HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE: AREA GYMNS POSE UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR VISITORS

A house may be built of bricks.

But a home is defined by intangibles.

The same goes for the home of a basketball team.

Depending on who you talk to, a gymnasium is not just an edifice. It's an edge for the home team.

"We've got a definite home-court advantage," said Scott City coach Derek McCord, who has seen his team lose just three times at home over the past three years.

"It's tough to play on the road for a lot of reasons," Jackson coach Steve Burk said. "There's the distraction of travel, not being in a set routine ... We're definitely more comfortable at home."

The same is true for all of Southeast Missouri's high school basketball teams, but some of the region's facilities, like houses, are homier than others.

Why do home teams have the upper hand?

There are different reasons, the most of which is a loud crowd that can fuel the home team's momentum like a dry wind nourishes a forest fire.

But for many teams, home-court advantage means more than noise.

"The Stable" -- Marquand

Marquand's claustrophobic confines feature distractions -- like a balcony behind one basket, for instance -- that drive opposing coaches and players crazy.

The gym was built in the mid-1930s under the Works Progress Administration, a work program initiated by President Franklin Roosevelt to spark the economy during the Great Depression.

Leopold coach Carlton Thoma, who has been coaching since 1984, said the building's stable-like attributes gives visiting teams troubles.

"Marquand is a tough, tough place to play," Thoma said. "Any game on the road is tough in high school, but at Marquand, they have that hay loft. Now they put people up there and they're all making noise. And when they press you, you have only eight feet to throw in."

"Marquand is the No. 1 (toughest place to play), probably in the whole United States," said Meadow Heights coach Jeff Gravon with a laugh.

There is also a pole there that players must consider.

"We had a boy get hurt there one year," Delta coach Jim Gloth said. "He fell and hit his knee on that pole. It's just a different setting."

Although seven coaches voted Marquand as a tough place to play in a recent poll conducted by the Southeast Missourian, Marquand coach Grady Smith dismisses the whole home-court advantage theory.

"I really don't consider the home court as being a very big advantage," said the throw-back coach who, when in high school, played on some of the great Puxico teams in the early 1950s. "I think it may have some of a psychological effect on the players at home with the camaraderie of the fans and the enthusiasm. But it's not what the other team does or the home court that defeats you. It's what we do."

Smith claims that a building doesn't give a team an advantage, but he's quick to point out that the environment, no matter how primitive, isn't a disadvantage either.

"I played in a log cabin with groundhog holes and that never prevented us from being the state champions (at Puxico)," Smith said.

Marquand's gym is so small, that players can't shoot a 3-pointer from the corners without stepping out of bounds.

Whether Smith wants to admit it or not, the limited 3-point space is definitely an advantage for Marquand because of the style Smith wants his players to play.

"They need to do away with the 3-point shot," Smith said. "Because all these kids do now is practice 3-pointers. If you want to win ballgames, you have to get it inside.

"I told my players that if they shoot from out there, I'll break their arms," he joked.

Marquand's school board has begun preliminary discussions of possibly building a new high school with a bigger gymnasium, superintendent Duane Schindler said.

"The Pit" -- Notre Dame

Notre Dame has a reputation as a team, according to coaches, that would take pride in defending a cardboard box, if that was their home.

This year, the Bulldogs play in a snazzy, brand new facility and are still one of the area's toughest teams to play on the road, coaches said.

But if a poll on home-court advantage was taken last year asking coaches to rate the toughest gyms to play in, Notre Dame would have easily been at the top of the list.

One coach after another said that visiting the Bulldogs' old structure affectionately known as "The Pit" was the pits.

In fact, the coaches' comments started to sound like a recording:

"The old Notre Dame place was a tough place to play," said Burk.

"Notre Dame would be in (the top three) when they had the Pit," McCord said.

"The old Pit used to be a hard place to play in," Delta coach Jim Gloth said.

Even coaches who haven't coached there know about "The Pit."

Although the Red Devils don't have Notre Dame on their schedule, Chaffee coach Jim Stoverink remembers what the atmosphere was like from his old playing days.

"I always thought it was cold in there when I played there," Stoverink said. "They've got such a tradition and I think they take just a little more pride in protecting their home court than other teams do."

On occasion, the old, pocket-sized pad was so packed that gatekeepers would disallow more people to enter.

This year, although the new place is still a bit cozy, Notre Dame fans no longer resemble sardines.

But what was uncomfortable for some was simply home-sweet-home for the Bulldogs.

"There's no doubt that the old "Pit" gave us a home-court advantage," Notre Dame coach Chris Janet said. "I probably realize it more now that we're in this facility. From time to time we'll go practice there. And after spending hours and hours in this spacious facility, I'll walk into that place and I'm like `I don't remember this place being this small.'

"You just grow comfortable to your surroundings. Obviously, that's the reason why you have home-court advantage. We hope to establish a home-court advantage here, not because it's small, but because of the surroundings."

"The Cracker Jack box" -- Scott County Central

Another gym that area coaches dread visiting is Scott County Central.

"It's a little Cracker Jack box," Scott Central coach Todd Porter said. "Everyone is sitting right on top of you."

With 13 state championships to their credit, the Braves also boast somewhat of an intimidation factor.

"There are orange banners all over the place," Oran coach Mitch Wood said. "It's a good basketball atmosphere.

"It feels like there's 1,000 people there. The fans are about two feet off the floor."

Additional home-court factors

Some gyms across the region have subtle differences that may give the home team a slight edge.

Lighting, for instance, may be darker than usual.

Two coaches said that Charleston's lighting was somewhat darker than most. At Kelly, some say the lighting may be dimmer at one end than it is at the other. And some say Fredericktown's lighting has a green tint to it.

The floor itself also may take some getting used to for a visiting team.

Until the past few years, Leopold's basketball floor was tiled, Cape Central had an orange hard floor and Oak Ridge played on carpet. All three schools have since replaced those floors with traditional wood.

Still other gyms may have dead spots in the floor where the ball doesn't quite bounce as high and some floors are more sticky than others.

Coaches also mentioned that the backdrop behind baskets can pose a disadvantage for the visiting team.

Some basket backgrounds that coaches said made shooting more difficult, unless a player was used to it, include a set of bleachers with disrupting fans, a stage, an abundance of space or a close wall.

Of all of the tough places to play, though, one thing remains the same. The teams with large, supporting crowds and strong home-court advantages have enjoyed some success over the years.

That poses a question: Does a good team draw a good crowd? Or does a good crowd draw a good team?

One thing is certain -- a raucous audience won't make a lousy team play like state champs. Tight or loose rims, backgrounds, carpeted floors or tricky lighting won't make up 15 points. And a low balcony won't in itself win games.

But if a game comes down to four or six points, painted faces, noise makers, awkward lighting, chants and hay lofts may be the only edge a team needs.

Throw in the referee factor and almost anything is possible.