Loudest Basketball Crowd You've Ever Heard (In Person)

#1      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
We have some time between games, so I thought this would be a fun thread. Last year for the Arizona game, it was the first time since circa 2007 where I really felt the Assembly Hall/SFC had an elite atmosphere again. Yes, it's gotten loud at times, but I mean the truly elite good ole days of the mid-2000s, with the Krush bouncing up and down and constantly cheering and the entire arena exploding at big moments. So, it got me thinking ... what is the loudest crowd you have heard in person for a basketball game? It can be an Illini game or a non-Illini game, but maybe at least post the loudest you have ever heard an Illini crowd, too!

This is mine, right at 1:58:10. It was during our 2007 Paint the Hall Orange vs. #3 Wisconsin, and Brian Randle had just completed a three-point play to tie the game the play before. Wisconsin came down, missed a shot and we were on a fast break ... Richard McBride hit a pull-up three to go up 60-57, and I can honestly say it was so loud my ears were in pain. Great memory, and I hope to hear an even louder crowd in Champaign one day for a game we actually win!

Look forward to hearing anyone else's! Can't even imagine what it was like to hear Williams' game-tying three in Rosemont vs. Arizona to complete the comeback for anyone who was there ... that camera literally shook.
 
#2      

IlliniUnited

I
IlliniUnited
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Can't even imagine what it was like to hear Williams' game-tying three in Rosemont vs. Arizona to complete the comeback for anyone who was there ... that camera literally shook.
Click to expand...
I was there. It was the loudest moment at a live event I have attended. Loudest at State Farm/Assembly Hall was Tyler Griffey’s layup at the buzzer to beat #IU
 
#3      

chiefini

chiefini
Rockford, Illinois
chiefini
The roar as Deron Williams hit “The Shot” at the Rosemont Arena as the Illini came back to tie and then beat Arizona was the loudest crowd I’ve ever heard in person. It was especially loud because only four and a half minutes earlier, the huge partisan Illini crowd was silent. My husband and I sat seven rows behind the AZ bench, and we watched Lute Olson go from cocky, holding a cup of water, to arms crossed, to agitated. Deron’s shot helped spur the Illini’s 20-5 run, and D-Will’s triple knotted the game at 80-80 with 38 seconds left in regulation. This roar was repeated even louder as Arizona missed its last shot in overtime, and the Illini won 90-89 to go to the Final Four…This was one of the most memorable moments in my life.
:chief::hailtotheorange::chief:
 
Last edited:
#4      

Big Jack

Big Jack
Decatur
Big Jack

This is the Ohio State game when Brad got ejected last year by far the loudest 7 minutes i have ever witnessed in the 20 years i have been coming to State Farm Center... I am to old and don't remember the Wake Forest game any more but I seem to remember it was very loud the entire first half. Think you have to ff to around the 19minute mark of this video
 
#5      

Second place is 1st loser

S
Second place is 1st loser
IlliniUnited said:
I was there. It was the loudest moment at a live event I have attended. Loudest at State Farm/Assembly Hall was Tyler Griffey’s layup at the buzzer to beat #IU
Click to expand...
I was there as well. Funny thing is that I was so ticked with about 5 minutes to go...I had my coat on, I was all ready to leave, but I know that the exits at the All State Arena are brutal because there's only like two of them and then.....it happened. When DW buried that three, that was, by far, the loudest singular moment that I've ever been a part of in sports. I was high fiving and hugging people that I didn't know...
Pure pandemonium and chaos. Very vivid and the best sports moment that I've ever had.

Edit:

Second was the Cubs clinching the National League Pennant vs LA. Also electric.
 
Last edited:
#6      

TriangleIL

T
TriangleIL
Game I attended was easily
(and if you've never seen this game it's worth the watch...) Just watch the first few game minutes and you'll notice the difference between most other games...

Games I've heard from friends who attended (Arizona E8 that same year)
 
#7      

21ChampaignSt

21ChampaignSt
21ChampaignSt
This is hard. The SFC has had short spurts in games over the last couple of years that are as loud as it got in the early 2000s. The OSU moment mentioned above is a good example. I started to get lightheaded from screaming so much in that one. But as far as a consistently loud atmosphere? Maybe 2nd half of Purdue game last year. Not many others come to mind. I had to miss AZ.

I was also at the 2nd round game against Nevada in 2005 in Indy. We were pretty loud that game considering we were in a cavernous football stadium. But, the game after ours was Kentucky vs..I want to say Cincinnati? And after our game ended, the UK fan next to me said, "You guys were pretty loud but wait till you see us." And he was right. They were louder despite probably being outnumbered.
 
#9      

Navy_illini

N
Navy_illini
TriangleIL said:
Game I attended was easily
(and if you've never seen this game it's worth the watch...) Just watch the first few game minutes and you'll notice the difference between most other games...

Games I've heard from friends who attended (Arizona E8 that same year)
Click to expand...
I was there it was the loudest I heard Assembly Hall
 
#11      

Big Jack

Big Jack
Decatur
Big Jack
TriangleIL said:
Game I attended was easily
(and if you've never seen this game it's worth the watch...) Just watch the first few game minutes and you'll notice the difference between most other games...

Games I've heard from friends who attended (Arizona E8 that same year)
Click to expand...
Certainly was loud i guess it didnt seem that loud to me as I was in like row C20.

Lord I forgot just how fast that team could play when they pushed the pedal to the floor.
 
#12      

DB11Headband

D
Chicago Burbs
DB11Headband
Second place is 1st loser said:
I was there as well. Funny thing is that I was so ticked with about 5 minutes to go...I had my coat on, I was all ready to leave, but I know that the exits at the All State Arena are brutal because there's only like two of them and then.....it happened. When DW buried that three, that was, by far, the loudest singular moment that I've ever been a part of in sports. I was high fiving and hugging people that I didn't know...
Pure pandemonium and chaos. Very vivid and the best sports moment that I've ever had.

Edit:

Second was the Cubs clinching the National League Pennant vs LA. Also electric.
Click to expand...
My personal winner-was lucky enough to be 10 rows behind the Dodgers dugout for that one. You could feel the ground shake when the Cubs turned the double play to head to the WS.

D Rose's buzzer beater against the Cavs in the 2015 Eastern Conference Semis is up there for me too.
 
#13      

john1952

john1952
john1952
Fighter of the Nightman said:
We have some time between games, so I thought this would be a fun thread. Last year for the Arizona game, it was the first time since circa 2007 where I really felt the Assembly Hall/SFC had an elite atmosphere again. Yes, it's gotten loud at times, but I mean the truly elite good ole days of the mid-2000s, with the Krush bouncing up and down and constantly cheering and the entire arena exploding at big moments. So, it got me thinking ... what is the loudest crowd you have heard in person for a basketball game? It can be an Illini game or a non-Illini game, but maybe at least post the loudest you have ever heard an Illini crowd, too!

This is mine, right at 1:58:10. It was during our 2007 Paint the Hall Orange vs. #3 Wisconsin, and Brian Randle had just completed a three-point play to tie the game the play before. Wisconsin came down, missed a shot and we were on a fast break ... Richard McBride hit a pull-up three to go up 60-57, and I can honestly say it was so loud my ears were in pain. Great memory, and I hope to hear an even louder crowd in Champaign one day for a game we actually w

Look forward to hearing anyone else's! Can't even imagine what it was like to hear Williams' game-tying three in Rosemont vs. Arizona to complete the comeback for anyone who was there ... that camera literally shook.
Click to expand...



uiaa.org

University of Illinois Alumni

How special is the history of Illinois basketball? Consider the moments that didn’t make the school’s all-time Top 10: Bob Starnes, ’63 AHS, three-quarter-court basket to beat rival Northwestern A rally for the ages by the Flyin’ Illini to knock off Missouri in the Braggin’ Rights game A victory...
uiaa.org uiaa.org

Hoop Glories: the greatest moments in Illini basketball​

 
#14      

bluemountain

B
bluemountain
I can't even imagine what it was like at the Arizona game. Being a long time Illini fan, I'll throw out a few I was at....

1. When Eddie Johnson hit the game winner against MSU in 1979 the Hall just erupted
2. In December '84 we played Oklahoma on national TV, and the crowd was incredibly intense the entire game
3. Not basketball, but the end of the OSU football game in 83 was the loudest I have ever heard any football game get
 
#15      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
Big Jack said:

This is the Ohio State game when Brad got ejected last year by far the loudest 7 minutes i have ever witnessed in the 20 years i have been coming to State Farm Center... I am to old and don't remember the Wake Forest game any more but I seem to remember it was very loud the entire first half. Think you have to ff to around the 19minute mark of this video
Click to expand...
Random thought, but can you imagine if we had three-point shooting this year even approaching the relative consistency of Grandison or Frazier, much less Plummer?! Damn.
 
#16      

EllderIlliniFan

EllderIlliniFan
EllderIlliniFan
TriangleIL said:
Game I attended was easily
(and if you've never seen this game it's worth the watch...) Just watch the first few game minutes and you'll notice the difference between most other games...

Games I've heard from friends who attended (Arizona E8 that same year)
Click to expand...
I was in the very last row directly behind the basket. The place was rocking. Loudest for me.
 
#17      

chiefini

chiefini
Rockford, Illinois
chiefini
bluemountain said:
I can't even imagine what it was like at the Arizona game. Being a long time Illini fan, I'll throw out a few I was at....

1. When Eddie Johnson hit the game winner against MSU in 1979 the Hall just erupted
2. In December '84 we played Oklahoma on national TV, and the crowd was incredibly intense the entire game
3. Not basketball, but the end of the OSU football game in 83 was the loudest I have ever heard any football game get
Click to expand...
I was at that OSU football game, and I agree that was the loudest football game I’ve ever been to. It was also one of the most fun!
 
#18      

illini0440

illini0440
illini0440
Big Jack said:

This is the Ohio State game when Brad got ejected last year by far the loudest 7 minutes i have ever witnessed in the 20 years i have been coming to State Farm Center... I am to old and don't remember the Wake Forest game any more but I seem to remember it was very loud the entire first half. Think you have to ff to around the 19minute mark of this video
Click to expand...
This is at the top or very near the top….also with Iowa last year when we won. Griffey lay up up there as well. The place was deafening when Brad pumped up the crowd after he got tossed though.
 
#20      

Big Jack

Big Jack
Decatur
Big Jack
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Random thought, but can you imagine if we had three-point shooting this year even approaching the relative consistency of Grandison or Frazier, much less Plummer?! Damn.
Click to expand...
Imagine what it would be like if we had this guy on the roster.

1675811926625.png
 
#25      

MrSS396

MrSS396
Robinson
MrSS396
TriangleIL said:
Game I attended was easily
(and if you've never seen this game it's worth the watch...) Just watch the first few game minutes and you'll notice the difference between most other games...

Games I've heard from friends who attended (Arizona E8 that same year)
Click to expand...
Right before halftime when Illinois went up 21 points it was the loudest I've ever heard.