The best college basketball rivalries

Arguably the country's two strongest college basketball fan bases have an intense hate for one another, and their two annual matchups in the ACC are the most anticipated games of the year for the schools. Duke has had its way in the rivalry recently, winning seven of the last 11 games until their most recent matchup on Feb. 20 when the Tar Heels took down the Blue Devils. NC leads the all-time series, 138-111.

These two basketball powers play annually but also met in the NCAA Tournament twice since 2012. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 36-16.

The Border Showdown between Kansas and Missouri has unfortunately halted recently with Mizzou going to the SEC, but it will surely be picked up eventually. The two schools faced each other at least twice per year in the Big 12 and before that in the Big Eight conference.

One of the oldest rivalries in college basketball, these Ivy League schools have played 239 times. Penn leads the series by 13 wins, but the rivalry hasn't had as much mustard recently with both basketball programs struggling to compete at the top of the conference.

Basketball is religion in Indiana, and these two schools have been battling since 1901. The Big Ten rivals have had some memorable games, and although the Boilermakers lead the series overall, the Hoosiers have five national championships to Purdue's zero.

This heated Big Ten rivalry has seen a resurgence recently with both programs experiencing great success. First played in 1909, Michigan leads the series between the intrastate rivals.

The breakup of the Big East ended some of college basketball's best rivalries, Syracuse vs. UConn among them. Fortunately, basketball fans got to see the two rivals square off in the Battle 4 Atlantis a few years back, rehashing memories of some of the great matchups between Jim Boeheim and former UConn coach Jim Calhoun.

Another rivalry halted by the migration of the conferences, Duke and Maryland had a heated basketball rivalry in the ACC. The rivalry is more intense on the part of the Terrapins, but the schools played some terrific games in recent years.

This great rivalry ended when Syracuse left the Big East for the ACC, but it resumed back in 2015, and the two teams met again in December of 2017. Those games were treats for college basketball fans who enjoyed the rivalry when it was at its best.

The Crosstown Shootout is one of the most heated rivalries in college basketball, with the two schools separated by only 3 miles. While Cincinnati has a sizable lead in the all-time series, Xavier has had plenty of recent success.

The bitter football rivalry isn't much different on the court. Both programs have seen recent success, adding fuel to the fire. The Buckeyes have a significant lead in the series.

The biggest rivalry in the Big 5, Temple and 'Nova have histories of being known basketball powers in the Philadelphia area. The Big 5 tradition has taken place since 1955, and it consists of those two schools along with Penn, St. Joseph's and La Salle. Villanova has 26 Philly Big 5 Championships, while Temple is tops with 27.

The Sunflower Showdown has been more competitive in basketball recently, but the two schools dominated their conference in the late 1940s, '50s, '60s and '70s. While the Wildcats have seen some head coach turnover over the recent years, they have challenged the Jayhawks since 2006.

We're unlikely to see the band on the court, but the rivalry between Cal and Stanford in basketball is plenty vicious. The Bears lead the series 149-122.

The two Pac-12 basketball powers rivalry intensified when now-retired Lute Olson came on board at Arizona back in 1984. While the Bruins lead the series 58-43, Arizona has won four of the last seven games.

Both Wisconsin schools have strong basketball histories and quite the local rivalry. Their annual contest took place again in December.

These two SEC rivals have dominated the conference in recent seasons. Florida has won three out of the last five matchups, but the Wildcats easily lead the series all time, 101-40.

The rivalry between Georgetown and Villanova was spurred by 'Nova's win over Georgetown in the 1985 National Championship game. Despite the breakup of the Big East, the two schools remain in the conference and play regularly.

Part of the Bedlam Series, the two state rivals have been quite competitive in recent seasons. The Sooners lead the series 135-95.

The rivalry between Kansas and Texas has developed since the expansion from the Big Eight to the Big 12. While Kansas has absolutely dominated the conference, Texas has the second-best winning percentage since the conference expanded. 

The other college basketball rivalry in the state of North Carolina, the state's two biggest public institutions have seen their share of tough battles. The Carolina-State Game is led by the Tar Heels, 158-78.

With both Iowa schools sporting competitive basketball teams recently, the rivalry has never been better. The Cyclones lead the recent series with wins in four out of the last six games, while Iowa leads the all-time series, 45-27.

Memphis and Tennessee played annually until the in-state rivalry was halted in 2013-14 due to scheduling issues. But the rivalry was renewed in December when the two teams met again, in Memphis, amid excitement from the fans, who missed the matchup for nearly six years.

The Braggin' Rights games between Illinois and Missouri takes place annually in St. Louis and has developed into a must-see game for fans in the area. The Illini lead the all-time series 32-16.

The great basketball emergence of Gonzaga and St. Mary's in recent years has created quite a rivalry between the two WCC opponents. The teams have regularly fought for the conference crown.