College basketball's best rivalries

By Alan Rubenstein Sports Central Columnist

Collegiate rivalries are usually reserved for the gridiron. Trophies and games labeled like postseason bowl games that signify college football bragging rights are well-known. The Bunyan Ax (Minnesota/Wisconsin), the Big Game (Cal/Stanford), and the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Florida/Georgia) have all become a major part of college football lore.

College basketball rivalries do not have the depth that college football rivalries have. But college basketball does have well-known rivalries that carry as much weight in the eyes of the fans and alumni as many of the college football rivalries do. Let's take a look at the top-five.

1) Duke/North Carolina

You would be hard-pressed to find a current rivalry that carries as much weight and emotion as the Blue Devils and Tar Heels. North Carolina leads the all-time series 122-90. The sustained dominance of these two on a national level is astounding. UNC and Duke have 17 combined Final Four appearances in the last 22 years.

Their meeting earlier this month marked the first time since 1995 that both team had entered their matchup coming off a loss. They have also had 113 straight matchups with at least one of the two teams ranked by the Associated Press. They have had many memorable matchups and individually the schools have produced some of the greatest moments in NCAA tournament history. When these two schools, separated by only seven miles, meet, there is usually an ACC championship, high-seed in the NCAA tournament, or an ACC tournament championship on the line.

2) Kentucky/Louisville

This rivalry was once so heated that former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp killed the existence of their future matchups. The Cardinals and Wildcats did not play from 1959-83, but a chance encounter in the 1983 Mideast regional final rekindled the rivalry.

In a game played in Knoxville, TN, UL turned an overtime game into a laugher by going on a 14-0 run to begin the overtime and send the Cards to their third Final Four in four years.

Rick Pitino taking the job at Louisville after spending eight years at UK has added fuel to an already fiery rivalry. UK fans have dubbed Pitino "Traitor Rick" and some unsavory comments were made after it was announced that Pitino would be taking over the reigns at Freedom Hall. They are 1-1 in their annual meetings since Pitino took over in the Derby city. With both schools having outstanding seasons, the arguments between fans of these schools should become even more heated come March.

3) Arizona/UCLA

While not as traditional or long-standing as the previous two, these two have developed an intense and important Pac-10 rivalry over the last 17 years. The Bruins and Wildcats have combined to win every Pac-10 title from 1986-98 and are the only schools to win 70% of their conference games over the last 10 years. They have also combined for five Final Four appearances and two national championships since 1988. The 'Cats and Bruins rank near the top among alums in the NBA.

In 1992, the Bruins ended Arizona's 72-game homecourt winning-streak, and when Reggie Miller was in Westwood, there was an alleged incident where he was accused of spiting on former Wildcat guard Craig McMillan. With the Pac-10 holding the best record in three of the last six NCAA tournaments, this is one rivalry that will get stronger with the Pac-10 developing a more prominent role nationally.

4) Indiana/Purdue

Like the Kentucky/Louisville rivalry, the IU/Purdue rivalry is also fueled by a basketball-crazy state. This rivalry had provided some of the most memorable moments in the history of college basketball. The most famous of those being the Bob Knight chair-throwing incident. Surprisingly, Purdue holds an all-time series lead of 104-76. The two schools have combined for 40 Big 10 titles and have winning records against every other school in the Big 10.

The Gene Keady and Bob Knight eras have added fire and brimstone to the rivalry. Purdue holds the head-to-head bragging rights, but it's the Hoosiers who have more banners hanging in the Assembly Hall. Keady held a 21-20 advantage over Knight with 28 of the games being decided by 10 points or less.

The Hoosiers have won five national championships and seven Final Four appearances. The Boilermakers have two Final Four appearances, with their best showing a second-place finish in 1969.

5) The Big Five (La Salle, Pennsylvania, St. Joseph's, Temple, and Villanova)

While this unique pentagonal rivalry does not have the same national impact as the previous four, the history and intensity matches it without question. St. Joe's, Temple, and Villanova have all had their moments on the national stage in the last 15 years. John Chaney has taken the Owls to five NCAA regional finals without being able to break through for that elusive Final Four bid.

Earlier this season, St. Joe added a chapter to this ancient rivalry by stealing the entire mascot costume from Villanova. Villanova's cheerleading coach, Phil O'Neill, did not even realize that the suit was missing until he saw the Wildcat in a noose at St. Joe's gym on the news. To add insult to injury, St. Joe students also distributed flyers on campus a few days before the schools played warning Villanova students to transfer before it's too late.

The Palestra, which is home to Penn, has hosted more college basketball games than any other arena. The Big Five is also unique in that the five schools stage a round-robin each season with the team garnering the best record being declared the Big Five champion for that season.

Honorable Mention

Narrowing college basketball rivalries is not an easy task. Many other rivalries are certainly worthy of mention. Kansas and Missouri, Indiana/Kentucky, and Penn/Princeton have certainly gathered national attention for the importance they have held over the years. Indiana and Kentucky might have the most rabid fans. Kansas had Phog Allen and James Naismith and Penn and Princeton have combined to win 40 out of the last 43 Ivy League titles.

The last month of the season will see renewed rivalries all across the country burst bubbles, add chapters to schools with a tradition of contempt towards each other, and see teams make late-season runs to book their tickets to the dance. It should be an exciting prelude to March Madness.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.