Allen Fieldhouse has long been considered one of the premier venues in college basketball. For 70 years, Kansas basketball has called the historic arena home, and its reputation for an electric, unmatched atmosphere remains a point of pride for Jayhawk fans.
However, head coach Bill Self shared some honest thoughts during a media session on Friday. With a critical home showdown against No. 7 Houston looming this weekend, the Hall of Famer acknowledged that the Fieldhouse’s student section hasn’t quite lived up to its storied reputation in recent years. Self took the opportunity to challenge fans to pack the Phog and bring their energy for the high-stakes matchup against the Cougars.
Bill Self admits Kansas basketball crowd has been underwhelming
"I haven’t felt the student hype to the level that I’ve felt in some other years. And I know that other people have said the same thing. That’s not being negative to the students, but I don’t think there’s been as much anticipation since the Carolina game, for sure, even in some of our bigger games, but some of them have been over (semester) break too that we felt before. So I’m hopeful that our energy level, from a fan standpoint, will be as good as it’s been all year long tomorrow."Bill Self
Aside from the second game of the season against UNC, Self said anticipation from the fanbase has not been the same. There were not nearly as many students camping outside before the game, even though fan support is rarely an issue with KU basketball.
Self did note that he was not criticizing the student body, though it's difficult to believe that given his critical comments. Hopefully, he convinced some people to start their trip to the contest early.