When it comes to having home court advantage in basketball, Nicholls State’s band, also known as the “6th Man Basketball Band,” gives the full effect as they provide energy, noise and passion.

Eric Gueniot, director of athletic bands and coordinator of percussion activities, has been at Nicholls for 14 years and leads the 6th Man Basketball Band in rhythm every time they’re out there.

“I don’t know if we help them play well, but I do know they feed off the atmosphere,” Gueniot said. “I’m not going to brag or say the band’s amazing, but we create the atmosphere. We don’t cause them to shoot better or play better, but we provide a little more energy.”

Even before Gueniot arrived at Nicholls, the band was performing on the court and antagonizing opponents. John Lindsey, the brass teacher at Nicholls in the mid 90s, came up with the name “6th Man Basketball Band.” The band had different cheers for offense and defense. Gueniot said that it was a “little rougher than it is now.”

The band used to be a lot “rawer” and when Gueniot took over, he made it more positive.

 “I made some tweaks,” Gueniot said. “The band was always vocal, but we’re a little more organized in that we’re all yelling the same thing at the same time.”

Gueniot implemented rhythmic handclaps to the band and taunting other teams before games by playing James Brown. Gueniot said the James Brown songs are the “most unique they do.”

“That’s us,” Gueniot said. “That’s unique. We did it once, and it sort of caught on. The kids like doing it, and the fans like to get involved with it. The opposing team knows it’s coming.”

Gueniot said that the band is not there to be crude or vulgar, but it isn’t there to be sweet and nice to everyone either. Gueniot added that some people think it’s funny, while others don’t like it.

According to Gueniot, when they play basketball games in November and the band plays at the football game, the atmosphere is different. Gueniot said the Colonels provide home court advantage because the gym is so tight and seats are right on the court along with the band.

The Colonels witnessed history on March 2 when senior forward Anatoly Bose scored his 2,000th point as a Colonel, and the 6th Man Basketball Band made the moment even more special. Along with many of the cheers the 6th Man Basketball Band has for special situations, the band has a cheer for when a Nicholls player shoots a free throw.

Bose was only three points away from getting his 2,000th point when he was fouled on a three-point play. He was sent to the line to shoot three free throws and possibly place his name in the record books forever. Bose sunk all three free throws, and the crowd, along with the band, erupted.

“We have a thing we do for free throws, and those were the most special free throws that I can recall,” Gueniot said.

The band stirred the pot with their hands and counted it with their hands when the free throws went down.

The Nicholls State band is definitely something athletic teams at Nicholls can count on for every home game.