Who is our rival now?

[Jaydumo20]

I posted a thread recently about Cuse no longer being a real rival of ours. There was mixed reaction as to be expected.
Which BE team is our biggest rival and why?

 

[John]

If you have to poll it, then there's no dedicated rival.

 

[husky429]

I don't think we have ever had traditional a "rival" in the sense that you see it with UNC/Duke, PC/URI, Xavier/Cinci, etc. I don't think we have a rival at all right now. We have rivalries with certain teams that come and go depending on the conference situation, how good each team is, etc.

 

[District-Husky]

Cuse after the ACC implosion.

 

[gsmooth]

I posted a thread recently about Cuse no longer being a real rival of ours. There was mixed reaction as to be expected.
Which BE team is our biggest rival and why?

Hard to say who our main rival is. Even back in the 90s and 2000s I would say Syracuse, but you could say Pitt for the 2000s as UConn and Pitt had some heated battles. But those were never long lasting or vitriolic like the rivalry of Duke-Carolina, Kentucky-Louisville, or Xavier-Cincinnati in basketball. I always had tough time with this question because for my other favorite teams the NY Giants, NY Yankees, and the former Hartford Whalers, all three teams had heated rivals. But UConn in the 90s and 2000s were just better than everyone else in the Big East so they seemed to have strong rivalries with other teams but never a main rival.

Right now UConn has a New England rivalry with Providence and a New York rivalry with St. John's. I love both of those. I think they have a rivalry with Creighton that is getting stronger due to both teams being good. I know I hated UConn being 0-5 against Creighton all time before finally beating them at Gampel last year.

 

[Greedo]

No one. I don't despise anyone the way I did in the old Big East. Nova was the best shot, but with Jay Wright gone, I don't see it anymore. There's not enough history for it to be any of the newer teams. Maybe in 10 years I'll feel differently about Creighton.

 

[HooperScooper]

 

[bendm]

UCLA doesnt have a rival either, especially now with their move to the BIG

 

[7774]

UCLA doesnt have a rival either, especially now with their move to the BIG

what?

 

[Tenspro2002]

If Nova hadn't fallen off a cliff I would have said them.

I think it's Creighton at the moment. If Marquette sticks around, then they have a chance.

 

[TheRealKBuks]

I can't call PC "the" rival even though I want to. The geography would make them the best candidate but they don't win anything. The fact that we're their super bowl every year but they're just an annoying gnat to us disqualifies them. I don't think any of us hate PC, but we all hated Syracuse. I hate playing PC but that's because they play a scrub style of ball. Until our fans start viscerally hating them I can't consider them our biggest rival, but I truly hope that changes.

UConn fans and Creighton fans got into it a few years ago after we lost to them in the BET. They're already a bigger rival.

 

[bendm]

what?

who's their rival in bball? usc is a football rival and so is Cal but they both suck at bball. 11 chips to 0 isnt a rivalry. i woulda said Zona for bball but they will be in different conferences.

 

[Jaydumo20]

No one. I don't despise anyone the way I did in the old Big East. Nova was the best shot, but with Jay Wright gone, I don't see it anymore. There's not enough history for it to be any of the newer teams. Maybe in 10 years I'll feel differently about Creighton.

Agreed. I feel Creighton has the most potential in the future if they remain competitive. But also think that if St. John's won one against us this year it would've been more heated, with the Pitino Hurley thing and the battle for MSG, etc. etc.

 

[7774]

who's their rival in bball? usc sucks. 11 chips to 0 isnt a rivalry.

lol

 

[Palatine]

In the 50s and 60s -- URI

In the 70s - UMess

In the 80s - BCU

In the 90s - UMess

In the 00s - Syracuse 9 (small nod to Pitt)

Currently - None.

 

[uconngb]

I see a lot of PC fans have invaded our site as usual

 

[RichCTBB]

Marquette and Creighton are the only programs that in the Big East that have won consistently and have a strong foundation to their programs. They are the ones whom I feel are the biggest threats to achieving our goals. Xavier would be up there this year if not for the injuries. I don't see anyone else proving themselves to be threats in March at this point. I'm not even confident that Pitino will get it going at St. Johns. He's old, old school, and I can't imagine him being able to build a winning culture at the High D1 level in the NIL/portal era. All of the other coaches haven't proven anything yet. I think Butler will be closer to the top before St. Johns. If Kim English can elevate recruiting, maybe he has a chance to surpass what Cooley accomplished. If Seton Hall can get their NIL program straightened out they might have a chance with Holloway. I'm not worried about Georgetown. I'd be surprised if Cooley has the fortitude and patience to build Georgetown back up. Like Pitino, I'm not sure that he has the charisma to capture the hearts and minds of his players, especially after the whole Divine Providence debacle. His actions and words have generated a lot of possible negative recruiting material. Neptune seems to be going down, possibly in flames. And then DePaul doesn't even deserve a seat at the table at this point.

 

[TheRealKBuks]

In the 50s and 60s -- URI

In the 70s - UMess

In the 80s - BCU

In the 90s - UMess

In the 00s - Syracuse 9 (small nod to Pitt)

Currently - None.

I think you have to give more than a small nod to Pitt. We lost our two greatest rivals when they went to the ACC. We really have no one currently that compares to those two schools. It could've been Nova, but I think most on this board, myself included, respected Jay Wright too much to hate Nova.

 

[cohenzone]

No true rivalries and interest now and it changes from year to year depending on how good we are vs. the teams we are playing. While not exactly a regional rival but close to it, Syracuse (where i just came back from visiting family today) were the games i think most UConn fans looked forward to the most compared to teams closer geographically like PC. BC, St. John’s. I know the BY likes to dump on Cuse, but those were often exciting games. Maybe PC or the Johnnies can become that rival.

 

[TheRealKBuks]

No true rivalries and interest now and it changes from year to year depending on how good we are vs. the teams we are playing. While not exactly a regional rival but close to it, Syracuse (where i just came back from visiting family today) were the games i think most UConn fans looked forward to the most compared to teams closer geographically like PC. BC, St. John’s. I know the BY likes to dump on Cuse, but those were often exciting games. Maybe PC or the Johnnies can become that rival.

My money is on St. Johns. You can feel something bubbling here. Pitino had Louisville become our 3rd biggest rival behind Cuse and Pitt. I can see St. Johns becoming our biggest rival in the Big East as long as he's there.

 

[UCFan1513]

Any team in the Big 10 or SEC

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I wish we would do some home and home series with Syracuse to bring that back some. I remember it being a huge win for Hurley when he got here his first year with Jalen Adams that was exciting.

It was one of the best rivalries in cbb that kind of just went by the wayside.

 

[UChusky916]

The answer is none. We don't have a rival.

Nova had a shot until Wright left. Closest option right now is Creighton. There's an opportunity for St John's down the road if Pitino can get them nationally relevant again.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

I can't call PC "the" rival even though I want to. The geography would make them the best candidate but they don't win anything. The fact that we're their super bowl every year but they're just an annoying gnat to us disqualifies them. I don't think any of us hate PC, but we all hated Syracuse. I hate playing PC but that's because they play a scrub style of ball. Until our fans start viscerally hating them I can't consider them our biggest rival, but I truly hope that changes.

UConn fans and Creighton fans got into it a few years ago after we lost to them in the BET. They're already a bigger rival.

I think plenty of us hate PC. Their fans are as obnoxious as Cuse fans. If Bryce Hopkins didn't get injured I think they would have been up there in the top half of BE teams.

 

[SoFla Steve]

I see a lot of PC fans have invaded our site as usual

I was wondering who voted for Georgetown!