Borges:Is Cincinnati now UConn's most heated rival? | The Boneyard

Borges:Is Cincinnati now UConn's most heated rival?

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*shrugs*, if someone were to tell you Pitt would become arguably UConn's biggest rival(it was basically b/w them and Syracuse, always seemed like more was on the line against Pitt) during the next decade prior to 2002 you probably would've said that person was crazy. Goes without saying that everyone misses the Big East but the Cincy games have been hard fought games and Cincy has been tourney quality the last 3-4 years and they look poistioned to stay that way with the system they have in place.
 

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On our end, UConn is our most heated conference rival. Xavier is the still our #1 rival and Louisville probably would be #2 (though Pitino basically said he has no interest in playing UC in the near future). If Memphis ever got it's act together they would probably top UConn in conference.
 
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Whoever becomes most successful in our conference, is that Cincinatti? At this point it remains to be determined.
 
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It sucks how the answer is still yes even when their HC is sidelined.
 
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I honestly don't think of Cincy as a "heated" rival, at least yet. Yeah, we've had a few good games, but rivalries are built over time. There's not been any heat/hate among players/coaches, etc., nor championships decided by them. When I think of hated rivals, I still think Ex'Cuse, Puke, KenSucky, BC, LoserVille, etc.... When we can develop a negative moniker for Cincy, then maybe we're heated...
 
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Cincy was a lot less likeable when Huggins and his types of players were there. I kinda like Cronin. The fans seem nice.

On a side note, the Cincinnati campus is really cool and very well designed.
 
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I honestly don't think of Cincy as a "heated" rival, at least yet. Yeah, we've had a few good games, but rivalries are built over time. There's not been any heat/hate among players/coaches, etc., nor championships decided by them. When I think of hated rivals, I still think Ex'Cuse, Puke, KenSucky, BC, LoserVille, etc.... When we can develop a negative moniker for Cincy, then maybe we're heated...

I mean, Cincinnati has been to more sweet sixteen's in the past five years than Pitt and BC combined. And championships kind of have been on the line, at least on our part - we played them in the round of 32 the year we won the championship and they gave us every bit the game the following four teams did. Then there was the heart-stopping missed layup in the AAC semi-finals last season, the Sean Kilpatrick game-winner at Gampel back in 2012, the overtime game in 2013, and even the controversial Lance Stephenson game winning free throws dating back to 2010. There was also the mini-feud between Shabazz/Kilpatrick when the AAC Player of the Year was handed out last season, and Cronin is easy to dislike in the middle of a game.

If there is some hate threshold a program has to pass to be considered a rival, that's fine. But I think everything else you would look for in a rivalry has been there in recent history, and I definitely consider them a worthy conference pier.
 
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On our end, UConn is our most heated conference rival. Xavier is the still our #1 rival and Louisville probably would be #2 (though Pitino basically said he has no interest in playing UC in the near future). If Memphis ever got it's act together they would probably top UConn in conference.

I think everyone knows that Cincy and Xavier do not like each other after this meeting in 2011.

 
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I mean, Cincinnati has been to more sweet sixteen's in the past five years than Pitt and BC combined. And championships kind of have been on the line, at least on our part - we played them in the round of 32 the year we won the championship and they gave us every bit the game the following four teams did. Then there was the heart-stopping missed layup in the AAC semi-finals last season, the Sean Kilpatrick game-winner at Gampel back in 2012, the overtime game in 2013, and even the controversial Lance Stephenson game winning free throws dating back to 2010. There was also the mini-feud between Shabazz/Kilpatrick when the AAC Player of the Year was handed out last season, and Cronin is easy to dislike in the middle of a game.

If there is some hate threshold a program has to pass to be considered a rival, that's fine. But I think everything else you would look for in a rivalry has been there in recent history, and I definitely consider them a worthy conference pier.

Wasn't there also some sort of brouhaha about Cronin not voting Kemba first team Big East or something? Also, the leprechaun earned a 'coach I want to punch' designation with his antics during our game last year (temporarily on hold until his circulatory condition is resolved).

Nevertheless, Cincinnati our rival? Please...when turkeys fly!
 
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No one, media not conference realignment can create a rivalry. Rivalries are made by two teams fighting for something important (conference titles, NCAA games, etc.) likely competing for the same players over a period of time (decade maybe) where both the players and fans have invested time, blood, and ego to. If UConn stays in the ACC for a while (heaven help us), the Huskies may develop a rivalry with Cincinnati or Temple; but, they are not rivals now. UConn's primary rivals are still Syracuse, Pitt, Duke, maybe even Kentucky now, etc. And I mean no disrespect to Cincy and the rest of the AAC. It will take several years for those to fade away. Even then they sometimes do not go away quietly, just ask Syracuse fans about G-Town even though Syracuse had been a level above the Hoyas for the better part of a decade now.
 
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I echo the sentiments of most in this thread, rivalries build over time with important games and heat from different things that happen. The games are usually pretty good but in terms of a heated rivalry I don't think Kevin Ollie and Mick Cronin will be throwing any gas on a fire to spice it up anytime soon. When we play UConn my thoughts are they're a great program and it gives both teams a chance at a quality win and we're usually in for a tight game. I feel no hatred at all towards UConn but if Cincy is stuck in the league, I'm glad we get these two games a year for strength of schedule purposes.
 
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In the American they are our most heated rival. The winner on Sat. gets a leg up on winning the regular season title.
 
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