The Crier

Illini Basketball’s Secret? The Sixth Man.

Chris Webber, Tommy Amaker, and Bill Martin may not be the only ones to blame for Michigan’s lackluster basketball performance

Jeremy Davidson · Sport · Feb 12, 2007

As I sat lamenting Michigan’s basketball program this weekend, I couldn’t help but wonder what Michigan was missing. The team’s 17-8 record, while far from the best, is still pretty good. There are at least 5 ranked teams with worse or only slightly better records.

So why does Michigan seem to have a perennial obligation to the NIT?

Some people will blame it on the fallout from the Ed Martin controversy, but unfortunately our problems go beyond that. It’s a question of the status of the sport in our community.

The basketball team has a group of over 2000 fans called Maize Rage. They do their best to play as Michigan’s sixth man, but even though these fans are dedicated to the program and have recently branched out to other sports, they are simply out-classed by most of their counterparts at other schools.

Two in particular are the University of Illinois and Michigan State University.

In order to get student season tickets at Illinois, you have to join a group called Orange Krush. Participants must get people to pledge money to the Orange Krush charity fund based on the number of three-pointers the team scores. The minimum donation is 10 cents per three-pointer. To be a basic “scout” member, a student needs to get 10 people to pledge the minimum donation, totally $1.00.

The Maize Rage are simply out-classed by most of their counterparts at other schools.

The team scores an average of 232 three-pointers per season. There are three different levels of membership, which are based on the amount of money they pledge. A “scout” member gives a pledge of $1.00, a “varsity” member gives $1.50, and an “All-American” player pledges $3.00 per three-pointer. Each membership class has a different range of benefits.

According to the organization’s website, the Orange Krush has raised and donated over $1 million for charity over the past seven years.

As you might imagine, the home-court advantage at Illinois is incredible; the Illini are 93-4 at home over the past seven seasons.

Michigan State’s student army is called the Izzone, after their popular coach Tom Izzo. Izzone members are subject to a strict attendance policy. Izzone membership, although not as labor-intensive as the Orange Krush’s, is still a serious commitment. If a member is going to miss a game, they must fill out an “Izzone absence request form.” The group takes attendance to determine ticket priority, based both on the number of games students attend, and the average time of arrival prior to tip-off. Better attendance records mean better tickets for the next season.

Michigan fans can boast about new recruits, complain about coaching, and reminisce about days of old as much as they like. But our basketball team isn’t going to be a powerhouse until the fans get on their side.