What's the best rivalry in college hoops?"

[Col. Bleep]

F Michael Graham

And everyone ever associated with his team.

The G-town legacy rivalry would still thrive if we'd show up for the game.
Big Dome crowd this season and profound disappointment.

A bitter grudge rivalry through the Big East when the Orange wound up taking down their nets in the tournament.
(And let us not forget CJ's facial on Otto Porter).

But...you can't downplay Duke-UNC.
It was already huge before SU-G-town.

 

[Shark58]

Colgate - Syracuse

somewhere I have a "Beat Siena" pin

that used to be a thing too

 

[Hoo's That]

Most rivalries are regional or were before 11096. You can make a case for SU/G-town also being a product of ESPN.

This was my impression as well, ESPN got in bed pretty early with the BE, no?

That was always the opinion of the pre-2003 ACC members.

 

[MGP]

Most rivalries are regional or were before ESPN. You can make a case for SU/G-town also being a product of ESPN.

Beg to differ. I would argue that ESPN was in part a product of the SU/GTown rivalry. I'm not even sure many of those pre 90s Duke/UNC games were even televised nationally. I don't remember them. Even my Midwest friends here in Illinois remember SU/GTown games from the 80s...

 

[realorange]

Most rivalries are regional or were before ESPN. You can make a case for SU/G-town also being a product of ESPN.

SU/Georgetown didn't need ESPN except to interest fans outside of their respective bases. If you were a fan of either school in those days, you wanted to bury the other team. No ESPN needed.

 

[Alsacs]

I was watching SU-Gtown 1990 how the F did Thompson have Mutumbo and Mourning and never reach a Final Four. What a joke.

 

[MGP]

I guess my wheels have come off the tracks a bit because I get fired up about this stuff lol. All I'm really trying to say is that I acknowledge Duke/UNC is the best rivalry - it was around long before (and has survived long after) SU/GTown ever did. What made SU/GTown special and unique is that it was not and could not have been created by the media 9enhanced, yes - created no). You had 2 schools, not closely located regionally, not Blue Bloods who created a rivalry organically on great moments and games. I can't think of any other college hoops teams that can claim that. Duke/UNC was a no-brainer to create into the giant it is today. SU/GTown did it from scratch against the odds. The fact that GTown's fanbase sucks is what caused it to collapse. SU being the better program eventually substituted UConn in GTown's role, but never to the same level. I will still argue with anyone that SU/Gtown 1979-1986 tops almost any sports rivalry in pure intensity and storylines...ok, maybe Sox/Yanks...

 

[MGP]

somewhere I have a "Beat Siena" pin

that used to be a thing too

to the tune of "My Sharona"...

 

[Cuse'91]

Hate to admit it, but this title should read "What's the Second Best rivalry in college hoops?"

 

[HSPORANGE]

Hate to admit it, but this title should read "What's the Second Best rivalry in college hoops?"

This and it's not even close.... I would put SU/Gtown, Ville/Kentucky, and maybe big 5 rivals playing at the Palestra in next group. The SU/Uconn rivalry had caught up to the SU/Gtown rivalry at the end of the Big East.

 

[Trueblue25]

Was a mistake not keeping an annual rivalry vs. Villanova. A big mistake, in my opinion.

 

[Cuse'91]

This and it's not even close... I would put SU/Gtown, Ville/Kentucky, and maybe big 5 rivals playing at the Palestra in next group. The SU/Uconn rivalry had caught up to the SU/Gtown rivalry at the end of the Big East.

The Big East breakup killed a few good rivalries. SU/GTown, Pitt/WVU, BC/PC...

 

[orangedave]

SU/Georgetown didn't need ESPN except to interest fans outside of their respective bases. If you were a fan of either school in those days, you wanted to bury the other team. No ESPN needed.

Guess I need to clarify that the Orange/Hoya rivalry grew beyond the fan bases of the 2 schools because of ESPN.

 

[Briancuse]

Was a mistake not keeping an annual rivalry vs. Villanova. A big mistake, in my opinion.

We have played them a couple of times, and will continue, you can't play every old big east team every year.

 

[OrangeDW]

Was a mistake not keeping an annual rivalry vs. Villanova. A big mistake, in my opinion.

Nova was a team that was usually good, that we had a lot of good games with and a very competitive series with in terms of wins and losses. However I only occasionally felt any real animosity towards them. Ignoring their fanbase and student body who nobody likes, I often liked their star players and coaches. Foye, Roy, Lowry, Sumpter, Kittles, Lawson, Alvin Williams...I liked all those guys and rooted for the ones that made the NBA. I usually easily find things to dislike about our opponents so when I actually like another team's stars, the rivalry can't run that deep.

Ive always liked Wright a lot, and I even know somebody who once worked one of his camps and confirmed that he's a great guy. And even back when I disliked their coach(Lappas, that badger looking guy that was always screaming) I liked a lot of their players.

I don't like that they have more titles than us because they have not been a better program than us, but I don't wish them any real harm like I do Georgetown and UConn. They're not that blood rival that needs to be played every year. I'm good with just playing them every now and then.

 

[kcsu]

Gotta love those philly palestra battles. St.Joes, Penn, Nova, Temple. Hard to beat

 

[Shark58]

That was always the opinion of the pre-2003 ACC members.

Hoo do you guys consider your main rival(s) to be?

 

[Trueblue25]

We have played them a couple of times, and will continue, you can't play every old big east team every year.

Never said we should. Ditch the played out rivalry, georgetown. Pick one between uconn and sju to play at msg biannually and keep Nova an annual. By far are most interesting modern big east matchup.

 

[SU2NASA]

In that case, I give bonus points to UNC/Duke fans for remembering that this is simply 18-22 year olds playing a game.

Right. Ok, buddy.

 

[Hoo's That]

Hoo do you guys consider your main rival(s) to be?

We're struggling to find one since the Twerps left. We've always hated El Deano and UNC-CHeat and we were going at it back in the day because dook was in a period of suckitude between Bubas and Bill Foster who took them to the Final 4. Once The Vicious Little Ferret brought dook back, the Tar Holes felt they could ignore us again. But we always hated the Twerps, who were usually the last game of the year, and they hated us right back.

 

[Shark58]

We're struggling to find one since the Twerps left. We've always hated El Deano and UNC-CHeat and we were going at it back in the day because dook was in a period of suckitude between Bubas and Bill Foster who took them to the Final 4. Once The Vicious Little Ferret brought dook back, the Tar Holes felt they could ignore us again. But we always hated the Twerps, who were usually the last game of the year, and they hated us right back.

and UMd felt their big rival was always in NC. its also curious to me that VT isn't mentioned.

I honestly don't know much of the internal ACC rooting biases so I would welcome any enlightenment on the subject. it seems that most schools in the ACC don't have a big time in conf rival. sure, Duke/UNC and somewhat the U/FSU but FSU and UF hate on each other more. Do Clemson and FSU really have a big time rivalry, or does Clem hate on SC more? Likewise GTech and UGA? I'd assume NC State and Wake have "main" rivals that don't share the feeling. All us new kids? We left behind the ones we hated most.

 

[Hoo's That]

and UMd felt their big rival was always in NC. its also curious to me that VT isn't mentioned.

I honestly don't know much of the internal ACC rooting biases so I would welcome any enlightenment on the subject. it seems that most schools in the ACC don't have a big time in conf rival. sure, Duke/UNC and somewhat the U/FSU but FSU and UF hate on each other more. Do Clemson and FSU really have a big time rivalry, or does Clem hate on SC more? Likewise GTech and UGA? I'd assume NC State and Wake have "main" rivals that don't share the feeling. All us new kids? We left behind the ones we hated most.

NC. State hates UNC in everything. UNC looks at them as the "bothersome little brother". Lately, that game has been the last football game of the year, rather than UNC-Duke. Clemson, FSU, Ga Tech, and Louisville all hate their SEC in-state team. FSU and Miami have little love lost, too. I don't think Clemson and FSU "hate" each other as much as they really want to win when they play. Same with Ga Tech-Clemson. Both Techs seem to like to call us The French; I guess it makes sense to them, it doesn't to us. Ga Tech really doesn't like losing to us in anything, especially football.

 

[Shark58]

NC. State hates UNC in everything. UNC looks at them as the "bothersome little brother". Lately, that game has been the last football game of the year, rather than UNC-Duke. Clemson, FSU, Ga Tech, and Louisville all hate their SEC in-state team. FSU and Miami have little love lost, too. I don't think Clemson and FSU "hate" each other as much as they really want to win when they play. Same with Ga Tech-Clemson. Both Techs seem to like to call us The French; I guess it makes sense to them, it doesn't to us. Ga Tech really doesn't like losing to us in anything, especially football.

so there really are very few mutual main in-conf rivalries.

 

[kcsu]

Louisville Duke

 

[Carolinasu]

I live in North Carolina and duke/ Carolina is a gentleman's rivalry. If you want to see vulgar rude fans that truly hate each other go to Syracuse/ Georgetown game in Washington. Great atmosphere especially before and after game. I went to Dean dome once atmosphere is not impressive. Just my take but louisville/ Kentucky would get my vote ahead of the fictional tobacco road hatred rivalry.