Is the Louisville v Kentucky rivalry now better than UNC v Duke?

[Class of '94]

I just heard a discussion on Mike and Mike this morning in which they both though the Louisville v Kentucky is now the best college basketball rivalry going (ahead of UNC v Duke). A main point in their belief is due to the fact that Louisville has played Kentucky in the NCAA tournament in 2 of the last 3 years; and I'll admit they have been great games.

I know I'm biased but I still believe that UNC v Duke is the best rivalry in college basketball and among the best rivalries in all of sports. And with the talent both schools will be bringing in next season (and Louisville most likely having a down season next year due to the graduation of key players although they should still be good, just not great imo), I think there will be no doubt that Carolina v Duke is the best rivalry. What do you think?

[Bostondevil]

Rick Pitino has coached at both schools. End of discussion.

[roywhite]

No

For one thing, they are not in the same conference

[sagegrouse]

The distance between Kentucky and Louisville is 80 miles; the distance between Duke and UNC is eight miles.

Lville-UK occurs once a year, with possibly one more game in the NCAAs. Duke-UNC can occur four times.

We'll give Mike and Mike a B+ for trying hard to fill 30 minutes on talk radio.

[uh_no]

The distance between Kentucky and Louisville is 80 miles; the distance between Duke and UNC is eight miles.

Lville-UK occurs once a year, with possibly one more game in the NCAAs. Duke-UNC can occur four times.

We'll give Mike and Mike a B+ for trying hard to fill 30 minutes on talk radio.

to be fair, UL/UK's tournament success the past 4 years FAR outstrips UNC/Duke...5 final fours to 0, 3 titles

and even before that, duke and UNC haven't both been really good in the same year for some time

UNC was bad in '10, duke was largely mediocre the few years before that

so in the "what have you done for me lately" analysis of the rivalries, UK/UL has UNC/Duke caught with their pants down.

[luburch]

Living in Southern Indiana I hear this all the time and I just laugh. It's not even close. Duke and UNC don't play in the tournament, because the committee won't let them.

[johnb]

I like both Mikes, but, in this case, their opinion is worth the paper it's printed on.

[FerryFor50]

to be fair, UL/UK's tournament success the past 4 years FAR outstrips UNC/Duke...5 final fours to 0, 3 titles

and even before that, duke and UNC haven't both been really good in the same year for some time

UNC was bad in '10, duke was largely mediocre the few years before that

so in the "what have you done for me lately" analysis of the rivalries, UK/UL has UNC/Duke caught with their pants down.

What does quality of the teams and NCAA success have to do with the rivalry?

[Mike Corey]

No. The quality of a rivalry cannot be so dramatically altered in brief stretches of time.

To illustrate: Duke-Maryland never trumped Duke-UNC as a rivalry, even when the individual games between Duke and Maryland were more interesting than the Duke-UNC matchups.

Similarly, UK-Louisville is enjoying some time in the sun, sure. A few seasons of national interest cannot trump Duke-UNC as a rivalry, even if the individual games have been more interesting of late.

This disarray in the college basketball universe will soon be remedied.

[Blue KevIL]

I had tickets to the Louisville-Kentucky Sweet 16 game in Indianapolis.
Across the aisle, were rows of Louisville fans on Friday night -- doing their best to spell C-A-R-D-S and cheer on their team.
A lot of these same "Super Fans" were decked out in their best Kentucky Blue on Sunday & high-fiving one another when the Wildcats did well.

Now, I am not from NC and have only seen a Duke-UNC game in the ACC Tourney in Atlanta, but I cannot believe I would have witnessed a similar scenario with a Duke fan wearing UNC gear and rooting for them (or vice versa).

[CameronBornAndBred]

A main point in their belief is due to the fact that Louisville has played Kentucky in the NCAA tournament in 2 of the last 3 years; and I'll admit they have been great games.

They play each once during the regular season, so at least they don't have only the random tournament game to go on, but those tourney games are the will of the committee and the luck of the draw. Duke - UNC is guaranteed two matchups, often has three, and there is always the possibility of four.
Our games against Carolina are always at 9PM or later, prime time TV. The last four UK-Louisville games have been played noon, noon, 4pm, 4pm. Hardly "Game Day" material.
Why is our game played at 9? Because the country cares and loves the rivalry. Why is the Kentucky game played at noon and at 4? Because the country doesn't care.
Outsiders only pay attention to them in the tournament because their brackets are at stake.

[Rich]

They play each once during the regular season, so at least they don't have only the random tournament game to go on, but those tourney games are the will of the committee and the luck of the draw. Duke - UNC is guaranteed two matchups, often has three, and there is always the possibility of four.
Our games against Carolina are always at 9PM or later, prime time TV. The last four UK-Louisville games have been played noon, noon, 4pm, 4pm. Hardly "Game Day" material.
Why is our game played at 9? Because the country cares and loves the rivalry. Why is the Kentucky game played at noon and at 4? Because the country doesn't care.
Outsiders only pay attention to them in the tournament because their brackets are at stake.

Ditto. Ask ESPN which is the greater rivalry based on their scheduling and ratings. Some people don't even consider the NCAA basketball season to have started until Duke v. UNC Game 1.

[dukelifer]

Part of the argument is whether the regular season means much anymore. That will continue to be an issue moving forward. No question that Duke-UNC is still the best regular season rivalry in basketball. But the teams will need to deliver in the post season for the nation to pay attention.

[jv001]

Ditto. Ask ESPN which is the greater rivalry based on their scheduling and ratings. Some people don't even consider the NCAA basketball season to have started until Duke v. UNC Game 1.

Just like Spring actually begins with The Masters not on in March, GoDuke!

[uh_no]

What does quality of the teams and NCAA success have to do with the rivalry?

seems to be there are multiple criteria for the quality of a rivalry...

[brevity]

The original post and thread title ask which rivalry is better, not bigger. Those are very different things.

Better? Maybe. With the notable exception of last year, Louisville and Kentucky are riding success in sync with one another. That means some high-profile regular season games and some very compelling 2012 and 2014 NCAA Tournament games. An objective viewer -- maybe someone who appreciates sports but has no personal ties to college basketball -- would rate the Bluegrass rivalry as better in recent years. I can live with that.

Bigger? No. I would argue that the one regular season game they play has more at stake within the state of Kentucky than either regular season Duke-UNC game has within the state of North Carolina. But once you go beyond state borders and look nationally, Louisville-Kentucky becomes a standard rivalry game, and a much lesser draw than Duke-UNC.

Nonetheless, the NCAA Selection Committee should not put Kentucky and Louisville in the same region, or even the same side of the bracket. That was gross incompetence, which is pretty much how they operate. (Setting aside the issue of whether Kentucky should have been an 8 seed, just swap them with 8-seed Memphis in the East region and problem solved.)

Some people don't even consider the NCAA basketball season to have started until Duke v. UNC Game 1.

Yet another reason that their Game 1 should be at the midway point of the ACC season. This year it was scheduled as Duke's 12th ACC game in an 18-game season, and of course was postponed until the 14th game.

[jipops]

In a matchup between Louisville and Duke, who do Kentucky fans pull for?

In a matchup between Kentucky and Duke, who do heels fans pull for?

[Bluedog]

In a matchup between Louisville and Duke, who do Kentucky fans pull for?

In a matchup between Kentucky and Duke, who do heels fans pull for?

I like this a lot...That validates it! No doubt in my mind Kentucky fans choose Louisville and UNC fans would choose Kentucky overwhelmingly. I guess the logical next questions is "In a matchup betweeen UNC and Kentucky, who do Duke fans pull for?" I realize most Duke fans would root for a meteor, but I'd have to think Kentucky wins the majority of "support" (I begrudgingly hope for a Kentucky victory when this happens...).

[Lar77]

In a matchup between Louisville and Duke, who do Kentucky fans pull for?

In a matchup between Kentucky and Duke, who do heels fans pull for?

Bravo! This encapsulates it.

The Duke-UNC rivalry started and has been reinforced in many other sports - notably football. Basketball has taken it to a new level with Larry Brown and Art Heyman, and has continued ever since.

Nice to have Mike and Mike have something to talk about on a rainy Monday morning.

[El_Diablo]

to be fair, UL/UK's tournament success the past 4 years FAR outstrips UNC/Duke...5 final fours to 0, 3 titles

and even before that, duke and UNC haven't both been really good in the same year for some time

UNC was bad in '10, duke was largely mediocre the few years before that

so in the "what have you done for me lately" analysis of the rivalries, UK/UL has UNC/Duke caught with their pants down.

So you have already conceded tonight's game then?