Many Americans are watching The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball because many have been to a university and wanted to relive the excitement as supporters of their respective varsity teams. What’s more, you can see a lot of talented young basketballers in the NCAA.
Basketball is competitive by nature. Universities and colleges would send cheering squads to the courts to hype up players during games. In the history of the NCAA, iconic rivalries have made headlines and unleashed the competitive spirit of students and alumni communities of the involved universities and colleges.
Let’s look back to the greatest rivalries in the league and discover who prevailed in these legendary matches.
Duke vs. North Carolina
The NCAA basketball rivalry between Duke University Blue Devils and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels is deemed one of the most notable feuds in the league. While it’s too early to tell, Duke is the leading team to dominate the 2023-2024 season of NCAA. You can check NCAA Basketball spreads and odds a few days before their games in the next season.
Over the decade, Duke and North Carolina are both basketball powerhouses in the NCAA. Currently, North Carolina is the third-winningest team in the league, while Duke is in the fourth spot. Of course, with such a historical record of success, the two teams have made the excellent recipe for the most iconic college basketball rivalry.
Their total meetings have reached 260, where North Carolina won 143 of these matches, thus overtaking Duke in the tally board. Their last match happened last March 4, 2023, with North Carolina beating Duke 62-57.
Kentucky vs. Louisville
The University of Kentucky Wildcats versus the University of Louisville Cardinals is also one of the most unforgettable rivalries in college basketball.
The Kentucky-Louisville rivalry started when Rick Pitino, Kentucky’s head coach from 1989-1997, got hired by Louisville in the same position in 2001. Kentucky is doing better in the NCAA leaderboard between the two public universities, securing the second spot as the winningest team. Meanwhile, Louisville is in the league’s sixth place.
The two first met on February 15, 1913, with Kentucky dominating the match at 34-10. Their latest meeting was last December 21, 2022, with Kentucky again defeating Louisville at 86-63. The total matches of the two elite college men’s basketball teams totaled 55, with Kentucky winning 38 games. Kentucky has eight national championships under its belt, while the Lousiville got three.
Kansas vs. Missouri
The rivalry between the University of Kansas Jayhawks and the University of Missouri Tigers is dubbed the “Border War.” The two elite college basketball teams started playing against each other in 1891. In 2011, Sports Illustrated described the Kansa-Misouri rivalry as the oldest Division I sports feud West of the Mississippi River.
Kansan leads the NCAA leaderboard regarding wins as of the latest 2022-2023 season league run. Meanwhile, Missouri is in the 36th spot on the leaderboard. Of the 270 matches that the two college men’s basketball powerhouses have participated, Kansas leads at 175-95.
Syracuse vs. Georgetown
Syracuse Orange and Georgetown Hoyas started in 1974. The head coach of Syracuse during the rivalry’s peak was Jim Boeheim. At the same time, the Georgetown Hoyas was headlined by John “Big John” Thompson Jr. These two illustrious coaches were former varsity players of their teams.
The latest, most thrilling match involving the two was on March 15, 2013, Gig East Tournament, where Brandon Triche and C.J. Fair led the Syracuse Orange’s victory. In the current leaderboard NCAA ranking, Syracuse Orange is in the 7th spot, while Georgetown Hoyas is in the 44th.
UCL vs. USC
University of California, Los Angeles Bruins is the 5th winningest team in the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball. Meanwhile, the University of South Carolina was in the 46th. The two first met on the basketball court on February 1928, thus signifying a storied rivalry. UCLA dominated the start of the sports feud after winning two of the three-game basketball series.
UCLA became one of the leading college basketball teams in the country when head coach John Wooden came into the picture. On the other side, USC is also considered one of the blue blood in the NCAA during the peak of their rivalry.
For the record, UCLA has collected 31 conference championships, while USC has seven under its belt. Moreover, UCLA has 11 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournaments, while USC has nine as of the 2013-2014 season.
Conclusion
Sports rivalries are expected when it comes to highly-competitive games like basketball. There are other notable NCAA rivalries other than the ones we have mentioned here. But so far, the ones on the list are the most iconic and highly anticipated.
These sports feuds have decorated the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball history, making it the world’s most prominent collegiate sports league.
