Is Cincinnati Our Modern Day Biggest Rival?

[Drew]

It'd be pretty hard to argue otherwise. Both Big East members left behind in conference realignment, and every single game since joining the American Athletic Conference has been an absolute slug-fest. The game that stands out to me is the Semis of the 2014 American Athletic Conference Tournament in Memphis. We got them then in an incredible game and then of course Boat's 3 last year in the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Hartford is one of the better UConn memories for the last 5 years. Every game against each other both teams seem to have a chip on their shoulder and these games are always more physical and tougher than the others. You'd be hard pressed to find a team in the American I get more excited to play against (SMU maybe but the history isn't there in both the series and they have historically sucked).

Is Cincinnati our biggest rival currently?

 

[Leebo]

No, we still have bigger rivals who aren't conference foes. Being a conference foe is an advantage for a rivalry to start, but we are in the process of restarting yearly games with other, bigger rivals again.

But this could change if we do end up staying in the conference with them for a significant amount of time.

 

[champs99and04]

On the court, yes. Though, Cincinnati is probably one of those teams that plays physically and chippy with everybody.

 

[Waquoit]

No doubt Cincy is a big rival. We have great games, they have a colorful coach. I will be giving Mick a big round of applause during the intro, and grief the rest of the game.

It should be a great time tonight. The fans will be ready to get loud tonight after having so much fun last Saturday.

 

[UConnStats]

Don't forget the Purvis-Caupain beef from last year. I hope Purvis has a big night.

 

[Nuttersworth]

Put it like this: they consider us a fierce rival.

I teach there, and they see us equals; the two survivors left to fare for themselves in the barren American. Its cute. I tell them that.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Cincy is the new Pitt. Tough, physical, always a good game. Not sure I'd consider it a rivalry though.

 

[Ts5034]

No, we still have bigger rivals who aren't conference foes. Being a conference foe is an advantage for a rivalry to start, but we are in the process of restarting yearly games with other, bigger rivals again.

But this could change if we do end up staying in the conference with them for a significant amount of time.

I think we need to schedule more games with old Big East rivals like Syracuse, Pitt, Villanova. I know Georgetown is on the schedule for next season again. After what we saw on Saturday, its clear that playing our old foes is a good thing and it really gets the fans fired up. With that said, I think your true rivals are the teams in your conference. Those are the teams you face twice, sometimes 3 times a year with so much riding on the table. Because of that, Cincy is a huge rival as well as SMU, but that has been kind of one sided the last few years.

 

[Inyatkin]

I was at UConn from 1995 to 1999, so to me Miami will always be our biggest rival.
I'm OK being alone on this one.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

In the AAC? Yes.

In reality? No - I still consider Syracuse, Boston College and Rutgers as our three rivals (all sports, not just basketball).

 

[champs99and04]

In the AAC? Yes.

In reality? No - I still consider Syracuse, Boston College and Rutgers as our three rivals (all sports, not just basketball).

Syracuse, maybe. When is the last time we played a meaningful basketball game against Boston College or Rutgers? Obviously there is a history there with BC, and with Rutgers to a lesser extent, and it helps that they're both regional teams, but if you ask me, I'm 5X more excited to play Cincinnati in basketball than either of those two schools.

 

[John]

It'd be pretty hard to argue otherwise. Both Big East members left behind in conference realignment, and every single game since joining the American Athletic Conference has been an absolute slug-fest. The game that stands out to me is the Semis of the 2014 American Athletic Conference Tournament in Memphis. We got them then in an incredible game and then of course Boat's 3 last year in the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Hartford is one of the better UConn memories for the last 5 years. Every game against each other both teams seem to have a chip on their shoulder and these games are always more physical and tougher than the others. You'd be hard pressed to find a team in the American I get more excited to play against (SMU maybe but the history isn't there in both the series and they have historically sucked).

Is Cincinnati our biggest rival currently?

Cincinatti. Our biggest rival. My God.

 

[Justin M]

Ever since Kilpatrick and Cronin insisted that Kilpatrick deserved to be AAC player of the year over Shabazz, I felt this game always had a little more edge to it. Like each team had something to prove. We saw who got the last laugh that year

 

[Kitaman]

Sad after so many years of rivalries, we now are not definitively sure who are rivals are. Perhaps we should start creating some until we find out.

So I say yeah let Cincy be one of our rivals. Its not without justification, and they are a good team. Its actually mildly boring not having one, and they will do for now.

 

[intlzncster]

I was at UConn from 1995 to 1999, so to me Miami will always be our biggest rival.
I'm OK being alone on this one.

Darius Rice, just after that, was a nightmare.

 

[Inyatkin]

Darius Rice, just after that, was a nightmare.

Yeah that was no fun.
But that's what our rivalries have been like. It was Miami for a short run. Then it was Pitt. Even Syracuse -- I didn't grow up as a UConn fan hating them, I thought they were just another Big East team like St. John's or Georgetown I wanted to beat. They weren't our top rivals, in my mind, until much later.
We've never really had one in the long term, so it might as well be Cincinnati right now.

 

[JimHurley]

Sadly, I think Cincinnati is our biggest rival right now. If you told me 10 years ago that in 2016 Cincinnati would be our biggest rival, I would have laughed in your face. I miss the days when our rivals were West Virginia, Syracuse, Providence, Georgetown, etc.

 

[mauconnfan]

For the moment yes. Mick helps as he's hard to like but also hard not to respect for his achievements and toughness.

Their players are physical, occasionally over-the-top and they seem to be portrayed that way by the officials so they get the extra nudge here and there making them hard to like too. So yeah, they are as close as we have to a league rival for now. Add to the fact Caupain has been there since Huggy left, this will be fun.

 

[Kitaman]

For the moment yes. Mick helps as he's hard to like but also hard not to respect for his achievements and toughness.

Their players are physical, occasionally over-the-top and they seem to be portrayed that way by the officials so they get the extra nudge here and there making them hard to like too. So yeah, they are as close as we have to a league rival for now. Add to the fact Caupain has been there since Huggy left, this will be fun.

What I like about Cincy is they are tough and physical, BE style. When we recruit for conference play I really believe Cincy at times is in the Coaches' minds concerning opponents. In other words toothpicks won't work.

Can't be thin, soft and fragile when opposing them. Sound familiar?

 

[Scot-e]

The title of this thread got me depressed.

 

[BUConn10]

Has there been a college program who has had to endure more damage at the hands of completely non-athletic issues out of its control than UConn. Threads like this make us look like a bunch of depressed refugees seeking asylum, looking for who our remaining friends are.

 

[intlzncster]

For the moment yes. Mick helps as he's hard to like but also hard not to respect for his achievements and toughness.

Their players are physical, occasionally over-the-top and they seem to be portrayed that way by the officials so they get the extra nudge here and there making them hard to like too. So yeah, they are as close as we have to a league rival for now. Add to the fact Caupain has been there since Huggy left, this will be fun.

I know I'm in the minority, but I like Mick. I love all the guys with personality on the sideline, whether they are dopes (Frank Martin) or Hall of Famers (Huggy). I enjoy laughing at Mick. And his kid is cute.

 

[intlzncster]

Threads like this make us look like a bunch of depressed refugees seeking asylum, looking for who our remaining friends are.

Well, face it, we are.

 

[Waquoit]

I know I'm in the minority, but I like Mick. I love all the guys with personality on the sideline, whether they are dopes (Frank Martin) or Hall of Famers (Huggy). I enjoy laughing at Mick. And his kid is cute.

I always liked Mick but especially since Teddy V. got in his face and Mick didn't backoff an inch. He gave it right back to him. Wouldn't be a kick if TV was reffing tonight's game? What am I saying? I never want to see that guy reffing one of our games.

 

[SubbaBub]

No, they are merely the biggest name program left in our conference. There is a difference. We have no rivals as of right now, only old enemies.