When it comes to the pantheon of collegiate cheering sections, students at Duke University have done for basketball what Billy Mays did for infomercials. Boasting elite levels of supersonic obnoxiousness and a style that is imitated by collegians all across the country, the Cameron Crazies ““ named for Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium ““ have created an environment that is hellish for opponents of the aptly named Blue Devils.
With a new season of college basketball upon us, the burden falls on UCLA students to emulate their colleagues to the East. This year’s team, more so than any other Bruin squad in recent memory, will require the backing of a vociferous and supportive Den, as the student section is known, to hold strong throughout what will likely be a roller-coaster ride of a season.
The personnel changes have been well-documented: UCLA graduated its three most experienced players ““ Darren Collison, Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya. That leaves coach Ben Howland with easily his most inexperienced team since taking over the reins in Westwood, and the whippersnappers will need all the help they can get.
A tightly contested college basketball game can be one of sports’ most intense settings: The combination of compact gyms, emotional teenagers and scholastic loyalties makes for a sweaty session of athletic adrenaline.
With so many freshmen and sophomores being counted on to play significant roles for the Bruins this year, the impetus is on the student section to make sure that YouthCLA doesn’t fall apart during what has the makings of a brutal schedule.
“Our young team will benefit so much from us being rowdy and spirited the whole game,” said Jamie Arneson, fourth-year economics major and Den president. “This year more than ever because our young team can be easily influenced by a good and a bad atmosphere. There’s a reason we sit front and center in Pauley, and that’s giving our team a real home-court advantage.”
Once students have gotten over the “obstacle” of trudging to Pauley Pavilion from the dorms or classrooms, their participation in the evening’s festivities is just beginning.
At a basic level, excessive volume is a requirement. I am certain there is a positive correlation between decibels and wins by the home team when it comes to college hoops, and we want the young Bruins to be as pumped as can be when they’re locked in their Howland-ian defensive stances.
That being said, there is an additional layer beyond the volume that must be addressed: the issue of creativity. This is where the Cameron Crazies earn their keep. Former coach Bobby Cremins was pitted against Duke in the ACC league for a number of years while coaching Georgia Tech and called the Blue Devil students his “favorite fans in the league. They do things so creative.”
North Carolina alumnus Sean May, a frequent target of the Crazies during his run as a Tar Heel, said that the Duke fans “aren’t the most brutal. They’re just the most clever.”
Nothing creates a home-court advantage better than students with a reputation for cleverness; opposing coaches and players take notice of the barbs, and their acknowledgement of them makes it clear that some of their focus is diverted from the game.
The idea of the “sixth man” in basketball is overused, but it can be relevant in a case like this. The young Bruins have a treacherous path to tread, but the sturdy support of screaming students can make the road a little easier.
Let’s ensure that hearing is the only thing lost in Pauley this year.
If you’re already camping out for the Kansas game, e-mail Eshoff at reshoff@media.ucla.edu.
f you’re already camping out for the Kansas game, e-mail Eshoff at reshoff@media.ucla.edu.