to the backdrop that was supposed to make it so hard to shoot in there. And I was not all that good of a hoops player anyway.

Really with the bleachers on three sides it didn't look that much different than any other arena. It was just quieter with a faint echo effect.

[clenz]

Re: Is it the new digs?

I remember hearing Gary Rima say the dome gives us at least 7 points on any given week. Does the Mcleod do the same for the basketball team? Maybe not 7 points but still. Most teams that have good home field/courts seem to have that extra 5-10 points just because it is at home.

[in_the_stands]

Re: Is it the new digs?

Someone brought this up in a conversation about some of the "slow-down" styles employed around the country and the effect on crowds. Teams that play at that slower pace often fare fairly well on the road because they can sap the energy from crowds that don't want to cheer for defense for 33 seconds every time. This effectively neutralizes some of the homecourt advantages the visitors have to face.

I notice that we have generally been successful at dictating pace and style of games on the road both this year, and in the past, and that that has allowed some wins in some places that have been traditionally tough to play in. Unfortunately, I think it also works in reverse in our case when we are at home. Our style tends to take our own crowd out of it at times.

The McLeod isn't a particularly unique or intimidating building, especially with no students or band for half the games. The 'typical' UNI fan isn't terribly vocal anyways, we just have never had that opportunity to develop that type of fan base yet, and I think a lot of that was due to the vacuum-effect the Dome had on sound for basketball.

As fans, we can really only affect one side of this issue and that is to make as much noise as possible for those that are there, and not just for the starting lineup/one player.

I pretty much agree. Even when Lute Olson's Iowa teams were averaging 80 pts a game, they would go deliberate on the road to take the crowd out of it.