Hey, did you guys know that Syracuse Basketball doesn't play a lot of true road games before Big East play? Perhaps you've heard that once or twice or eight gazillion times.
All year, the "true road game" is harped on as if it's the single most important statistic in the world and directly correlates to who hoists the trophy at the end of the season.
Let's have some fun, shall we?
The Kentucky Wildcats, the team that just won the National Title with relative ease, played one true road games on their non-conference schedule. Their opponent was the Indiana Hooisers, which might as well be an in-state game since it's so close.
The Kansas Jayhawks were a little bolder, playing at Kentucky, at Duke and at USC. Golfclaps for them. (Ed. Note - Oops on those two games, but, just makes my case even more for me.)
The Louisville Cardinals played at Butler, which is commendable, and at Kentucky, which doesn't count since it's in-state, otherwise known as The Syracuse-MSG Rule.
The Ohio St. Buckeyes made two true road trips before conference play, one to Kansas and one to South Carolina.
So, on average, the teams in the Final Four this year played two true road games in their non-conference schedule. My understanding is that you're supposed to play, like, nine of them. So that's weird.
As for Elite 8 teams, you've got Syracuse (1), North Carolina (3), Florida (3) and Baylor (3). Again...weird. Shouldn't Baylor have beaten Kentucky since they played more true road games? And Florida clearly should have beaten Louisville with such a sizeable advantage.
It's almost as if, when it's all said and done, it's a completely meaningless and useless statistic that some people give way too much weight to. SO WEIRD.
So if playing a lot of true road games doesn't affect who goes far in the NCAA Tournament, perhaps the inverse is true?
2012 NCAA Basketball Attendance Top 5 Schools: Kentucky (NC), Syracuse (E8), Louisville (FF), Tennessee and North Carolina (E8).
Conclusion: Playing more home games means you will go farther in the NCAA Tournament, just like DeCourcy said. There you go.
H/T: cuse2012