Boisterous student sections have long been a part of college basketball.
Duke has the Cameron Crazies. Illinois has The Orange Krush. And Auburn now has The Jungle.
The Jungle officially began its campaign as the official Auburn basketball student section Jan. 11 against Kentucky.
Matthew Donaldson, graduate student in business administration, said he's been a devoted Auburn basketball supporter since the era of Lebo's Lunatics, the name of the student section during former men's coach Jeff Lebo's tenure.
"I remember first getting involved with the student section with some of my good friends," Donaldson said. "Student involvement was way down at the time, but we had a great time cheering on the team and trying to bring some energy to the games."
Donaldson said the new arena has the community reacting differently to basketball.
"When I arrived, Lebo's Lunatics was really struggling. The product on the court wasn't great, and fan support was really low," Donaldson said. "It was a special night when the grand opening for the new Auburn Arena occurred. It was a necessary investment for the future of Auburn men and women's basketball. The quality of the facility is remarkable and will continue to pay dividends."
Tony Perkins, sophomore in pre-engineering, warmed up to basketball after coming to Auburn.
"I wasn't ever a big college basketball fan until I got here for my freshman year," Perkins said. "I lived in the Village last year next to the arena. I showed up to some games with my friends, and now I go to every home game that I can possibly get into."
Perkins said he was surprised by The Jungle's energy.
"One of my favorites is the airball chant," he said. "The whole student section knows to only chant it when the person who threw the airball has the ball, and as soon as he passes the ball the student section is silent again. I was impressed that the student section is disciplined enough to do that."
Perkins offered advice for students in The Jungle: "Get there early, be loud, and be electric and get everyone pumped up."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
