Top 50 Rivalries in Men’s College Basketball

[huskdogs]

Article in the Athletic today.

UConn’s only entry is #35 with Syracuse.

Other Big East entries:
PC-URI #47
Seton Hall-Rutgers #42
Villanova-Georgetown #30
Creighton-Nebraska #18 (this high after one season lmao)
Wisconsin-Marquette #15
Big 5 #10
Cincy-Xavier #8
Syracuse-Georgetown #5

Suprised we only show up on this list once and at 35. How is UConn-St. John’s not there if they are going to include Creighton/Nebraska. Also no UConn-Nova or UConn-PC.

Ranking the top 50 rivalries in men’s college basketball, from Duke-Carolina to Wofford-Furman

From feuding neighbors to powerhouses who annually stand in each other's way of championships, college hoops has a rich rivalry landscape.

www.nytimes.com

 

[LetsGoUC]

I do consider Syracuse our biggest rival still.

In current Big East, I think Villanova is just given we're the only national championship caliber programs.

 

[Marat]

I feel like Pitt is a forgotten program but they were UConn's top rivalry from 2002 to 2004 with those Dixon teams.

The bottom line is our rivals have not remained consistent which would hurt these rankings.

 

[John]

Creighton-Nebraska #18 (this high after one season lmao)

Creighton–Nebraska men's basketball rivalry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[upstater]

I do consider Syracuse our biggest rival still.

In current Big East, I think Villanova is just given we're the only national championship caliber programs.

UConn's biggest rival has always been St. John's, if you ask me. Back in the 90s and even the oughts, whenever STJ was decent, those games always had the most juice. Temporarily it was Pitt, but if you look at it through decades, it was STJ. Malik Sealy, Felipe Lopez, Zendon Hamilton. All those teams. And especially when they were coached by Satan. It was roughly a 15 year period of constant battles.

They were replaced by Pitt after that.

 

[HW611]

Have to find a way to get Cuse back on the schedule and they have to find a way to get good again.

That first Syracuse win for Hurley was a staple one early on.

 

[huskdogs]

I do consider Syracuse our biggest rival still.

In current Big East, I think Villanova is just given we're the only national championship caliber programs.

Agree on cuse but idk nova doesn’t really do it for me. I hate St. John’s way more than I do Nova

 

[WhereistheDove?]

At what point do these historical rivalries get reassessed? There is zero chance that Syracuse-Georgetown with the state of those programs is a top ten rivalry right now.

 

[bendm]

Not surprised. Id say SJU has been a “rival” for under 2 full seasons at this point. Both programs were rarely good at the same time in the old BE.

 

[huskdogs]

Have to find a way to get Cuse back on the schedule and they have to find a way to get good again.

That first Syracuse win for Hurley was a staple one early on.

Blows my mind that they haven’t played since 2018. Both ADs passing up a huge yearly payday

 

[huskdogs]

Creighton–Nebraska men's basketball rivalry - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Meh. Up until this year didn’t all Nebraska fans root for Creighton basketball and all Creighton fans root for Nebraska football.

 

[nycscooby]

I would say most UConn fans would call Cuse our biggest rival. Some would probably go with Pee Cee next. After that, I would think UConn fans would go equally with SJU, GTown and Pitt.

I just don’t think (until Pitino) that most of us hated SJU and Nova as much as Cuse and PC and maybe even Georgetown and Pitt?

 

[Inyatkin]

UConn's rival is whoever else is good in the same conference at the same time. If that's SMU, then it's SMU

 

[Marat]

Blows my mind that they haven’t played since 2018. Both ADs passing up a huge yearly payday

After Hurley and Jalen Adams took out Cuse in that MSG game, I remember reading Syracuse fan forum comments on why they are even playing UConn as they don't get anything out of it anymore assuming they are losing.

 

[upstater]

I would say most UConn fans would call Cuse our biggest rival. Some would probably go with Pee Cee next. After that, I would think UConn fans would go equally with SJU, GTown and Pitt.

I just don’t think (until Pitino) that most of us hated SJU and Nova as much as Cuse and PC and maybe even Georgetown and Pitt?

Hmmmm, I always thought nycscooby was a homage to the days of ScOoBy the NYC St. John's fan who use to roil this board for so many years.

 

[uconn_jack]

Only one rivalry that matters. Us against everyone else.

 

[UCann]

UConn's rivals are the Big East refs.

 

[Tenspro2002]

We've left a lot of rivals in the dust:
Georgetown
Syracuse
St. John's
Pitt

Nationally, we've gotten the better of:
Duke
Kentucky
Gonzaga


Unfortunately we and Villanova passed each other like ships in the night, that could have been an epic BE rivalry.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Ugh. Paywall. I used to subscribe to the Athletic.

 

[GampelGladiator]

UConn vs the NCAA

 

[storrsroars]

Agree on cuse but idk nova doesn’t really do it for me. I hate St. John’s way more than I do Nova

Gillespie and Arcidiacano were major pitas under Wright. We used to complain vehemently that refs let Gillespie get away with all sorts of crap our guys couldn't.

 

[Pmurph678]

PC feels like our biggest rival right now

 

[storrsroars]

It's kinda weird that while McDermott is the only BE coach with a winning record vs Hurley, there hasn't been any real animosity vs Creighton. Even Kalk wasn't the most hated 5 during his years.

 

[Trudy Gay]

I feel like Pitt is a forgotten program but they were UConn's top rivalry from 2002 to 2004 with those Dixon teams.

The bottom line is our rivals have not remained consistent which would hurt these rankings.

The current Arizona team reminds me of the Big East Pitt teams. Big brutes with a skilled guard

 

[nycscooby]

Hmmmm, I always thought nycscooby was a homage to the days of ScOoBy the NYC St. John's fan who use to roil this board for so many years.

Nope. UConn fan all along!