College Basketball Expert Ranks Purdue's 'Paint Crew' 2nd-Best Student Section
Not many student sections are as passionate and as ruthless as Purdue's Paint Crew, named after Boilermaker basketball coach Matt Painter. Its presence on game day is a big reason why Mackey Arena is such a difficult venue for opponents to escape with a win.
But where does Purdue's student section rank compared to the rest of the country? NCAA contibutor and Big Ten Network analyst Andy Katz ranked The Paint Crew as the second-best student-section in the country. The only one ahead was Duke's Cameron Crazies.
Purdue was also the top-rated student section in the Big Ten. Two other programs in the conference landed on the top 10: Michigan State (No. 4) and Rutgers (No. 9).
Feared atmospheres 🗣️@TheAndyKatz gives his 🔟 best student sections in MBB 👇 pic.twitter.com/ZxPDtlvnra
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) September 3, 2024
Being ranked No. 2 is pretty good, but The Paint Crew will undoubtedly want that No. 1 spot. It might make them even louder — if that's even possible — during the 2024-25 season.
In August, Katz provided a look at his top-10 fanbases in college basketball. Purdue was the leader in the Big Ten, but he did have the Boilermaker faithful lower on the list, coming in at No. 5 overall.
"The Purdue faithful are always in attendance when coach Matt Painter and his team are in town, selling out the West Lafayette, Ind. venue consistently," Katz wrote.
"And with Mackey Arena’s circular structure and dome roof, the Boilermakers fan base makes the compact environment feel like a nightmare for visiting teams. It's a must-see experience."
Purdue fans have showed up in full force for years. At the end of the 2023-24 campaign, Mackey Arena had sold out for each of the last 73 men's basketball games.
But being ranked the No. 5 and No. 2 student section gives the Boilers something to shoot for this coming season. We'll see if the 15,000 inside Mackey Arena can break a new decibel record at some point this winter.
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