Ranking the Top 10 Underrated Rivalries in College Basketball

Although big names such as Duke-North Carolina and Florida-Kentucky still hog the spotlight, college basketball has lost many of its most intriguing rivalries to realignment in the last few seasons. That situation opens the door for some less-heralded matchups to get their due after being overshadowed in the past.

In the Big 12, for instance, Kansas’ fabled Border War with Missouri is no more, but the Jayhawks still have plenty of antagonists who won’t go away. None of those rivalries is bigger than the Sunflower Showdown with Kansas State, which has both proximity and history on its side (along with some terrific basketball).

Herein is a look at Jayhawks-Wildcats duels then and now, along with nine more of the best unsung clashes in college hoops. Several factors went into ranking these series, including how much history the two teams have, how good they are (and have been) and how intense the contests are.

10. UConn-Cincinnati

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Tradition is in short supply in the AAC—which still hasn’t lost that new-conference smell—but UConn and Cincinnati are completing their first decade as league opponents.

The Bearcats fit right in when they joined the old, defense-heavy Big East, where they suffered their first conference loss to Rudy Gay and the high-scoring Huskies in 2005-06.

Now two of the biggest national contenders in the American, these squads also boast two of the league’s most accomplished coaches in Kevin Ollie and Mick Cronin.

Ollie’s defending national champs, led by Ryan Boatright, are the heavy favorites to grab this year’s AAC crown, but Cronin’s ironclad D has a real chance to play spoiler.

9. Tennessee-Memphis

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Despite its obvious geographic appeal, it took until 1989 for the Tennessee-Memphis rivalry to become a regular event in the Volunteer State.

It’s also been a tightly fought one, with Tennessee holding a slim 14-11 edge in the series (including a win, officially vacated, over Derrick Rose’s 2007-08 national runners-up).

Unfortunately for fans, the person who really underrates this rivalry is Memphis coach Josh Pastner.

His outspoken opposition has put the series on hold for the foreseeable future, barring a postseason meeting (unlikely for the rebuilding Vols this season, but it's a real possibility after that).

8. UCLA-USC

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The Pac-12’s most famous basketball program and its most famous football school have a long history on the hardwood, and it hasn’t always gone UCLA’s way.

Even in the glory days of John Wooden, it was a Trojans squad keyed by tiny Mack Calvin that handed Lew Alcindor the only loss of his national-title-winning senior year.

The floundering Southern Cal squads of the post-Tim Floyd doldrums have still played their crosstown rivals tough, with 2012-13’s overtime win at Pauley Pavilion helping explain Ben Howland’s ouster as the coach in Westwood.

This year’s edition should provide plenty of fireworks in its own right, with new backcourt stars Isaac Hamilton (Bruins) and Jordan McLaughlin (Trojans) going head-to-head for almost-new coaches Steve Alford and Andy Enfield.

7. Arkansas-LSU

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The dominance of Kentucky and Florida has shoved any other SEC rivalries into the background in recent years.

Now that Mike Anderson has Arkansas on the rise again, it’s time to give some credit to one of the league’s few geographic battles that also offers high-level competition.

Although these neighbors don’t go back as far as some SEC foes, their inaugural season as conference opponents—1991-92, when the league-champion Razorbacks swept Shaq's Tigers—set the tone for a matchup of full-court pressure versus half-court power.

This year’s edition will provide a rematch of one of the best low-post duels in the country from 2013-14, as uber-athletes Bobby Portis (Hogs) and Jordan Mickey (LSU) go head-to-head again.

6. Duke-Florida State

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With Maryland off to the Big Ten, the Blue Devils are short one spoiler in a conference where pretty much everyone loves to hate Duke. Few programs have a more impressive history of ruining Mike Krzyzewski’s day, though, than the Seminoles.

Although Duke holds a commanding lead in the all-time series, Leonard Hamilton has beaten Coach K's six times in 18 head-to-head meetings, a record most coaches would be thrilled to enjoy.

That mark includes a pair of unranked FSU squads knocking off top-ranked Duke teams in Tallahassee. This year’s ‘Noles (behind a trio of 7-footers) might repeat that feat against Jahlil Okafor and the loaded Blue Devils on February 9.

5. Georgetown-Villanova

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Syracuse’s departure cost Georgetown its most celebrated rivalry, but the Hoyas and Wildcats continue the intensity of the old Big East.

Although Villanova wasn’t a founding member of the conference, it arrived in 1980 and has been among the league’s most consistent contenders ever since.

Naturally, the heart of this showdown is a historical one—the legendary 1985 national title game, in which Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown team fell in an epic upset to No. 8 seed ‘Nova—but that doesn’t mean its best days are behind it.

This year’s rebuilt Hoyas will be one of the prime competitors for JayVaughn Pinkston and the league-favorite Wildcats. Both programs also figure to be standard-bearers for the new Big East into the foreseeable future.

4. Kansas-Kansas State

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When the Big 12 lost Missouri, Kansas (the league’s 500-pound gorilla) lost its top antagonist.

Although Texas and Iowa State both have good arguments for replacing the Tigers in that role, the Sunflower Showdown is always going to be a bit more intense than the rest for being an intrastate battle (not to mention one that goes back to the Big Eight).

Whether it’s Danny Manning against Mitch Richmond or Andrew Wiggins against Marcus Foster, this series hasn’t exactly been short on star power.

Foster returns to lead next year’s Wildcats, who would love to upset KU and its latest freshman sensation, Cliff Alexander.

3. Syracuse-Pittsburgh

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Pitt’s extended run as one of the best man-to-man teams in the country is dwarfed by the Syracuse's multi-decade dominance behind Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone, but each system has earned its share of head-to-head wins.

Even Carmelo Anthony couldn’t win at the Petersen Events Center, where his Orange suffered one of the few losses of their 2002-03 national-title season.

On the flip side, Jamie Dixon's Pitt debut saw the Orange pull off a grueling 49-46 overtime win against a 2003-04 Panthers squad that would earn a school-record 31 victories.

Syracuse has won four of five after a five-game skid in the series, which may mean that it’s time for James Robinson and the Panthers to retake the momentum against Chris McCullough’s inexperienced ‘Cuse squad this season.

2. Indiana-Kentucky

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Another rivalry undervalued by its own coaches, the Hoosiers and Wildcats have been put on hold lately, thanks to squabbles over where to play.

That’s a pity, because there isn’t a nonconference matchup in the country that combines such blue-blooded programs and great history in a geographically sensible package.

As of this writing, the last scheduled meeting between IU and UK saw the top-ranked Wildcats fall by a single point in Bloomington (a defeat they avenged in the ensuing NCAA tournament).

Other noteworthy contests have included Isiah Thomas’ eventual national champs falling at home to Big Blue and an overtime duel in Lexington in which Tubby Smith’s defending champs barely escaped from the Hoosiers.

1. Ohio State-Michigan

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As much as realignment has hurt many leagues, the Big Ten has never had more teams playing better than it does right now. That’s good news for some of the rivalries usually overshadowed by B1G football, especially the Ohio State-Michigan matchup.

The Buckeyes’ bitterest rivals have also reclaimed a spot as their basketball equals under John Beilein, whose precision offense provides a great antidote to Thad Matta’s smothering D.

From Jimmy Jackson versus the Fab Five to Aaron Craft against Trey Burke, there’s tradition and talent aplenty here, as D'Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert will prove next season.