Kansas Basketball: Reasons to be thankful in 2018
By Mike Norris
When I moved to Kansas in 1996, Phog Allen Fieldhouse looked to me more like a rundown building than the mecca of college basketball. That all changed once I stepped foot inside for the first time on November 13, 1998.
If you have never been to a game at Allen Fieldhouse, I’m sorry. If you have, even if you root for the team in Columbia, Missouri, there is no denying it is the place to be for college basketball. There is nothing else like it. Nothing.
Don’t just take a KU grad’s word for it.
Two hosts of ESPN’s Game Day, Reece Davis and Jay Bilas, each agree it is the number one venue in the nation, per Tom Keegan, formerly of KUSports.com.
"“It’s my favorite place to see a game and I’m not pandering because we’re here,” Davis said. “There’s such great history here. There’s a vibe and a feel in the building that is not evident in a lot of other places. It’s not the only great place, but I tell everybody who asks that question if I could see only one more college basketball game or only pay for one place to go this would be it.”"
Bilas, who played for Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium during his career, didn’t mince words either.
"“We love coming here. Allen Fieldhouse is a gem,” Bilas said. “I’ve said it before, it’s the St. Andrew’s of college basketball. There is nowhere better. There’s nowhere better.”"
The home-court advantage backs up Bilas and Davis. Self has lost fewer games in 15-plus years at Allen Fieldhouse (13) than consecutive Big 12 titles (14). And since 2001, it is the toughest place to play for any opposing team. Kansas is 276-15 (including three losses last year) which accounts for the most wins and fewest losses of any team, per Daniel Wilco of NCAA.com.
You can try to argue Cameron, Rupp Arena, The Pit or others are harder/better places to play, but you’d be wrong. This isn’t an opinion. Ok it is, but Bilas described why he holds the same opinion in the Keegan piece.
"“When you’re here for a game and you walk into that building, it’s got a feel like none other, and even when you walk in and it’s empty, it just echoes history,” Bilas said. “Every road in this game comes back to Lawrence, Kansas. It’s a magnificent place. We’ll never say no to coming here.”"
Either way, Jayhawks fans, be thankful you get to see your team play in this amazing arena 18-20 times per season, most people are lucky if they get to go there once.