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Court advantages

Are all home courts the same?

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Does Duke at home play better than UNC at home?

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This simple study attempts to answer these questions. Each team's average offensive efficiency at Home/Away/Neutral settings was calculated for every season since 2010. You might be thinking, "What if team ability has changed over that time?", and that's a fair question. Team ability can certainly change, especially when rosters would have recycled 2-3 times during this span.

 

We can do this analysis because the stats are first calculated inclusively, meaning Duke at Home compared to Duke Away, not Duke compared to UNC, or least not as a Step 1. We can do the school to school comparisons as a Step 2. We are going to make the assumption that Duke at Home relative to Duke Away is the same in every year. Meaning if Duke wins X games at home there is some defined mapping to winning Y games on the road. In other words, the better they do at home the better they'll do on the road. The mapping between home and away games is independent of the team's ability to actually perform well in either setting.

 

Illinois State has the largest gap between home and away win percentages, although their efficiency gap is not the largest. To answer our question about Duke vs. UNC, Duke's win percentage difference is 0.246 and their efficiency difference is 0.048. UNC's win percentage difference is 0.180 and their efficiency difference is 0.380. Duke's numbers are larger for both metrics. One could make the argument that Duke improves more when playing at home compared to UNC playing at home. This isn't to say that Duke performs poorly on the road, just that their home court is "worth more" to them.

School
Home/Away Win% difference
Home/Away efficiency difference
All time Home Win%
All time Away Win%
All time Neutral Win%
All time home efficiency
All time away efficiency
All time neutral efficiency
Illinois St
0.504
0.058
0.86
0.356
0.526
1.066
1.008
0.977
Oklahoma
0.453
0.075
0.703
0.25
0.391
1.078
1.003
1.033
Colorado
0.447
0.108
0.726
0.279
0.538
1.084
0.976
1.029
Iowa St
0.439
0.082
0.723
0.284
0.586
1.111
1.029
1.118
Louisiana Tech
0.431
0.045
0.831
0.4
0.5
1.056
1.011
1.01
Missouri
0.428
0.075
0.652
0.224
0.4
1.076
1.001
1.073
Denver
0.41
0.107
0.78
0.37
0.4
1.155
1.048
1.014
Clemson
0.409
0.08
0.667
0.258
0.368
1.053
0.973
1.091
Arizona St
0.391
0.037
0.636
0.246
0.154
1.043
1.006
1.056
Arkansas
0.39
0.101
0.754
0.364
0.4
1.093
0.993
0.995
Creighton
0.383
0.096
0.727
0.344
0.577
1.146
1.051
1.065
Alabama
0.379
0.054
0.682
0.303
0.476
1.026
0.972
1.037
Chattanooga
0.378
0.093
0.649
0.271
0.385
1.084
0.991
1.033
Texas
0.378
0.069
0.701
0.323
0.407
1.07
1.001
1.062
E Michigan
0.377
0.045
0.671
0.294
0.417
1.014
0.969
1.004
Southern Miss
0.377
0.087
0.694
0.317
0.5
1.082
0.995
1.059
Arkansas St
0.376
0.05
0.643
0.267
0.417
1.046
0.995
1.025
New Mexico St
0.375
0.09
0.932
0.558
0.7
1.133
1.042
1.086
Winthrop
0.374
0.038
0.833
0.459
0.611
1.079
1.041
1.006
Nebraska
0.37
0.047
0.574
0.203
0.286
1.012
0.965
1.015
Northern Iowa
0.368
0.082
0.823
0.455
0.609
1.094
1.012
1.022
Missouri St
0.366
0.064
0.603
0.237
0.471
1.054
0.99
0.988
Indiana St
0.365
0.073
0.632
0.267
0.5
1.036
0.962
0.912
Iowa
0.365
0.098
0.644
0.279
0.294
1.113
1.016
1.033
Dayton
0.365
0.098
0.759
0.393
0.458
1.111
1.013
1.006
Oregon St
0.363
0.064
0.55
0.188
0.333
1.027
0.964
1.007
Maryland
0.361
0.102
0.738
0.377
0.435
1.096
0.995
1.061
Indiana
0.36
0.07
0.667
0.306
0.435
1.111
1.042
1.099
UCLA
0.355
0.07
0.783
0.429
0.548
1.112
1.042
1.064
Utah Valley
0.354
0.056
0.74
0.386
0.3
1.051
0.995
0.974
LSU
0.352
0.06
0.552
0.2
0.286
1.033
0.973
0.928
W Michigan
0.34
0.073
0.743
0.403
0.429
1.109
1.036
1.048
Evansville
0.34
0.029
0.621
0.281
0.357
1.019
0.99
0.979
N Dakota St
0.34
0.081
0.698
0.358
0.55
1.112
1.031
1.013
Drake
0.339
0.118
0.55
0.211
0.25
1.073
0.955
0.939
Texas Tech
0.338
0.084
0.5
0.162
0.353
1.027
0.943
1.007
S Dakota St
0.337
0.062
0.868
0.531
0.667
1.182
1.12
1.078
Oklahoma St
0.333
0.079
0.625
0.292
0.3
1.092
1.013
1.038
Houston Bap
0.331
0.075
0.544
0.213
0.545
1.048
0.974
1.006
S Illinois
0.329
0.095
0.583
0.255
0.357
1.043
0.948
0.925
Akron
0.326
0.04
0.812
0.485
0.625
1.084
1.044
1.021
CS Sacramento
0.326
0.096
0.581
0.254
0.375
1.086
0.99
1.089
Kentucky
0.325
0.091
0.922
0.597
0.847
1.157
1.066
1.135
Mississippi St
0.325
0.026
0.544
0.219
0.4
1.007
0.981
1.019
NC A&T
0.325
0.065
0.583
0.259
0.5
1.016
0.951
0.955
Houston
0.324
0.049
0.641
0.317
0.526
1.083
1.034
1.06
Texas A&M
0.324
0.085
0.677
0.353
0.458
1.061
0.976
1.003
Bradley
0.321
0.033
0.5
0.179
0.357
0.988
0.955
0.937
Oregon
0.319
0.084
0.803
0.484
0.692
1.121
1.036
1.1
Wake Forest
0.319
0.043
0.45
0.131
0.214
1.01
0.968
1.039
Appalachian St
0.317
0.083
0.65
0.333
0.462
1.08
0.998
1.027
Notre Dame
0.315
0.058
0.767
0.452
0.595
1.134
1.076
1.079
Michigan
0.312
0.036
0.729
0.417
0.714
1.1
1.064
1.108
SE Louisiana
0.312
0.074
0.662
0.349
0.333
1.057
0.983
1.058
Northwestern
0.308
0.075
0.54
0.232
0.375
1.059
0.984
1.053
N Illinois
0.307
0.06
0.479
0.171
0
0.999
0.939
0.884
Stanford
0.305
0.081
0.607
0.302
0.444
1.077
0.996
1.045
Minnesota
0.305
0.093
0.533
0.228
0.381
1.067
0.974
1.013
Seattle
0.305
0.053
0.625
0.32
0.385
1
0.947
0.996
Purdue
0.305
0.081
0.797
0.492
0.484
1.124
1.043
1.041
USC
0.303
0.024
0.561
0.258
0.421
1.01
0.986
1.035
E Washington
0.303
0.069
0.694
0.391
0.6
1.128
1.059
1.158
Florida St
0.302
0.079
0.719
0.417
0.536
1.07
0.992
1.017
UTRGV
0.298
0.065
0.455
0.157
0
0.992
0.927
0.916
Colorado St
0.296
0.076
0.667
0.371
0.412
1.09
1.014
1.036
Utah
0.296
0.048
0.667
0.371
0.474
1.054
1.006
1.016
WKU
0.295
0.058
0.721
0.426
0.667
1.086
1.028
1.029
Fresno St
0.294
0.068
0.667
0.373
0.357
1.059
0.991
0.981
Georgia
0.293
0.018
0.647
0.354
0.476
1.03
1.011
1.011
West Virginia
0.292
0.107
0.692
0.4
0.595
1.119
1.012
1.041
Wyoming
0.29
0.058
0.532
0.242
0.417
1.019
0.961
0.988
Mississippi
0.288
0.067
0.662
0.373
0.5
1.088
1.021
1.011
UNLV
0.288
-0.001
0.671
0.383
0.222
1.033
1.034
1.032
Idaho
0.287
0.025
0.746
0.459
0.385
1.092
1.067
1.095
Marshall
0.285
0.057
0.639
0.355
0.609
1.078
1.02
1.068
Missouri KC
0.284
0.088
0.538
0.255
0.308
1.056
0.968
1.015
South Alabama
0.283
0.038
0.61
0.327
0.333
1.024
0.986
0.926
C Michigan
0.283
0.058
0.529
0.246
0.286
1.068
1.011
1.112
CS Bakersfield
0.283
0.087
0.647
0.364
0.583
1.045
0.958
0.987
Boise St
0.282
0.094
0.698
0.417
0.267
1.11
1.016
1.058
N Colorado
0.281
0.02
0.678
0.397
0.444
1.101
1.081
1.052
Nicholls St
0.281
0.072
0.587
0.306
0.2
1.052
0.98
0.955
Charleston So
0.281
0.131
0.63
0.348
0.571
1.127
0.996
1.068
Northern Arizona
0.279
0.032
0.548
0.27
0.167
1.027
0.994
0.904
Kent
0.279
0.053
0.735
0.456
0.533
1.075
1.022
1.037
California
0.279
0.087
0.689
0.41
0.429
1.069
0.983
1.018
Kansas
0.279
0.088
0.94
0.662
0.764
1.166
1.078
1.101
Louisville
0.278
0.06
0.794
0.516
0.725
1.101
1.041
1.082
Jacksonville
0.278
0.065
0.6
0.322
0.2
1.065
1
0.938
Kansas St
0.277
0.059
0.692
0.415
0.5
1.063
1.004
1.049
St John's
0.276
0.049
0.571
0.295
0.222
1.021
0.972
0.981
South Carolina
0.274
0.061
0.493
0.219
0.474
1.005
0.944
1.005
Siena
0.274
0.042
0.641
0.367
0.444
1.044
1.002
1
Buffalo
0.274
0.054
0.789
0.515
0.526
1.124
1.07
1.096
San Diego St
0.271
0.056
0.871
0.6
0.629
1.081
1.025
1.047
Tennessee
0.271
0.082
0.712
0.441
0.567
1.074
0.992
1.062
Virginia Tech
0.27
0.07
0.531
0.262
0.353
1.052
0.981
1.055
TCU
0.267
0.044
0.375
0.108
0.357
1.007
0.963
0.994
Air Force
0.267
0.105
0.429
0.161
0.3
1.025
0.92
1.042
Georgia Tech
0.267
-0.026
0.492
0.226
0.4
0.955
0.981
0.96
Washington
0.266
0.056
0.594
0.328
0.55
1.065
1.008
1.084
Weber St
0.264
0.051
0.818
0.554
0.615
1.13
1.078
1.05
Col Charleston
0.264
0.019
0.721
0.458
0.6
1.076
1.057
1.031
UC Irvine
0.262
0.064
0.746
0.483
0.571
1.076
1.012
1.012
Wright St
0.262
0.109
0.655
0.393
0.733
1.075
0.966
1.045
William & Mary
0.261
0.084
0.6
0.339
0.5
1.145
1.061
1.074
Abilene Chr
0.261
0.057
0.438
0.176
0
1.018
0.961
0.946
Ark Pine Bluff
0.26
0.066
0.687
0.426
0.5
1.001
0.935
0.894
Connecticut
0.26
0.068
0.657
0.397
0.774
1.067
0.999
1.097
Michigan St
0.258
0.029
0.767
0.508
0.673
1.107
1.079
1.079
UNC Asheville
0.258
0.096
0.786
0.527
0.571
1.126
1.031
1.068
Belmont
0.257
0.07
0.964
0.707
0.6
1.188
1.118
1.13
Quinnipiac
0.257
0.006
0.695
0.438
0.375
1.063
1.058
0.991
Tennessee Tech
0.257
0.024
0.625
0.368
0.417
1.043
1.019
0.977
Montana St
0.255
0.088
0.525
0.27
0
1.079
0.991
1.028
W Carolina
0.254
0.072
0.61
0.356
0.526
1.053
0.982
1.052
Utah St
0.252
0.124
0.695
0.443
0.474
1.143
1.019
1.079
Columbia
0.251
0.038
0.541
0.29
0
1.05
1.011
0
North Dakota
0.251
0.06
0.667
0.415
0.737
1.082
1.022
1.054
Tulsa
0.251
0.059
0.759
0.508
0.5
1.07
1.011
1.018
S Carolina St
0.25
0.096
0.492
0.241
0.4
1.027
0.931
1.014
NC Central
0.25
0.091
0.824
0.574
0.65
1.102
1.011
1.029
Mt St Mary's
0.25
0.012
0.742
0.492
0.5
1.049
1.037
0.977
UTEP
0.248
0.066
0.773
0.525
0.5
1.066
1
1.058
Tennessee St
0.248
0.018
0.6
0.352
0.25
1.035
1.017
0.988
Idaho St
0.247
0.062
0.46
0.213
0
1.083
1.021
0.879
Vanderbilt
0.247
0.063
0.687
0.439
0.458
1.103
1.04
1.024
Marist
0.247
0.07
0.414
0.167
0.25
1.019
0.949
0.981
Duke
0.246
0.048
0.887
0.641
0.735
1.166
1.119
1.132
Florida
0.246
0.05
0.776
0.53
0.651
1.102
1.052
1.073
Youngstown St
0.246
0.032
0.394
0.148
0.333
1.028
0.996
1.057
Portland St
0.246
0.058
0.565
0.318
0.4
1.112
1.055
1.023
La Salle
0.245
0.09
0.542
0.297
0.421
1.046
0.955
1.076
Central Conn
0.245
0.022
0.542
0.297
0
1.004
0.982
0.86
Bowling Green
0.244
0.058
0.549
0.306
0.25
1.034
0.976
1.004
Boston College
0.244
0.06
0.387
0.143
0.357
1.036
0.976
1.037
MTSU
0.243
0.084
0.898
0.656
0.583
1.12
1.036
1.052
Ohio
0.242
0.061
0.708
0.466
0.65
1.094
1.033
1.063
Chicago St
0.241
0.107
0.333
0.093
0
0.981
0.874
0.879
MS Valley St
0.241
0.069
0.554
0.313
0.455
1.002
0.934
0.973
Montana
0.239
0.036
0.862
0.623
0.5
1.126
1.09
1.022
Massachusetts
0.239
0.023
0.552
0.313
0.471
1.017
0.994
1.023
Long Beach St
0.237
-0.02
0.804
0.567
0.571
1.046
1.066
1.053
TX Southern
0.237
0.082
0.889
0.652
0.68
1.105
1.023
1.022
Valparaiso
0.237
0.03
0.806
0.569
0.143
1.082
1.052
1.023
Washington St
0.237
0.085
0.387
0.15
0
1.039
0.954
0.996
Jackson St
0.236
0.019
0.656
0.419
0.364
0.99
0.971
0.963
Incarnate Word
0.236
0.041
0.611
0.375
0
1.072
1.032
0
G Washington
0.236
0.039
0.613
0.377
0.417
1.057
1.018
1.054
St Joseph's PA
0.233
0.019
0.6
0.367
0.519
1.028
1.009
1.085
Auburn
0.232
0.05
0.463
0.231
0.286
1.024
0.974
0.929
UT San Antonio
0.232
0.03
0.533
0.302
0.471
1.018
0.988
1.034
Grand Canyon
0.231
0.097
0.793
0.563
0.667
1.113
1.016
0.997
IPFW
0.229
0.084
0.66
0.431
0.357
1.13
1.046
1.07
WI Green Bay
0.229
0.043
0.696
0.468
0.7
1.073
1.029
1.041
Savannah St
0.227
0.015
0.778
0.551
0.4
0.996
0.981
0.894
Florida A&M
0.227
0.018
0.473
0.246
0.4
0.964
0.947
1.01
Alcorn St
0.227
0.017
0.517
0.29
0.333
0.97
0.953
0.94
Oral Roberts
0.226
0.005
0.679
0.453
0.429
1.102
1.097
1.033
Cincinnati
0.226
0.096
0.79
0.565
0.529
1.1
1.004
1.04
American Univ
0.226
0.033
0.635
0.409
0
1.041
1.008
0.613
Miami OH
0.226
0.047
0.522
0.296
0.143
1.016
0.969
0.959
Miami FL
0.225
0.018
0.676
0.452
0.538
1.08
1.062
1.07
South Dakota
0.225
0.064
0.68
0.455
0.538
1.103
1.039
1.019
Alabama St
0.224
0.046
0.65
0.426
0.462
1.027
0.981
0.954
Temple
0.224
0.09
0.791
0.567
0.417
1.109
1.019
1.053
TAM C. Christi
0.224
0.084
0.677
0.453
0.4
1.052
0.969
1.04
Furman
0.224
0.076
0.603
0.379
0.471
1.068
0.992
1.026
Dartmouth
0.223
0.038
0.387
0.164
0
0.977
0.939
0
St Louis
0.223
0.075
0.656
0.433
0.524
1.031
0.956
0.982
Pittsburgh
0.221
0.064
0.576
0.355
0.333
1.07
1.007
1.049
Campbell
0.221
0.048
0.483
0.262
0.3
1.039
0.991
1.009
North Texas
0.22
0.04
0.554
0.333
0.529
1.034
0.993
1.037
Long Island
0.219
0.022
0.75
0.531
0.286
1.085
1.063
0.955
Sam Houston St
0.219
0.053
0.719
0.5
0.591
1.077
1.024
1.056
Cal Poly SLO
0.218
0.036
0.525
0.306
0.438
1.057
1.021
1.012
Providence
0.218
0.037
0.574
0.356
0.35
1.07
1.032
1.014
UNC Wilmington
0.218
0.048
0.534
0.317
0.5
1.048
1
1.098
Penn St
0.217
0.057
0.441
0.224
0.421
1.026
0.969
1.018
UC Davis
0.217
0.089
0.621
0.403
0.5
1.079
0.99
0.92
McNeese St
0.216
0.061
0.565
0.348
0.5
1.066
1.005
1.082
Arizona
0.215
0.066
0.855
0.639
0.698
1.14
1.074
1.136
Morgan St
0.214
0.058
0.638
0.424
0.591
1.043
0.984
1.02
Memphis
0.214
0.04
0.761
0.547
0.571
1.08
1.041
1.022
Syracuse
0.214
0.043
0.738
0.524
0.595
1.085
1.042
1.06
Charlotte
0.213
0.083
0.463
0.25
0.375
1.052
0.968
0.988
St Bonaventure
0.213
0.042
0.689
0.475
0.579
1.089
1.047
1.076
Virginia
0.212
0.037
0.774
0.563
0.581
1.062
1.025
1.053
Lafayette
0.212
0.086
0.556
0.343
0
1.106
1.021
0.848
Seton Hall
0.211
0.054
0.533
0.322
0.476
1.046
0.992
1.031
Richmond
0.21
0.044
0.694
0.483
0.55
1.082
1.038
1.055
UT Arlington
0.209
0.023
0.724
0.515
0.5
1.051
1.028
1.07
High Point
0.208
0.031
0.683
0.475
0.143
1.091
1.06
0.978
Gardner Webb
0.208
0.008
0.593
0.385
0.6
1.034
1.026
1.102
Princeton
0.207
0.027
0.828
0.621
0.6
1.102
1.076
1.062
Lamar
0.206
0.048
0.475
0.27
0.625
1.037
0.989
1.052
Prairie View
0.206
0.053
0.635
0.429
0.5
1.002
0.949
0.946
Cent Arkansas
0.206
0.035
0.397
0.19
0.25
1.012
0.977
0.983
Detroit
0.205
0.02
0.593
0.388
0.273
1.071
1.051
0.974
Pepperdine
0.205
0.043
0.423
0.218
0.333
1.011
0.968
1.101
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