Rothstein: St. John’s/UConn is college basketball’s burgeoning rivalry.

[ucp990411]

After splitting our first two Big East match-ups, the Johnnies won 17 games in a row. UConn has pretty much pounded them ever since. The two teams have been rarely very good at the same time. The closest SJU came was in 1999 and that ended in tears. It's tough to get a rivalry going under those conditions.

The 2 teams have rarely been good at the time since 1999. In other words they have rarely been good since 1999. Accurate statement

 

[ucp990411]

If Providence could ever be decent they would be our rival. And there is a big difference between rival and arch rival.

 

[mauconnfan]

You have to do more than just beat us on occasion to be a rival. Hell we are providences Super Bowl and they beat us once in a while. Maybe win something more than a 2-15 game in the dance then talk to me about a rivalry!

 

[superjohn]

After splitting our first two Big East match-ups, the Johnnies won 17 games in a row. UConn has pretty much pounded them ever since. The two teams have been rarely very good at the same time. The closest SJU came was in 1999 and that ended in tears. It's tough to get a rivalry going under those conditions.

That's why we got it going now. They're the two best teams in the Big East and they're going to be two of the 5 best teams in the country next season. The coaches can't stand each other, the fans can't stand each other, they both have realistic goals of winning the Big East regular season, Big East tournament, and National Championship. They pounded us last year and ran away with the Big East regular season and Big East Tourny. Their fans are puffing their chests. UConn will want revenge.

 

[DRBackup]

There really would be no better rival than UMass. Neighboring states, short drive, a lot in common, plenty of cause for bad blood. But they'd have to take basketball seriously for that to happen.

That's the basis for most rivalries. VA Tech and UVA are like that, just like the Big 10 football rivalries.

 

[lateralous]

If both teams can navigate the OOC schedule it feels like the hype for the two conference games between them could be at a level that the conference frankly hasn’t seen in decades.

A lot of it really is about the coaches anymore. I hate the SEC but I watched Arkansas at Kentucky this year for the Calipari vs UK storylines. Hurley vs Patino w/ both teams ranked in the top 5 would be that x10

 

[RuffRuff]

If both teams can navigate the OOC schedule it feels like the hype for the two conference games between them could be at a level that the conference frankly hasn’t seen in decades.

A lot of it really is about the coaches anymore. I hate the SEC but I watched Arkansas at Kentucky this year for the Calipari vs UK storylines. Hurley vs Patino w/ both teams ranked in the top 5 would be that x10

Anyone that wants to poopoo the gravity of this one is just an insecure UConn tribester.

Good rivals are built on the other side having something they don’t. StJ has NYC, Pitino and a billionaire funding them. UConn has Hurley and rings.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

That's why we got it going now. They're the two best teams in the Big East and they're going to be two of the 5 best teams in the country next season. The coaches can't stand each other, the fans can't stand each other, they both have realistic goals of winning the Big East regular season, Big East tournament, and National Championship. They pounded us last year and ran away with the Big East regular season and Big East Tourny. Their fans are puffing their chests. UConn will want revenge.

Are Georgia and Texas rivals in football? Entering the CFP Georgia was #2 and Texas was #5. Pretty much the criteria that you are using to label our relationship with St John's a rivalry.

A quick question: over the past six months approximately how many posts have we had had on this board making fun of Syracuse and their current situation? My guess would be well in the thousands (I saw two this afternoon alone). St John's has had quite a bit to poke fun at over the past quarter century. How often have we poked fun at them or their situation over that time frame?

I could be wrong but the way I see it, if an opponent doesn't move the needle at all unless they are competitive they aren't a rival.

 

[NJHusky]

And your last sentence sums up why this is not a rivalry. North Carolina would never say “Good for the ACC that Duke is good.” And Duke is always good. St John’s has been to the NCAA tournament as many times since 1999 as we have won titles. I think the actually won a game over that span.

Not just appearances, We have more titles than they have tourney games won since 1999!

 

[Kolumbo]

SJU was a big rival back in the late '90's, 1998-1999 specifically with Thornton, Barkley, Postell, Grant, and MWP. I hated that team more than any other Big East team, except perhaps some cuse squads. Then they added Omar Cook a couple years later. It was so intense I believe Jarvis had the MSG games moved to weekdays to try to quell our 6th Borough Advantage.

1998-99 UConn finished 1st, Miami 2nd, SJU 3rd, cuse and nova 4th. UConn of course went on to glory that year.

I don't think SJUs run will be particularly long. How long is Pitino going to coach?

 

[RuffRuff]

SJU was a big rival back in the late '90's, 1998-1999 specifically with Thornton, Barkley, Postell, Grant, and MWP. I hated that team more than any other Big East team, except perhaps some cuse squads. Then they added Omar Cook a couple years later. It was so intense I believe Jarvis had the MSG games moved to weekdays to try to quell our 6th Borough Advantage.

1998-99 UConn finished 1st, Miami 2nd, SJU 3rd, cuse and nova 4th. UConn of course went on to glory that year.

I don't think SJUs run will be particularly long. How long is Pitino going to coach?

You do wonder who they can attract once Pitino is gone. If he can build that brand back up, and have that level of financial backing as NYCs team, if they can sustain after he is gone. With how things are changing, it may be enough to draw someone good once he retires in 2-4 years.

I recall some talk of little Pitino succeeding him. StJ would likely benefit by staying on brand with a NY personality. A guy like Anderson from Alabama was such a total non fit on too many levels.

 

[superjohn]

Are Georgia and Texas rivals in football? Entering the CFP Georgia was #2 and Texas was #5. Pretty much the criteria that you are using to label our relationship with St John's a rivalry.

A quick question: over the past six months approximately how many posts have we had had on this board making fun of Syracuse and their current situation? My guess would be well in the thousands (I saw two this afternoon alone). St John's has had quite a bit to poke fun at over the past quarter century. How often have we poked fun at them or their situation over that time frame?

I could be wrong but the way I see it, if an opponent doesn't move the needle at all unless they are competitive they aren't a rival.

There's two threads here at the top of the board about St. John's with 261 posts and another thread below them that turned into a St. John's thread. This will be the 7th straight season we haven't played Syracuse. Nobody is stopping you from talking about Boeheim eating his own boogers.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Rothstein resides in Manhattan so I'm not surprised he's pushing this. This has a 90s UConn/UMass feel to it though so it will be interesting.

What happens when UConn leaves the Big East, and they will leave the Big East sooner than later. Rothstein wrote it but the Big East is pushing this, the league as a whole is still on life support, if you ask me.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

There's two threads here at the top of the board about St. John's with 261 posts and another thread below them that turned into a St. John's thread. This will be the 7th straight season we haven't played Syracuse. Nobody is stopping you from talking about Boeheim eating his own boogers.

261 posts, you're using that as evidence of something?

 

[jibsey]

What happens when UConn leaves the Big East, and they will leave the Big East sooner than later. Rothstein wrote it but the Big East is pushing this, the league as a whole is still on life support, if you ask me.

The BE was Uconn‘s pathway back from purgatory and while I’m sure Hurley and our AD like the BE Tourney with its cachet, MSG etc, we need to be in a stronger league. Our football needs a league. Goodbye St. John’s.

 

[ZooCougar]

No

 

[superjohn]

261 posts, you're using that as evidence of something?

View attachment 109227

FfldCntyFan talking to himself about the UConn Syracuse "rivalry"

 

[CTBballfan243]

I equate St.John’s to PC. Just little pesky mosquitoes that need to be swatted away occasionally.

 

[RuffRuff]

I equate St.John’s to PC. Just little pesky mosquitoes that need to be swatted away occasionally.

Big diff is that StJ has NYC. That is a very big difference. And now it has a landscape where big backers make a difference, and they have a big one. What StJ showed last year is that the city loves a winner, and it’s been a long time since they’ve had one, especially in basketball. You have Spike Lee showing up. The Jonnies had the city raptured last year. Val is smart by squeezing every ounce of the NYC edge it has.

PC is an afterthought program. Too small to make a mark. Truly a little brother and will always be one. They’d have to pull together a perfect storm to be competitive.

I go back and forth on whether the BE has a lifeline in all this. In the realignment and rev share world it wouldn’t seem so, but then you see articles come out suggesting they have an edge based on NIL because they don’t have to share with football. And with that article you see recruits migrating over, both portal and HS. Follow the money.

 

[MCNPA]

There's two threads here at the top of the board about St. John's with 261 posts and another thread below them that turned into a St. John's thread. This will be the 7th straight season we haven't played Syracuse. Nobody is stopping you from talking about Boeheim eating his own boogers.

Syracuse refusing to play all their old rivals like UConn, St. John’s as well had even further helped to catapult them to irrelevance. It’s not the only reason, but the point is, embracing rivalries for what they are is good for both programs most of the time.

 

[DFW HOYA]

Irrelevance is cumulative, as Georgetown fans have learned, but it's also hit Syracuse. One should look no further than the 100th Georgetown-Syracuse game last season at the Carrier Dome. ESPN had the rights and parked it on the ACC Network.

 

[Umami Zen]

Largest single gift ever to St Johns by Janetschek family -32.5M--25M for new BB practice facility and 7.5M for BB student-athletes. Hope to have operational within two years(2027). The dice are hot for Rick.

 

[dennismenace]

I know quite a bit about Bleeding Kansas and I'm old enough to remember Owens as head coach at Kansas and Stewart as head coach at Missouri.

At a time when (living in the northeast) you would normally have the opportunity to see one Big Eight game a year (always a weekend, after college football was done for the season). Kansas-Missouri was often the game we would get.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Awesome movie!

Along with Clint, dean Wormer was in it.

 

[jibsey]

Largest single gift ever to St Johns by Janetschek family -32.5M--25M for new BB practice facility and 7.5M for BB student-athletes. Hope to have operational within two years(2027). The dice are hot for Rick.

Every other major school has had this…. Forever.