All the Duke students wear blue and white striped rugby shirts and if you've never seen a whole section of students wearing those shirts jumping up and down behind a goal, you could only imagine how hard it would be to shoot a free throw with that as a backdrop. I read once that a class at Duke did an actual mathematical survey to see what method of cheering made the biggest difference on free throw percentage. They found out that the most effective method was when the pep band director got the whole crowd to scream at the top of their lungs just before the shot. Then, with a wave of his hands they would all fall silent just as the guy releases the ball. If any coach tells you that's not an unfair advantage to the home team they're lying through their teeth.
Teams feed off of fans.
It's one of the main reasons they play. Well, that and the potential for a multi-million dollar contract if they get drafted. Don't go to a game and feel like you HAVE to make a difference because you don't, but that one free throw you might cause the opposing player to miss might just be a game winner. A Boone Newspapers Inc. publication.