Arizona, Colorado Arenas Among Pac-12's Toughest
By Andrew Kahn
It’s hard to win on the road in conference. Coaches and commentators have been saying this forever, and it’s true. The Pac-12 is no exception. Home teams are 36-18 (67 percent) in league play this season, a winning percentage just behind the Big Ten and Big 12 but ahead of the ACC, Big East, and SEC. Factoring last season as well, the Pac-12’s home winning percentage ranks second among those conferences. The league’s coaches weighed in today on which Pac-12 venues are the most difficult to play at.
Not surprisingly, nearly all the coaches mentioned Arizona and Utah. They are atop the league’s standings and neither have lost a home game this season. Playing Arizona or Utah this season would be difficult in any location, but their home fans deserve some credit. The atmosphere at the McKale Center is among the best in the country, and certainly the tradition of the program is a big part of that. Colorado coach Tad Boyle referenced his visit two years ago, when his team’s buzzer beater at the end of regulation was disallowed, leading to an overtime loss. “I felt we were in control of the game for the majority of it but their crowd never went away,” Boyle said. “They’re always into the game and inspiring their team.”
Now in his fourth year at Utah, Larry Krystkowiak has helped turn the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City into a nightmare venue for opponents. He said it’s not just the quality of his team, but the efforts from the band, the marketing department that created an NBA-type pregame light show, and a supportive student section. “The student section is the heartbeat of an arena. Other fans feed off the students,” he said. Arizona will visit on Feb. 28.
Like the Huntsman Center, Colorado’s arena has the added benefit of high elevation. It’s one of the reasons several coaches mentioned a visit to Boulder among the league’s toughest trips. “The fans have been hard on us the last few times we’ve been there,” said Oregon’s Dana Altman. He also mentioned Washington as a challenging venue.
Of course, winning changes everything. Washington’s Lorenzo Romar played for the Huskies in the late 70s and early 80s when Oregon State was the class of the conference under coach Ralph Miller. “That place was packed and it was tough,” Romar remembered. The Beavers have had a surprisingly good start this season under first year coach Wayne Tinkle, which has rejuvenated the fan base. On the flip side, even Arizona State’s “Curtain of Distraction” is not likely to make a difference in their next home game against Arizona.
Sifting through season results between teams that play a home-and-home series is a reminder of the importance of home court that analysts are always talking about. And yet, if anything, I’ve found that college basketball fans tend to underestimate the importance of playing at home, at least when evaluating résumés. A win over a ranked team at home isn’t necessarily as impressive as a road win over an unranked, mediocre opponent. The Pac-12 is no different—any road win should be celebrated.
Andrew Kahn is a regular contributor to CBS Local who also writes for Newsday and The Wall Street Journal. He writes about college basketball and other sports at AndrewJKahn.com. Email him at andrewjkahn@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @AndrewKahn.
