Cintas Center One of the 10 Toughest Venues in the Nation

Playing at home has long been accepted as one of the great factors in winning a college basketball game. Take two top 25 teams and put them on a neutral court and it could be a toss up. Put one of those teams at home, though, and that team will be expected to win the game. According to Ken Pomeroy, a team's offensive efficiency goes up by 1.4% at home, while their opponents defensive efficiency is effected negatively by the same amount. That flips on the other end of the court, and it adds up to a sizable advantage for the home squad. Home court winning percentage is nearly 68% when all 349 NCAA Division I teams are factored in.

More pertinent to Xavier fans is Xavier's Cintas Center winning percentage of 87.4%, good for ninth in the nation. There are only eight places in the nation where it is tougher to go and get a win. While the overhyped Cameron Indoor is nowhere to be found, the Cintas lands squarely between home venues for national powers Wisconsin and Michigan State. Also worth noting is that Xavier has the best home court advantage of any Big East team. As the college basketball landscape continues to shift, Xavier continues to rise to the top.

Thank you to Xavier's incomparable SID for yet another great graphic.