We’ve reached one of my favorite points of the college basketball season. That might seem like a strange statement since we’re past most of the high-profile nonconference matchups and not quite into league play. There aren’t too many games that immediately scream must-watch on the calendar.
But what has happened in the past week is a number of teams have gone on the road for the first time — and I’m talking true road games, not neutral sites or playing small in-state schools where traveling fans can outnumber the home crowd. These are honest-to-goodness hostile environments where road teams face real adversity. There’s nothing more illuminating than seeing how players respond in unfavorable situations when they can’t rely on their fan base to swing momentum back in their direction, but the schedule doesn’t provide too many opportunities before the start of conference play.
Thankfully, we got to see a good chunk of the top 25 take their shows on the road this week. Here’s what I learned.
Dropped out: UNLV
Almost famous: West Virginia, Washington St., Washington
Texas had played three neutral site games in the Virgin Islands during the first part of the schedule, but the total attendance during that tournament was dwarfed by the crowd in the McKale Center as the…
