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MTSU men’s basketball wants attendance title




MTSU's men's basketball team is averaging 6,100 per game in attendance. MTSU Athletic Communications photo

MTSU’s men’s basketball team is averaging 6,100 per game in attendance. MTSU Athletic Communications photo

The MTSU men’s basketball team can reach a special goal for the first time ever this season, but the Blue Raiders can’t do it on their own.

MTSU has never led Conference USA in average home attendance over the course of a season, but this year the Blue Raiders are well in the hunt for the crowd crown.

They currently rank second in the league with an average home attendance of 6,118 fans. That’s only 100 less on average than leader UTEP.

“We love the fans, and we love when they come out here to support us,” senior guard Giddy Potts said. “This year, there have been some good crowds in [the Murphy Center]. But, we need them to keep it up in our last few home games.”

Of MTSU’s remaining 11 regular-season games, seven will be played at the Murphy Center. That means fans only have limited opportunities to see a team that’s garnered national attention this season.

In the latest version of the NCAA RPI released on Sunday, the Blue Raiders (14-5, 6-1) were ranked 23rd overall and sixth among non-Power 5 conference teams behind Villanova (second), Xavier (fourth), Rhode Island (10th), Nevada (13th) and Seton Hall (17th). That came after games at Marshall and WKU last week in which MT played in front of sold-out crowds on the road.

If the Blue Raiders want to keep getting national recognition, they obviously have to keep winning. Big crowds at the Murphy Center will undoubtedly help.

“I just think the home court advantage is huge,” MTSU coach Kermit Davis said. “Going down the stretch in all of college basketball’s conference races, student bodies and home attendance don’t guarantee wins, but they sure give you an advantage.”

Davis will welcome any help he can get from the fans with a tough remaining home schedule left.

The Blue Raiders will host the conference’s Texas schools — UTSA, UTEP, Rice and North Texas — before finishing the regular season with a three-game stretch against UAB, WKU and Marshall at Murphy Center.

WKU is currently tied atop the C-USA standings with MTSU and Old Dominion at 6-1, while Marshall and UAB are the next two teams at 5-2 and 4-3, respectively.

Not only will a packed Murphy Center help the Raiders against some of the conference’s best competition, but it could also help promote the university on a bigger stage.

With the C-USA race likely to come down to the wire, more national eyes will be on MTSU as the season closes. Showcasing MTSU could be more important than ever.

“We have to keep proving to people that we belong on the national stage, not just by how we play and hold ourselves, but also by our fan base,” Davis said. “I want that for our players and for our culture.

“When people and recruits see our games on TV, I want them to say, ‘I want to go there. Look at that student body and the fan base and how much they care about Blue Raider basketball.'”

It’s not just showing up in full force, either. Davis also hopes to see the crowds continue their high-class character.

“I want to thank the fans who come,” he said. “The thing about it, when our students and fans come, they know exactly how to act and make it a great home court advantage.”

The Blue Raiders have done their part this season, rocketing to the top of the Conference USA standings yet again.

Now, it’s on the fans to show up and help MTSU men’s basketball reach yet another significant milestone.

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