A URI Basketball Attendee's Rankings of Atlantic 10 MBB Fan Bases
Keep in mind, I am including my full bias in my rankings of all 14 of the Atlantic 10 MBB fan bases. I will disclose whether or not a team's fan ranking is based on the absolute truth or my influenced opinion. Have a good laugh at this article if you are a Rhode Island MBB fan. Cheer if you are a part of one of the Atlantic 10 MBB team's fan bases that I like. Finally, be as angry as you want to be if you have made me hate your particular Atlantic 10 MBB team's fan base.
1. VCU - HAVOC. Enough said. I like VCU fans. I have never had a problem with them and I do not plan to ever have an argument with any of them. I have shown love to VCU basketball in the past and their fans have reciprocated appreciation for my commentary and my thoughts on college basketball, as a whole. I like that a good majority of these fans actually know what they are talking about when they are debating about college basketball.
2. Rhode Island - The adult fans flock to success and many are extremely loyal to the basketball program. Meanwhile, the student crowd is the definition of insanity and they are complete and utter savages, literally. I wish I could put Rhode Island at #1 but everyone knows that a packed house in the Ryan Center is not a consistent sight yet.
3. Davidson - Belk Arena has been pretty electric ever since Stephen Curry arrived to campus. Their adult fans sometimes resemble the stagnant Rhode Island fans during game time but the Davidson students often get right into the game.
4. GW - The turnout of GW's student section is always impressive to me. My fondest memory is when URI traveled down to Foggy Bottom in the 2015-2016 season for a game that came right after a snowstorm and the GW students still showed out.
5. Saint Louis - Saint Louis has a great arena and their fans are loyal, despite the team's struggles that has followed their dominance in 2011-2014. The Billikens have played spoiler to a handful of Atlantic 10 contenders while playing in Chaifetz Arena.
6. Richmond - I have been decently impressed with the output of their fans in rivalry games against in-state rival, VCU. Beyond that, losses to James Madison, Wake Forest, and Northeastern in the Robins Center is unfavorable.
7. Saint Bonaventure - The Bonnies fan base could not fall below the top half of these rankings. Keep in mind, these were the same fans that cost their team a game against VCU in February of 2017 because they were too excited.
8. UMASS - The Mullins Center is spacious but the UMASS fan attendance is sporadic. With that said, the supporters of the Minutemen on Twitter are crazy and delusional but they are devoted.
9. Saint Joseph's - Hagan Arena reminds me a lot of my high school basketball gym. Their recent renovations are nice but they do not always translate into an increase of fan support. When the Hawks had DeAndre Bembry and Isaiah Miles, everyone was excited about #THWND and now, no one seems to care.
10. La Salle - Gola Arena has been pretty mediocre even when John Giannini has had good basketball teams but they have had good performances and good crowds when playing at the Palestra.
11. George Mason - The EagleBank Arena combined with the Patriot fans are about as average as average can be.
12. Fordham - Their small home crowds make a lot of noise after securing massive Atlantic 10 upsets.
13. Duquesne - I am indifferent on the Dukes fan base. I could never be mad at them for not attending home games for an awful team.
14. Dayton - Ironically, this ranking has nothing to do with the team's production on the court or Dayton beating URI since Dayton fans believe that is why people do not like any of them. I have yet to talk to or see a rational Dayton Flyer's basketball fan on social media. If Dayton is not first in Atlantic 10 polls and anything related to men's basketball, then everything doesn't make sense and the world is coming to an end. My message here is to get a clue and look at the bigger picture. Rather than worrying about teams within the Atlantic 10, worry more about getting out of the first round of the NCAA tournament. In the past two seasons, all I have seen is Dayton get destroyed by Syracuse in the first round in 2016 and then Dayton predictably losing to Wichita State in the first round this past season. This team is so easy for me to root against now that Archie Miller has moved on to bigger and better things so that's a plus for me!
It is okay to cry Dayton fans, it's not like America has never seen that before.
