The Midwest loves its hoops

They pack 'em in at Kentucky, Syracuse and Louisville. It's hardly a surprise to see those three college hoops powerhouses sit atop the attendance figures released by the NCAA on Wednesday.

But what about a nod to the devoted fans at Iowa State?

The Cyclones were hardly a success last season, winning just four Big 12 games and finishing 15-17 overall. Yet the good folks in Ames filled the Hilton Coliseum with 12,491 fans on average for 18 games, 26^th overall. For a place that only seats 14,356 people, that ain't bad.

Also impressive? Creighton. The Blue Jays were 15^th overall, filling Qwest Center Omaha (capacity 17,560) with 14,495 fans, second among non-BCS schools. Considering Creighton's enrollment is only 7,385, that's some support from the city. (Memphis tops non-BCS schools, but has nearly three times as many students.)

Also in the Top 15? Wisconsin, Kansas, Marquette, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan State. They love their hoops in the Midwest. 

Other tidbits:

Highest per-game attendance: 1. Kentucky (24,111), 2. Syracuse (22,152), 3. Louisville (19,397)

Lowest per-game attedance: 1. Nicholls State (328), 2. New Jersey Institute of Technology (422), 3. New Orleans (477)

Best average attendance per conference: 1. Big Ten (12,591), 2. Southeastern (11,770), 3. Big 12 (11,214)

Lowest attendance for NCAA tournament qualifiers: 1. Robert Morris (1,029), 2. Lehigh (1,285), 3. Sam Houston State (1,434)

(H/T: The Dagger)

Mike Miller's also on Twitter, usually talkin' hoops. Click here for more.