2019's Best Cities for College Basketball Fans

WalletHub recently compared more than 280 U.S. cities based on nine key metrics, including things like the number of teams per city and winning percentage to stadium capacity and social-media engagement to determine the country's top destinations ahead of March Madness. Is your town among the best for college hoops in 2019?

With an overall score of 59.03, Lawrence, Kansas is the top city for college basketball fans right now. It ranks second for best performing college basketball teams and tied for first in terms of most engaged fans. The three-time national champion University of Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team had their 14-year conference title streak snapped in 2019 but they're still in the mix for another national crown.

Home to the polarizing Duke Blue Devils, Durham boasts one of the country's most rabid fan bases and it doesn't hurt that the team has won three national championships since the turn of the century.

Los Angeles is home to Pac-12 rivals UCLA and USC. The former has won more national championships in men's basketball (11) than any other program in the country. However, L.A.'s rich basketball history is just one of its many draws.

A mainstay of March's Big Dance, the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team has remained among the top programs in the country during the Tom Izzo era and the Breslin Center in East Lansing boasts one of the best big game atmospheres in all the nation.

Just down the street from Durham is where Duke's hated rivals, the North Carolina Tar Heels reside. The folks in Chapel Hill have been spoiled of late as the men's team has reached the national championship game in two of the past three seasons, winning it all in 2017.

The UConn Huskies men's basketball program has struggled since winning its third national championship in the span of a decade in 2014 but the women's team has remained a powerhouse, reaching 11 straight Final Fours and winning six national championships during that run.

The defending men's national champion Villanova Wildcats have won two of the past three titles but the City of Brotherly Love is home to some other schools deserving of love too, including Temple, Saint Joseph's, Penn and La Salle.

Big Blue Nation certainly loves their University of Kentucky Wildcats, a perennial contender for the men's crown. If there's a knock on Lexington though it's that it tied for the highest minimum season ticket price for a college basketball game.

Fayette is located about 90 minutes southwest of Jackson, Mississippi. The nearest college is Alcorn State University and the Braves men's team has made the NCAA Tournament six times since 1980. Fayette also ranks first for most accessible college basketball arenas.

The tiny town of Loretto-which is located about two hours east of Pittsburgh roughly 25 minutes outside of Altoona-is where you'll find Saint Francis University. The Red Flash men's program finished with the best record in the Northeast Conference this past regular season. Like ninth-ranked Fayette, Loretto finished tied for first in terms of most accessible stadiums.

Both the University of Maryland Terrapins men's and women's basketball teams have been successful of late with the ladies having reached three Final Fours since 2006 when they won the national championship. Meanwhile, the men's team is poised to reach its fourth NCAA Tournament in the last five years.

2019 has been a year to forget for West Virginia Mountaineers fans in Morgantown. Nonetheless, the team's supporters remain among the most passionate you'll find anywhere in America, ranking first in terms of the most engaged.

The nation's capital is home to several college basketball teams, none more prominent than the Georgetown Hoyas. Other NCAA Division I programs based in Washington, D.C. include American, Howard and George Washington Universities.

The Indiana Hoosiers have won five men's national championships and have made three Sweet 16 appearances this decade. Visitors to this Midwest town are guaranteed to feel the energy when they stroll Kirkwood Avenue on game day.

Home to the University of Rhode Island Rams, Kingston village dates all the way back to the late 17th century, making it not only an excellent stop for college basketball fans but for history buffs as well. The village's historic district features more than three dozen buildings showcasing centuries-old architecture.

Like Washington, D.C., New York City is home to multiple men's and women's college basketball teams, including the St. John's Red Storm, Columbia Lions, Fordham Rams, LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, Manhattan Jaspers and St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers. Despite making the top 20, it ranks second to last in terms of most accessible college basketball stadiums.

Last year's NCAA Tournament runner-up on the men's side, the University of Michigan Wolverines are once again well-equipped for another deep tournament run. If cheering on Big Blue isn't an option, at least you'll still have a blast on Main Street.

A surprise entry in the top 20, West Point is home to the Army Black Knights, one of only four original NCAA Division I teams in history to have never participated in the men's NCAA Tournament. Nonetheless, the academy boasts ties to a pair of college basketball legends in Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski.

There's a lot of exciting college basketball being played in Boston these days. Northeastern University is returning to the men's NCAA Tournament for the second time in five years while Harvard in nearby Cambridge has made four appearances in the Big Dance since 2012.

The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team has lost a combined four regular season games over the past two seasons and appears poised to end its 35-year Final Four drought in 2019. If you love a winner, head to Charlottesville where you can root on the Wahoos from Downtown Mall-one of the longest pedestrian malls in the U.S.