I get mildly annoyed at Vitale's hype for it (although I know ESPN asks him to do so), but I have to go with UNC/Duke as well. Two heavyweights in close proximity, with the public vs private school angle thrown in. It's also been pretty well balanced.

(07-08-2013 09:35 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  Duke-North Carolina has produced some classic games but in a lot of ways playing twice a year hurts the outcome of one single game which is why football rivalry games tend to have more meaning but this is as close as it gets in terms of having a classic conference rivalry.

Kentucky-Louisville is can't miss TV regardless if hate both schools. Its one of those rivalry games that you feel a real sense of dislike between the fans; however, Kentucky's one and done ways make it difficult to sense a rivalry between the players.

Cincinnati-Xavier might not be best rivalry in terms of game quality over the last few years. The national impact might not be what it used to be but the these schools do not like each other. Most players in the rivalry don't leave school early plus you factor in that they play in the same summer league which gives this game a neighborhood feel. Its a really a culture clash in terms of fans, students and alumni, Big Public Research University versus Catholic School.

That how I see it...would have put Georgetown/Syracuse right with UC-X but as noted the Hoya-Orange game is gone.

The toughest ticket in college basketball this year will be when Louisville heads to Rupp Arena for that late December game....the Commonwealth will shut down.

It's Auburn versus Alabama. They hand over the Iron Bowl trophy for the winner of that year's football game at halftime of the basketball game played on the winner's campus. Seriously! It helps them try to sell out that basketball game.

Nothing could express the SEC's view of basketball more completely than this ritual. If not for Florida, Missouri, Kentucky, and from time to time L.S.U., Tennessee and Mississippi State we wouldn't have much of a basketball culture. I'm hoping Texas A&M will help there some.

Face it when the only basketball rivalry of note in your conference is Kentucky versus an out of conference in state rival you have no basketball culture of which to speak.

By the way my vote was for Duke/UNC because I can't imagine having my in state rival literally just on the other side of my metropolitan area.

(07-08-2013 10:20 AM)JRsec Wrote:  It's Auburn versus Alabama. They hand over the Iron Bowl trophy for the winner of that year's football game at halftime of the basketball game played on the winner's campus. Seriously! It helps them try to sell out that basketball game.

Nothing could express the SEC's view of basketball more completely than this ritual. If not for Florida, Missouri, Kentucky, and from time to time L.S.U., Tennessee and Mississippi State we wouldn't have much of a basketball culture. I'm hoping Texas A&M will help there some.

Face it when the only basketball rivalry of note in your conference is Kentucky versus an out of conference in state rival you have no basketball culture of which to speak.

By the way my vote was for Duke/UNC because I can't imagine having my in state rival literally just on the other side of my metropolitan area.

It's not even on the other side of the metro area. You can probably drive from the Dean Dome to Cameron Indoor in less than 20 minutes.

(07-08-2013 10:33 AM)jaminandjachin Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 10:20 AM)JRsec Wrote:  It's Auburn versus Alabama. They hand over the Iron Bowl trophy for the winner of that year's football game at halftime of the basketball game played on the winner's campus. Seriously! It helps them try to sell out that basketball game.

Nothing could express the SEC's view of basketball more completely than this ritual. If not for Florida, Missouri, Kentucky, and from time to time L.S.U., Tennessee and Mississippi State we wouldn't have much of a basketball culture. I'm hoping Texas A&M will help there some.

Face it when the only basketball rivalry of note in your conference is Kentucky versus an out of conference in state rival you have no basketball culture of which to speak.

By the way my vote was for Duke/UNC because I can't imagine having my in state rival literally just on the other side of my metropolitan area.

It's not even on the other side of the metro area. You can probably drive from the Dean Dome to Cameron Indoor in less than 20 minutes.

I've only been in the area once while on business, but that was just wild to me. I'd love to go to games at both of those arenas. TV can only partially convey the actual atmosphere.

Nationally, I think most people would say Duke-UNC. It just gets the most attention.

After being at Xavier for 3 years, I think the most HATED rivalry is UC-X. The schools' students (and players/fans) just dislike each other. (But again, I'm clearly biased.)

Wasn't able to go to the Shootout down at US Bank last year, but I plan on being there this year.

Had to go Duke/North Carolina. Love them or hate them, it's the one rivalry that gets decent attention in the regular season nationwide (and I don't know if I'd give that status to any other basketball rivalry period). I don't really care about either side, but I think it's definitely the biggest.

I don't follow college basketball all that much but didn't KU and UT have a rivalry going?

(07-08-2013 02:12 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  I don't follow college basketball all that much but didn't KU and UT have a rivalry going?

KU - as in Kansas, right (Kentucky is UK)? UT is which then: Texas or Tennessee? I'm not aware of either as a basketball rivalry for Kansas - at least not nationally. I'm not even sure if they play Tennessee, so I guess you mean Texas. So no - I don't think it'll make this list.

Who was UCLA's rival in their hey-day?

I always liked the Utah-UtahSt basketball games for intensity, but the Xavier-Cincinnati thing is very nasty.

There is no other option even close, UK and Ville are big but you are not beating UNC/Duke

(07-08-2013 02:22 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:12 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  I don't follow college basketball all that much but didn't KU and UT have a rivalry going?

KU - as in Kansas, right (Kentucky is UK)? UT is which then: Texas or Tennessee? I'm not aware of either as a basketball rivalry for Kansas - at least not nationally.

Sorry. Kansas and Texas. I thought they had a run a few years back.

(07-08-2013 02:24 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:22 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:12 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  I don't follow college basketball all that much but didn't KU and UT have a rivalry going?

KU - as in Kansas, right (Kentucky is UK)? UT is which then: Texas or Tennessee? I'm not aware of either as a basketball rivalry for Kansas - at least not nationally.

Sorry. Kansas and Texas. I thought they had a run a few years back.

You're right - a rivalry was starting to brew in hoops between Kansas and Texas for several years. Texas has slipped a bit in the past few seasons as Barnes hasn't quite found the right chemistry, so it has lessened the rivalry some. This was definitely a rivalry that was growing out of competition rather than being geographic neighbors which is the basis for many rivalries.

(07-08-2013 02:24 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:22 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:12 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  I don't follow college basketball all that much but didn't KU and UT have a rivalry going?

KU - as in Kansas, right (Kentucky is UK)? UT is which then: Texas or Tennessee? I'm not aware of either as a basketball rivalry for Kansas - at least not nationally.

Sorry. Kansas and Texas. I thought they had a run a few years back.

It would take a long run to start being Kansas's rival. They dominate their conference (and the previous one) so much that sport that they are not on a "near equal footing" with their conference mates. That makes it hard to be a rivalry. It's kind of like Kentucky in the SEC.

Being from Philadelphia my favorite rivalry is the Villanova-St. Joe's game.

(07-08-2013 02:30 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:24 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:22 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:12 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  I don't follow college basketball all that much but didn't KU and UT have a rivalry going?

KU - as in Kansas, right (Kentucky is UK)? UT is which then: Texas or Tennessee? I'm not aware of either as a basketball rivalry for Kansas - at least not nationally.

Sorry. Kansas and Texas. I thought they had a run a few years back.

It would take a long run to start being Kansas's rival. They dominate their conference (and the previous one) so much that sport that they are not on a "near equal footing" with their conference mates. That makes it hard to be a rivalry. It's kind of like Kentucky in the SEC.

You're saying Kansas dominates right?

(07-08-2013 02:33 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:30 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:24 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:22 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:12 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  I don't follow college basketball all that much but didn't KU and UT have a rivalry going?

KU - as in Kansas, right (Kentucky is UK)? UT is which then: Texas or Tennessee? I'm not aware of either as a basketball rivalry for Kansas - at least not nationally.

Sorry. Kansas and Texas. I thought they had a run a few years back.

It would take a long run to start being Kansas's rival. They dominate their conference (and the previous one) so much that sport that they are not on a "near equal footing" with their conference mates. That makes it hard to be a rivalry. It's kind of like Kentucky in the SEC.

You're saying Kansas dominates right?

Yes - Kansas is one of the 5-10 greatest college BB programs: UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, UNC, Indiana, etc. Whereas, UNC and Duke have one another (and Kentucky has in-state non-conf rival L'ville), there isn't another Big12 program near Kansas' level in BB.

(07-08-2013 02:38 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:33 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:30 PM)nert Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:24 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(07-08-2013 02:22 PM)nert Wrote:  KU - as in Kansas, right (Kentucky is UK)? UT is which then: Texas or Tennessee? I'm not aware of either as a basketball rivalry for Kansas - at least not nationally.

Sorry. Kansas and Texas. I thought they had a run a few years back.

It would take a long run to start being Kansas's rival. They dominate their conference (and the previous one) so much that sport that they are not on a "near equal footing" with their conference mates. That makes it hard to be a rivalry. It's kind of like Kentucky in the SEC.

You're saying Kansas dominates right?

Yes - Kansas is one of the 5-10 greatest college BB programs: UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, UNC, Indiana, etc. Whereas, UNC and Duke have one another (and Kentucky has in-state non-conf rival L'ville), there isn't another Big12 program near Kansas' level in BB.

I see. I guess Texas would be the closest to KU in the Big XII. OU has been good over the years, but an elite basketball program like KU.

(07-08-2013 10:20 AM)JRsec Wrote:  It's Auburn versus Alabama. They hand over the Iron Bowl trophy for the winner of that year's football game at halftime of the basketball game played on the winner's campus. Seriously! It helps them try to sell out that basketball game.

Nothing could express the SEC's view of basketball more completely than this ritual. If not for Florida, Missouri, Kentucky, and from time to time L.S.U., Tennessee and Mississippi State we wouldn't have much of a basketball culture. I'm hoping Texas A&M will help there some.

Face it when the only basketball rivalry of note in your conference is Kentucky versus an out of conference in state rival you have no basketball culture of which to speak.

By the way my vote was for Duke/UNC because I can't imagine having my in state rival literally just on the other side of my metropolitan area.

There are only 17 stoplights between Carolina campus and the Dook campus.