SIOC hands out grades for the historic Pauley Pavilion

By Jason Feder

Unlike most other arenas, only national championship banners hang from the rafters at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion -- and there are plenty of those. Not only is it one of America's most historic college venues, but with the Bruins in the hunt for a 12th basketball national championship, Pauley has become one tough place to play.

	These Bruin fans proudly sport their "Den" t-shirts during a battle against crosstown rival USC. AP
	More Arena Evaluations Georgia Tech UConn Washington Texas Tech Cal UNC Minnesota Maryland UCLA Kentucky Oklahoma

When the Bruins squared off against crosstown rival USC earlier this month, SIOC was on hand to soak in the Pauley atmosphere. Here is our report card of college basketball's most historic venue:

Attire

As usual, students were decked out in their blue "Den" shirts while alumni wore matching ones given out before the game. In the front row, we spotted a Bruin fan with the dyed fro and farther back in the student section, there were four topless men with U-C-L-A painted on their chests. Jordan Farmar's jersey is pretty popular among students and you can also find a few "Moute kicks boute" shirts with "The Prince" emblazoned on the back. (Bruin forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a prince in his native village of Yaounde, Cameroon.) There's plenty of anti-USC material, including shirts that say: "Trojans always break" and "We hate USC and should you too."
Score: 8.5

Volume/Disruptability

In what was the biggest Pac-10 game of the season, the crowd brought its best and loudest. Starting when the Trojans took the court through the final buzzer, the fans kept the heat on the opponents. Though the Bruins trailed for most of the game, fans could see the frustration mounting for the Trojans. With four minutes left, USC's Lodrick Stewart spiked the ball after a Josh Shipp lay-up to tie the game, drawing a technical foul and igniting the crowd. The Bruins took the lead and never looked back as the whole crowd stood for the final minutes. Though the spacious Pauley is not designed for maximum volume, nobody could ask more from the fans.
Score: 9

Venue

In its 36th season as the home of UCLA basketball, Pauley is not a modern arena. The layout leaves a generous gap between the fans and the court and the gentle climb to the upper levels does not funnel sound well. However, with 500 screaming students directly opposite the opponent's bench and many more up top, the atmosphere is always electric.
Score: 7.5

Chant/Sign Quality

Inside Pauley, signs are banned -- at least for students. However, a few people managed to sneak some past security, including the Cameroon flag and a "Marry me, Afflalo" sign hoisted by two girls. There's a slew of customary pre-game chants including a roll call of the Bruins roster. (Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is a little tough to spit out the first couple of times). Students also chanted "Ar-nold" when California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was shown on the big screen. Still the best cheer was from last season's rivalry game when USC's Nick Young sported a fro-hawk, inspiring "RU-FI-O!" chants when he got to the line.
Score: 8

Student Body

At least 500 jumping, screaming students filled the courtside student section and made Pauley the loudest it's been all year -- and that was before tip-off. Throughout the game, the "Den" was on its feet, exploding with noise at crucial moments and getting alumni off their seats. Some student sections might be bigger and louder but it's clear the Bruins appreciate the unmistakable home court advantage -- the night before the game, six of the Bruins delivered a few dozen pizzas to hundreds of students camping out.
Score: 9

Final Score: 42 (out of 50)