Ranking the Best Matchups for 'Rivalry Week' in College Basketball

Hatred usually isn’t beautiful, but it certainly is when it comes to college sports.

Rivalries are an integral part of the fabric that is college basketball and a major thing that separates it from the NBA. Between the passion, trash talk, chants from student sections and overall importance of each individual game, rivalry showdowns are the best thing the regular season has to offer.

Here is a look at the best matchups on the schedule for this upcoming Rivalry Week. One thing to keep in mind: This is a list of the best matchups taking place this week and not necessarily the best overall rivalries in the sport (although there is some overlap).

Tradition, current strengths of the teams and importance of the game were all considered, among other factors.

All statistics are current as of Monday, Feb. 16.

No. 5: Gonzaga at St. Mary’s, Saturday

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Rob Dauster of NBC Sports deemed the rivalry between Gonzaga and St. Mary’s one of the country’s most underappreciated during the 2012-13 campaign:

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If there was ever a rivalry that needed an awesome nickname, this is it. The two best programs in the WCC, the Zags and the Gaels have spent the better part of the last decade competing for conference superiority. St. Mary’s finally claimed it last season, but that may be gone now that Gonzaga has climbed to the No. 1 ranking in the country.

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The fact that the Gaels have the audacity to challenge the Bulldogs in the West Coast Conference is what makes headlines with this rivalry. Typically, Gonzaga simply runs rampant over its overmatched league, but St. Mary’s usually gives it a challenge every season.

Saturday’s game is a road clash for the Zags, which makes it all the more intriguing. Gonzaga is contending for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and a win over the Gaels would go a long way because it is likely the final time Mark Few's squad will be challenged during the regular season.

No. 4: Louisville at Syracuse, Wednesday

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This game admittedly lost some of its luster when Syracuse self-imposed a postseason ban for 2015, but the matchup between Louisville and the Orange is still one of the country’s best every year.

After all, these two squads followed each other from the Big East to the ACC and will always be attached at the hip in some way. This year's version will feature two historically excellent coaches, Jim Boeheim and Rick Pitino, and two opposing superstars, Montrezl Harrell and Rakeem Christmas.

Pitino understands his team will have to deal with Christmas if it hopes to come away with a hard-fought road win, via Chris Carlson of Syracuse.com:

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It's a great tribute to Jim, to the coaching staff and Rakeem. When he came out of high school he was very similar to Montrezl Harrell. He was a dunker, a shot-blocker and a runner. He did not have an offensive move. Now he's one of the best low-post scorers in the country. He is one of the premier forwards in the nation and it's exciting to see someone get that much better.

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This game is critical for the Cardinals considering they are a game behind Duke in the ACC standings for third place. Winning at Syracuse is much easier said than done, though, especially in this rivalry game.

No. 3: Xavier at Cincinnati, Wednesday

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The rivalry between Xavier and Cincinnati may be the most underrated one in the entire sport.

Sure, it doesn’t make headlines like the tilts between Duke and North Carolina or some of the showdowns in the Big Ten or Big 12, but it divides an entire city for a week of hatred. Never was that hatred more apparent than the 2011 version of the Crosstown Shootout, when a giant brawl broke out between the teams after the game.

Players left the court bloodied, and the game had to be moved to a neutral location for the next two seasons.

It’s back on campus this season, as the Bearcats will host the Musketeers Wednesday night for a critical game with bubble implications for both teams. In fact, both squads lost their previous games and are in desperate need of a victory Wednesday, which puts even more pressure on the result.

NCAA tournament stakes or not, the most important thing is the bragging rights in Cincinnati that will last an entire year for one fanbase.

No. 2: Michigan State at Michigan, Tuesday

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Michigan and Ohio State may be the marquee rivalry for the Big Ten in terms of football, but there is more hatred between the Wolverines and their in-state brethren Michigan State when it comes to basketball.

The Spartans and Wolverines went to overtime in their last meeting, and Tuesday’s clash will take on even more importance in terms of the NCAA tournament. Tom Izzo’s squad can feel better about its position after Saturday’s win over the Buckeyes, but it can’t afford a loss to the middling Wolverines as a follow-up effort.

As for Michigan, it is in desperate need of a victory of any sorts after five losses in its past six games. Upsetting its archrival would be a heck of a way to turn around the season.

No. 1: North Carolina at Duke, Wednesday

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This matchup needs no introduction.

Wednesday’s North Carolina and Duke showdown will have a little bit of everything. The Cameron Crazies will be there making life particularly difficult for those in Tar Heel Blue. Arguably the nation’s best player in Jahlil Okafor will be there for the Blue Devils, while the Tar Heels will counter with a dangerous point guard in Marcus Paige.

Legendary coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams will bring historical excellence from the sidelines.

Positioning in the ACC standings will be on the line (Duke is a game ahead of North Carolina for third place), as will seeding in the NCAA tournament.

Duke and North Carolina would be a monumentally important game if both teams were 0-25 and playing on the blacktop in someone’s driveway. When it takes on extra importance based on the standings and players involved, it is a no-brainer for the top spot on a rivalry countdown.