The (Mini) Dome Is Hot
Southern went 17-15 last season, a huge improvement from the 7-25 record Woods’ first season in Baton Rouge. It accomplished this with 14 new players.
It also brought fans back to the arena, affectionately known as “The Mini Dome.”
Last year it was the place to be as Southern University finished second in HBCU basketball attendance and led the SWAC. An average of 3,489 fans went into the 7,500 F.G Clark Activity Center during the season as SU went 11-1 overall at home.
That number represented an increase of 2,073 over the previous season, good for the sixth-best increase in Division I.
“Once we got it going, we were very fun to watch. We started winning. Some of that pride started to come back, and the buzz started to get around town about how good Southern’s basketball team was,” Wood said. “Not only that, but what type of great kids they had, how tough they played. You can really appreciate the passion and energy that our program has now, going forward.”
Southern will start its season on Thursday, taking on defending MEAC regular-season champion North Carolina Central. It will then follow that game up with games against no. 5 Iowa on Saturday and a matchup against the top team in the country– Gonzaga– next week.