Arizona Basketball: Wildcats have one of the best fan bases in the country
By David Rosen
Arizona Basketball has been known to have one the best fan bases, not just at home but also on the road.
The Arizona Basketball program has a rich tradition of winning because of the players that have passed through, but also the fan base has made a big difference as well. At home, McKale Center is known as of the most difficult places to win a game as a road team. This season the Wildcats did suffer a non-conference home loss to now the No.2 team in the country, Gonzaga by four points. It does happen, but not very often.
The Wildcats’ last 102 games inside McKale Center they are 101-10 Heading, not too shabby. In those wins, they have been dominating their opponent. That style of play carried over to when the Wildcats played in Anaheim for the Wooden Legacy Tournament. They would go on to win all three games and leave tourney champs!
As a team, they fought from beginning to end, but it was also the fans that showed up and made their voices heard that made a big difference as well. For a team made up of highly talented freshmen, who have never played away from McKale Center before, it would be their first test to see how they would handle a different environment.
More from Wildcats Basketball
- Arizona Basketball likely to schedule Florida Atlantic for 2023
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s FIBA World Cup performance is reminiscent of Kobe Bryant’s
- Rawle Alkins a star in the Drew League this summer
- Arizona Basketball to play in ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ in 2024
- Reflections on the Pac-12, the Arizona Wildcats, and other memories
At certain times during the tournament, the fans turned the Anaheim Convention Center into McKale Center of the West. Sometimes when a team is in a battle or needing that extra boost to get back into the game, it’s the energy of the fan base that can make a difference. That it did for the Wildcats in Anaheim.
Even though the Wildcats lost when they traveled on the road to play Baylor, the fan base showed up as well. They sensed that the Wildcats weren’t playing all that great and gave it all they had to try and help their team with the win. The Wildcats rallied back but fell short. Still, seeing the fans support their team no matter what was great to see.
Tonight, Wildcats play against St. John’s in the Hall of Fame Class on a neutral court in San Francisco, expect to see a lot of fans represent!
To get a real sense of how special, both fans and players have turned McKale Center into a special place to place, check out this video!
Must Read. Arizona Basketball: How good is the Wildcats defense?. light
Not just this season, but in seasons past the Wildcats fan base has shown up well to non-conference games, Pac-12 conference games, the Pac-12 Tournament and of course March Madness. Sometimes fans in the heat of the moment may get upset about a loss, but in the end, they still show up, whether at home on the road or even in front of their television at home supporting this team. At Zona Zealots, we appreciate that! As always, Bear Down, Arizona!