Duke v. UNC #4-Rivalry

[Azdukefan]

Pat Forde should be fired for this article (just kidding of course). But the hiring of Cheatapari is enough to send the rivalry between them and Louisville to the top? Come on, even on a down year the Duke UNC rivalry battles Yankees/Sox and Ohio St/Michigan. As much as I hate the holes, I have a respect for them and their program and a hiring of some sleazeball (see the Derrick Rose issue), is not enough to place UK/UL even one tier behind us. Heck UA and ASU (Arizona schools for those unfamiliar) have had a better rivalry recently. Any thoughts?

[airowe]

AZ,
Do you have a link to the article? I used to live in Arizona and while they've had some good games recently I'd have to say UA-ASU isn't anywhere near Duke-UNC or the other rivalries you mentioned.

As far as UK being a rival to any program, it hasn't been recently, and it remains to be seen whether Calipari's one and done and reload recruiting strategy will work at UK. He did it on a smaller scale at Memphis but from this class at UK it appears he is willing to recruit multiple one and dones in each class. There is something to be said for continuity and team building, which will be lacking at UK for at least two years.

[Azdukefan]

The link is on the homepage or you can simply go to espn.com and scroll over to college basketball and it is the main article. My point about ASU/UA was that it is a second rate rivalry as is UK/UL. No way did I intend to put it anywhere near the elite rivalries.

[airowe]

My point about ASU/UA was that it is a second rate rivalry as is UK/UL. No way did I intend to put it anywhere near the elite rivalries.

Got it.
Just read the article and while I don't agree with Duke-Punc rivalry being 4th, I do love the dig at Terrapin fans being "annoying and classless"

[4decadedukie]

Got it.
Just read the article and while I don't agree with Duke-Punc rivalry being 4th, I do love the dig at Terrapin fans being "annoying and classless"

I thought "annoying and classless" was rather benign and charitable . . .

[JasonEvans]

I am not sure why folks have not put the link in this thread, but here is the article in question.

It is important to note that Forde is ranking the rivalries based on how "hot" they will be this coming season. So, because he figures Kentucky and Lousiville will both be rated in the top 5 or so in the pre-season and those two schools certainly hate each other, he puts that rivalry on top. He ranks Mich St-Purdue second, again on the basis of both teams being among the nation's elite next year.

Now, I have a big problem with the theory behind this article. A "rival" is not something that tends to fluctuate year-to-year. It is built up over time, with close contests and proximity. It takes controversial and often unlikely results. It is not just two really good teams playing each other one season.

For example I doubt Michigan State and Purdue even consider themselves to be rivals. Their game in the regular season last year was not very close and not all that meaningful as MSU won the Big Ten regular season comfortably. Ask a MSU fan if he would rather beat Purdue or Michigan next season-- the answer won't even be close.

Essentially, Forde has just listed some of the top games of next season. It has nothing to do with rivalries and is a very poorly constructed article.

--Jason "this is hardly new territory for Pat Forde-- he is known for not really putting a lot of thought into his articles" Evans

[Devilsfan]

We need to start beating them in REVENUE SPORTS to keep this rivalry on top.

[ice-9]

Jason, great post, agree completely.

It's so odd to see State-Purdue up there on the basis that they're supposed to be good this year when just last year UNC killed Mich State (twice) and Duke beat Purdue by double digits.

I mean...really? Second best rivalry? For just this year, maybe?