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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The notion is crap.
Roy Williams has made this perfectly clear.
So you can talk about his home-court advantage all you want, but just don't expect him to play along. Because the game happens on the court, between the lines, and he's never seen a fan come out of the stands and stick-back a miss or block a shot. N-E-V-E-R.
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| Cards coach Rick Pitino says UNC does have an advantage, but it deserves one. (Getty Images) |
Naturally, that crap was taken to Rick Pitino.
For the record, the Louisville coach does believe that crap.
"Tell Roy to get on a plane for the first time and let's play the game at Freedom Hall," Pitino said Friday. "No, I don't think there's a home-court advantage; I think those are mostly mannequins dressed in powder blue."
Oh no he didn't!
"I say this in all honesty," Pitino added. "It's a very strong home-court advantage, but they deserve it."
There's a game scheduled Saturday night, one between traditional powers led by coaching legends. There are pros on each roster, former McDonald's All-Americans and future stars. And regardless of anything anybody else might suggest, just trust me when I tell you this East Region final could be decided by the "home" crowd.
That's how college basketball works, you know?
When all things are equal, the home team usually wins.
And North Carolina is the home team in this set-up, thanks to the selection committee placing UNC in Charlotte. Which is where the Tar Heels ought to be, by the way. Don't get it twisted. They were the No. 1 overall seed in this NCAA tournament, the obvious top seed for the East Region. So while in other years that would've meant an Elite Eight game in New York (2005), New Jersey (2006) or D.C (2007), this year it means an Elite game in North Carolina, and North Carolina should not be blamed for the NCAA's scheduling.
That said, let's not be naive.
This is an advantage by any measuring stick.
True story: Like always, the NCAA opened Wednesday's practices, and the entire lower level of the arena was filled. This was in the afternoon, mind you, when children are supposed to be in school learning. But the place was packed to the surprise of Todd Mastry, the man who runs FedExForum in Memphis and is here observing how the East Region is run because he'll be hosting the South Region next March. "I've never seen this many people at an open practice," Mastry said. My response: That's because you've never seen a North Carolina open practice in Charlotte.
Another true story: I went for a walk and happened upon a hot dog stand, and I stopped because I just love hot dogs (as long as they do not have ketchup on them). So I'm standing there getting a hot dog (with everything except ketchup), and while I waited I asked the guy running the stand how many people in Louisville shirts had he seen walking around.
"Some," he said.
Then I asked how many people in North Carolina shirts he had seen.
"A lot," he said.
So there you have it.
There are some Louisville fans and a lot of North Carolina fans walking the streets of Charlotte, and that's basically how it'll break down Saturday night inside the arena. Some vs. A lot. And for those who do not think it matters, I would invite you to explain how North Carolina is 24-1 (96 percent) in NCAA tournament games played inside the state of North Carolina and just 71-37 (66 percent) in NCAA tournament games played outside the state of North Carolina.
That's not a coincidence.
So again, don't blame the Tar Heels for having an advantage.
It's not their fault.
But make no mistake, they do have an advantage.
And anybody trying to tell you otherwise is full of, well, crap.