By Jett Johnson
Sports Editor
Men’s and women’s basketball have both found success this year, and as a result of that there has been an increase in attendance.
The women’s attendance is already close with last year before tournament play started, with a total of 3,742 total attendees at home compared to last year’s total 3,871 total attendees.
The men’s team had an attendance increase of over double. This season with a total of 8,439 attendees at home compared to last years’ 4,128.
Mark Elliott, director of athletics, is happy for the fans as well as both teams.
“We’re hopeful like last year that we can get a home game for the tournament. It’s going to be a battle. We have six games left and every game will be a battle. We’ll just take it a game at a time and would love to be able to repeat some of the success we had last year,” said Elliott.
The attendance growth maximizes the potential of Moore Gymnasium according to Elliott.
“Moore Gym really is right there, and anything that we build we want to make sure that we maintain that as much as we can. When you get that gym full of people it makes for a good home experience and a home court advantage,” said Elliott.
Elliott sees that this culture shift will also impact recruiting players.
“It certainly does help. It’s an emotional driver if you’re a high school athlete, junior college athlete, or in the transfer portal. Every time you win and the gym is full it’s in a sense an unofficial visit for anyone who sees us on video or in person,” said Elliott.
Karen Booker, head coach of the women’s basketball, is excited about the boost in attendance as well.
“We’re excited about the crowds; it seems like the crowds just keep getting bigger. That’s a big part of our success which is bringing energy to the gym. It gives us a home-court advantage,” said Booker.
Winning affects multiple different areas of our university according to Elliott.
“Winning creates a great atmosphere for potential donors that may want to be tied to the program. Both men’s and women’s teams have done a great job and have a great culture. It’s done a lot of good for the university,” said Elliott.
Peter Lambesis, graduate student men’s basketball player, even sees the improved culture affecting relationships amongst teams on campus.
“One thing I’ve noticed is more comradery between teams. Last year there weren’t a lot of teams talking to us about coming to games. It’s been cool to see more interaction amongst teams on campus,” said Lambesis.
Kevin Carroll, head coach of men’s basketball, sees the turnaround in culture and excitement for basketball this year.
“It’s been surprisingly great. They haven’t had a lot of success here for quite some time so you worry about there being a lot of apathy towards athletics. However, I’ve found it to be anything but that. It’s been a lot of fun to come in here every Thursday and Saturday having a great crowd,” said Carroll.
