B1G Hoops Drawing a Crowd at RAC
Jan 22 | Men's Basketball
By Tom Luicci
ScarletKnights.com
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Eddie Jordan is usually oblivious to crowd noise during games because of how "locked in" he is. But even Rutgers' second-year basketball coach said it was impossible to completely tune out the impact of a season-high crowd of 7,365 for last Tuesday's game against Michigan at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
That total included a sold out student section of 1,500.
"Absolutely we notice when the student section is full, especially when we're playing well," Jordan said. "Even with just a little run of two baskets in a row or a steal you can feel the energy. The adrenaline rushes through everybody. The kids love it. It really helps our players."
As was the case when football set attendance records last fall, basketball is seeing the benefits of its inaugural Big Ten season at the turnstiles. The Scarlet Knights have averaged 6,790 (RAC capacity is listed at 8,000) for their four conference games. A year ago, Rutgers averaged 5,630 for its nine home AAC games.
"We said from the outset that it really wouldn't resonate that we're in the Big Ten and the best conference in the country until our fans and supporters and students see us on the floor with the Michigans, the Indianas, the Michigan States, the Wisconsins," Jordan said. "That's when it resonates that we're here, we're part of the Big Ten. Obviously they like the effort we're putting out and that we're playing at a high level."
Of the five remaining Big Ten home games - the next one is Tuesday, Jan. 27, when Michigan State visits - two (Indiana and Ohio State) are near sellouts. Student attendance may well determine whether those games reach RAC capacity.
A crowd of 6,987 saw Rutgers upset then No. 4-ranked Wisconsin at home on Jan. 11, with a crowd of 7,158 on hand for the program's inaugural Big Ten victory on Jan. 3 against Penn State. The first three Big Ten home games were played with students on winter recess.
Those students were back for the Michigan game and filled the 1,500 seats allotted for them.
Jordan hopes that trend continues with school back in session for the remainder of the Big Ten home schedule: Michigan State, Ohio State on Feb. 8, Purdue on Feb. 12, No. 23-ranked Indiana on Feb. 22 and No. 13-ranked Maryland on March 3.
"The RAC looks wonderful when it's full," Jordan said. "I don't get caught up with how loud it gets. People said it was very loud for the Wisconsin game, too. I didn't notice. I'm locked in. Everything is silent to me.
"But it looks great. I love the sea of scarlet. It looks like a big-time arena and the students are a major reason for that."
