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The court isn't the only thing that takes a pounding during Michigan State University men's basketball games at Breslin Center.
With the cheers of nearly 3,000 students coming from the Izzone - the student section that surrounds a majority of the court at floor level - the eardrums of those in attendance and on the floor undergo a stress test as well, said Adam Heins, co-director of the Izzone.
"You never really know how loud it is until you're down there with everybody," said Heins, a 19-year-old sophomore at MSU. "(MSU players) look forward to the noise, (but) it could intimidate the smaller teams."
Today, defending national champion Kansas is in town for a nationally televised game at 1 p.m. on CBS. And with students returning from winter break, the Izzone will be back as well.
That means an entirely different Breslin atmosphere than the noticeably quieter one for last Tuesday's game against Ohio State.
It's a welcome addition for the Spartans (12-2), who are undefeated in the Big Ten conference and making just their third home appearance this season with a full Izzone.
Hopes are high for this season. MSU shares first place in the conference with Wisconsin.
The Spartans play eight of their 15 remaining conference games at home before the Big Ten tournament and are looking at a potential run at the Final Four just down the road in Detroit come March.
Expect the Izzone to be in vintage, ear-splitting form.
Just ask Kansas coach Bill Self, who coached in Breslin twice as coach at Illinois.
"This will be one of the best home courts we play at all year, and arguably could be the best," Self said. "It will be jumping. I was at Illinois for three years, and I only went to the Breslin Center twice because we had kind of a weird schedule. But certainly I've got an idea of what it's like.
"You need to be really focused and tough. And poised."
MSU's players draw from the Izzone's excitement, senior guard Travis Walton said.
"They pick us up when we need a lift," Walton said. "They say Kansas has got the best student section, so I know our Izzone will be ready."
The Izzone has more seats located near the court than most other student sections, Heins said.
He said the team's quality of play determines how rowdy the Izzone gets.
"It doesn't make our team play better, but it gives them a necessary energy boost," Heins said. "The team comes out a little more fired up from the get-go."
Kansas sophomore center Cole Aldrich, who has a friend who attends MSU, has an idea of what to expect come tipoff today.
"From what I hear, they are crazy," Aldrich said. "They are going to ride us and say everything, but that's what makes a road game fun."
State Journal reporter Joe Rexrode contributed to this report.
