UConn men's basketball rivalry with Providence moves to Madison Square Garden for Big East Tournament

[FfldCntyFan]

Long ago, Yankee Conference days 50s, 60s, URI was our rival. Both schools had good teams and vied for the conference crown every season.

Long ago the football national championship was always won by one of Harvard, Yale or Princeton.

Times change.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I never felt like PC was our rival. I’m starting to feel it. I’m starting to really dislike them. They are not even our little brother, they are our little cousins, but a rival is a rival.

They need someone to boost their national brand. Cooley knows it. He was catty when we joined but knows deep down, like the fanbase, that they need us for them to become nationally relevant

 

[MuchoDogYears]

In the new Big East, I consider St. John’s our most natural rival with PC a close second.

Proximity is the most important factor.

Both typically field competitive teams, which is a necessary factor. The years that they are really good, the rivalry becomes hot.

And finally, both their fanbases care about BB, so they bring the hate. You can’t have a true rivalry with a team whose fans don’t get emotionally warped about losing to us.

Seton Hall doesn’t qualify even though they have the proximity factor. Their fanbase isn’t passionate enough about BB, and they aren’t consistently good enough.

Marquette, Xavier, and Creighton can have outstanding teams, like this year. But the consistency of their teams is more up and down, linked to who the coach is. Plus, there’s no local proximity to us. Their fan bases are good, but they don’t project any hate towards us. So none qualify as rivals.

Villanova is somewhere in between. They are usually very good to excellent. And their proximity is close enough to matter. Plus they're a historic basketball school with a good fan base. But they don’t seem to hold any distinct hate towards us as a team or fanbase. There’s mutual respect between programs and fans, but no bitter rivalry.

The rest of the new Big East teams bring no factors to qualify as a rival to us.

 

[John]

In the new Big East, I consider St. John’s our most natural rival with PC a close second.

The last time St John's was relevant, cell phones were the size of shoe boxes. The last time PC was relevant, cell phones hadn't been invented yet.

 

[gsmooth]

UConn / Villanova is now the premier made for TV matchup.

UConn and Villanova are the bluebloods or elite national programs of college basketball within the Big East, the other schools in the Big East are not. Ask fans of Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, Arizona, UCLA who they respect and recognize, not necessarily like, within the Big East as being largely successful programs on an elite level.

Hint: it ain't Providence or Creighton or Marquette or Xavier.

Disclaimer: I respect Providence, Creighton, Marquette, and Xavier. I am not trashing them, but they are not elite national programs.

 

[gsmooth]

Seriously folks, it's 2023 and Providence is most definitely one of our main rivals. It's a a real thing; we don't like each other, they are just across the border in Rhode Island, we're in the same conference, and this will be our third meeting this year. This rivalry is dirty, lots of venom in both of our fan bases, both teams are playing great basketball this year, and both of us ranked most of the year.

This rivalry is good for us; it brings out the unwanted, underlying grudging respect we have for each other. We don't like you, and we really want to beat you. We're tied up 1 and 1, and this game matters the most. Madison Square Garden will be rocking!

absolutely. Can you imagine a thread like this when UConn was in the AAC with the likes of Tulsa, Tulane, East Carolina, SMU, etc. That's my long winded way of saying to embrace the rivalry, it's good for the Big East conference.

 

[gsmooth]

Pee Cee doesn't matter enough to be a rival. No one is really emotionally invested in the game more than any other. Can you remember any game with the Friars that was meaningful to a Huskies season or championship? In fact, I don't think we have a true rival in the Big East.

A contest with Syracuse still holds more importance in Huskies fandom than any BE foe. There is real history there, the six overtime classic, losing three times to SU and still winning the NC. It is one match up that people outside the conference would watch with interest. It could fill up the garden. I still fear Preston Shumpert.

When did UConn lose to Syracuse 3 times and win the title? That never happened in 1999, 2004, 2011, or 2014.

 

[Marat]

The last time St John's was relevant, cell phones were the size of shoe boxes. The last time PC was relevant, cell phones hadn't been invented yet.

St Johns was a rival during Jarvis time, and it's hard to deny it since they specifically tried to block UConn fans from buying huge amounts of MSG seats then. Non rivals would not care.

Many of our rivalries have been during short periods.... Gtown, SJU, Pitt, Miami . It will be same with PC. I guess Cuse could have been the one if still in same conference.

 

[gsmooth]

In the new Big East, I consider St. John’s our most natural rival with PC a close second.

Proximity is the most important factor.

Both typically field competitive teams, which is a necessary factor. The years that they are really good, the rivalry becomes hot.

And finally, both their fanbases care about BB, so they bring the hate. You can’t have a true rivalry with a team whose fans don’t get emotionally warped about losing to us.

Seton Hall doesn’t qualify even though they have the proximity factor. Their fanbase isn’t passionate enough about BB, and they aren’t consistently good enough.

Marquette, Xavier, and Creighton can have outstanding teams, like this year. But the consistency of their teams is more up and down, linked to who the coach is. Plus, there’s no local proximity to us. Their fan bases are good, but they don’t project any hate towards us. So none qualify as rivals.

Villanova is somewhere in between. They are usually very good to excellent. And their proximity is close enough to matter. Plus they're a historic basketball school with a good fan base. But they don’t seem to hold any distinct hate towards us as a team or fanbase. There’s mutual respect between programs and fans, but no bitter rivalry.

The rest of the new Big East teams bring no factors to qualify as a rival to us.

with Creighton and Nova there is definitely hatred as I have read their forums many times. They respect UConn, but they hate UConn they love nothing more than to beat UConn. Same goes for PC fans.

 

[August_West]

Seriously folks, it's 2023 and Providence is most definitely one of our main rivals. It's a a real thing; we don't like each other, they are just across the border in Rhode Island, we're in the same conference, and this will be our third meeting this year. This rivalry is dirty, lots of venom in both of our fan bases, both teams are playing great basketball this year, and both of us ranked most of the year.

This rivalry is good for us; it brings out the unwanted, underlying grudging respect we have for each other. We don't like you, and we really want to beat you. We're tied up 1 and 1, and this game matters the most. Madison Square Garden will be rocking!

Absolutely this. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous.

 

[huskyjawz]

When did UConn lose to Syracuse 3 times and win the title? That never happened in 1999, 2004, 2011, or 2014.

I think It was the opposite; Syracuse won it and we beat them twice.

 

[gsmooth]

I think It was the opposite; Syracuse won it and we beat them twice.

2003 I believe.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Absolutely this. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous.

When we were in the wilderness of the AAC, the matchups that we had with Syracuse received as much attention as any matchups in or out of conference going back to when we won the NIT. If PC was something even bordering on a potential rivalry there would have been some ground swell within our fan base to schedule games with them. Other than a couple stray threads on this board, initiated by a PC fan, I don't remember anyone taking any real stance that we should play them.

And I still use my statement above as a measuring stick: a win over them holds nowhere near the value to us (our program, fanbase, alumni base, etc) than the value a win over us holds to them.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Absolutely this. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous.

Agree, yet another 'hot take' question that relies on a subjective definition. Providence doesn't have to be our arch-nemesis to be among UConn's rivals. Can argue how competitive a particular rival is or isn't, if there's just one rival or multiple, current best rivalry etc.

Arguably one of the most compelling things about UConn v Providence currently is UConn v Providence fans' perspectives on what kind of rivalry it is or isn't.
AKA The rivalry over being rivals.

 

[polycom]

PC is a rivalry only to posters here, PCs message board and on twitter. Fans of both schools who don't live on the internet I don't care about PC. Who is PC? If Cooley leaves tomorrow they have no program.

 

[ElGreco]

UConn and Villanova are the bluebloods or elite national programs of college basketball within the Big East, the other schools in the Big East are not. Ask fans of Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, Arizona, UCLA who they respect and recognize, not necessarily like, within the Big East as being largely successful programs on an elite level.

Hint: it ain't Providence or Creighton or Marquette or Xavier.

Disclaimer: I respect Providence, Creighton, Marquette, and Xavier. I am not trashing them, but they are not elite national programs.

Exactly-what’s the NC Title record of UC & Villanova against those you mention? 7-1?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I will add one other thing:

I don't ever remember a PC unintended hilarity thread and there were many years where that would have been appropriate if there really was a rivalry.

 

[August_West]

I will add one other thing:

I don't ever remember a PC unintended hilarity thread and there were many years where that would have been appropriate if there really was a rivalry.

That isn’t the only measurement for a rival

 

[huskyjawz]

Rivalry doesn't mean that the programs have to be evenly matched. Alabama has had way more success than Auburn, but is anybody going to argue that they don't have a rivalry?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Rivalry doesn't mean that the programs have to be evenly matched. Alabama has had way more success than Auburn, but is anybody going to argue that they don't have a rivalry?

No it isn't, it was merely an addendum to my post a few minutes before that one.

 

[HCCForever]

Long ago the football national championship was always won by one of Harvard, Yale or Princeton.

Times change.

True and I was once 160 pounds.

 

[ElGreco]

with Creighton and Nova there is definitely hatred as I have read their forums many times. They respect UConn, but they hate UConn they love nothing more than to beat UConn. Same goes for PC fans.

IMHO I don’t agree. Creighton’s fans are midwestern in temperament and Villanova’s act like they’ve been there before, which they have. PC fans act like children if you read their board. Full of envy and hate. That’s my take.

 

[Scrutineer]

The day that a win over them means remotely as much to us as a win over us means to them this matchup can be considered a rivalry.

Until then,.......

Unfortunately, they have enough good players to get them a win if we go into Thursday remembering the second game this year instead of the first, the one in which they wasted us.

That said, wouldn't a win by them when we're on such a roll and looking forward to a long ride in the NCAA be the catalyst you're suggesting would make it a rivalry? If that's the case I really don't want a rivalry developed this year!

 

[Friarsnoop]

Rivalry doesn't mean that the programs have to be evenly matched. Alabama has had way more success than Auburn, but is anybody going to argue that they don't have a rivalry?

Same with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State

 

[ElGreco]

Same with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State

Those matchups are both with the top 2 programs in the same state.