Kansas and North Carolina injected some life into school basketball’s summer season information cycle on July 24 once they introduced a home-and-home collection to be performed Nov. 8, 2024 at KU and Nov. 14, 2025 at UNC. The on-campus showdowns shall be an enormous early-season attraction within the sport and mark one thing unprecedented within the collection.
These two grand manufacturers — tied collectively by Dean Smith and Roy Williams — have beforehand performed only one on-campus sport towards one another. That was in 1960 at Kansas. UNC has by no means hosted the Jayhawks within the collection, which is tied 6-6 after KU bested the Tar Heels 72-69 within the 2022 nationwide title sport to even the collection.
The house-and-home is rightly being labeled as “Battle of the Blue Bloods,” and maybe it will encourage another huge manufacturers across the nation to get daring with scheduling on-campus video games. For this week’s version of the Dribble Handoff, our writers are taking a cue from the Kansas-North Carolina information and exploring which home-and-home collection they’d most prefer to see in school basketball.
I am satisfied even the individuals who run school athletics and are making these selections will sometime look again at convention realignment largely with remorse. The cash’s good, positive. However willingly leaping to greater and higher leagues will at all times lower the probability that you’re going to win as a lot as you have beforehand received. And dropping is not enjoyable for anyone. Which is why I actually do consider that followers of some faculties — not all, however definitely some — will ultimately bemoan their place on this planet of faculty athletics and marvel why their favourite college threw geography within the trash simply to have nicer apply amenities and stuff.
Merely put, these selections include a worth. Rivalries are among the many issues sacrificed. And we’re probably about to lose one other one when UCLA formally leaves the Pac-12 for the Large Ten subsequent yr as a result of that would symbolize the tip of UCLA and Arizona enjoying yearly in males’s basketball.
I hope it does not, although.
Mick Cronin and Tommy Lloyd are operating two of one of the best packages within the sport — proof being that the one Pac-12 faculties in addition to UCLA and Arizona to win a regular-season convention title previously 12 years are Oregon and Washington. The Bruins personal a league-best 32 convention titles. Arizona has the second-most with 17. So it will be a disgrace if these Pac-12 rivals declined to proceed enjoying one another no matter whether or not the Pac-12 truly exists shifting ahead, which is now very a lot doubtful.
So get collectively, Mick and Tommy!
Work it out.
UCLA-Arizona appears like a giant sport nearly at all times as a result of it is a assembly between two packages which have received nationwide championships and have the entire issues in place to sometime do it once more. School basketball advantages when one of the best play one of the best. Beginning subsequent season, that’ll not occur twice a yr with the Wildcats and Bruins. However there must be a method to proceed the collection with the 2 faculties agreeing to satisfy yearly whereas alternating between the McKale Middle and Pauley Pavilion. — Gary Parrish
The 2 hottest (and polarizing) groups in school basketball must be prepared to schedule one another in a home-and-home, and accomplish that as quickly as doable. Sure, the Devils and Cats do face off as soon as each three seasons due to Champions Basic. It is higher than not having them play in any respect, clearly. However have been it not for that made-for-TV occasion, these packages (most definitely) could be within the midst of a 20-plus-year drought of enjoying one another. And for as a lot because the Champions Basic affords, the matchup is at all times on a impartial court docket (in quite a lot of cities) and does lack the playful viciousness that might include a home-and-home. Image Kentucky strolling into Cameron Indoor, or likewise, Duke sauntering into Rupp Enviornment. What an enormous occasion these video games could be for school hoops.Â
The colleges have met 20 occasions of their historical past. The final time it occurred in an on-campus surroundings? Now we have to journey again greater than 50 years in the past, all the best way to Dec. 20, 1969. Kentucky beat Duke 98-76. The final time Kentucky performed at Duke? Greater than a decade additional again: Dec. 8, 1958 (UK received 78-64). Woof. Let’s finish this dry spell.
Thankfully, Jon Scheyer appears greater than prepared to have interaction in home-and-homes within the years to return than Mike Krzyzewski was within the last 20 years of his profession. I feel Duke shall be aligning with some big-time packages, and that shall be nice. Hopefully he can persuade John Calipari to do the identical, and earlier than the tip of this decade we will get Kentucky and Duke to face off in enemy territory. — Matt Norlander
We have been blessed as a nation sufficient through the years to see these two west coast powers go face to face incessantly within the NCAA Match and in standalone non-conference popups. And so they nearly at all times ship the products. The individuals need — no, the individuals demand — {that a} recurring collection between the 2 packages be on the books yearly from right here till the tip of time. It is solely proper.
We may get a head-to-head on the Maui Invitational this upcoming season ought to each run the desk to satisfy within the title sport — which might be pleasant — however we will not go away destiny to resolve when or if these two groups ought to meet.Â
Gonzaga and UCLA performed in a thriller within the final NCAA Match with Gonzaga advancing 79-76, ending a roller-coaster end that noticed two lead modifications in a dramatic last 15 seconds of motion. That was a becoming follow-up to their earlier NCAA Match assembly, which ended with Gonzaga profitable 93-90 in extra time on a buzzer-beater from Jalen Suggs within the Closing 4.. (And oh, by the best way, that 2006 epic between the 2 by which Adam Morrison’s profession got here to a surprising finish? That was one other chapter on this rivalry. Want I say extra?)
Not solely are Gonzaga and UCLA the 2 largest basketball manufacturers on the West Coast and two of essentially the most profitable packages traditionally, however every head-to-head presents us with an elite teaching head-to-head as nicely with defensive-minded Mick Cronin pitted towards offensive-friendly Mark Few. Even the type of the struggle provides some aptitude.Â
With each groups persistently performing as top-20 groups within the sport, extra matchups are positive to develop in huge moments in coming years. However a back-and-forth collection in Westwood and in The Kennel would elevate this rivalry to a brand new stage. It would be a superb ambiance, and will web us a brand new and thrilling rivalry within the sport. — Kyle Boone
If the school soccer coaches are too cowardly to make it occur, then let basketball get pleasure from the fantastic thing about Bedlam. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State shall be Large 12 foes for only one extra season earlier than the Sooners depart for the SEC, thus ending common conferences in a collection that has been contested 240 occasions courting again to 1916.
OU maintains a 134-106 all-time edge, however the Pokes have received seven of the previous eight. In the event that they proceed that dominance over the Sooners within the 2023-24 season, then Oklahoma must be begging to play Oklahoma State as a non-conference opponent within the 2024-25 season. You may’t stroll away from a rivalry that is greater than a century previous having been dominated so completely dominated in latest conferences.
School basketball wants juice early within the season, and this sport would carry some. Play it each November, alternating between campuses. Residence-court benefit has confirmed huge within the rivalry with the Cowboys having fun with a 61.3% profitable share in Stillwater and the Sooners profitable 70.5% of the video games in Norman. Do not let convention realignment kill all semblance of frequent sense. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State should proceed enjoying one another each season. — David Cobb
Texas is on the rise and the jokes concerning the Longhorns’ soccer program being “again” do not apply to this system that Rodney Terry is operating. The Longhorns had their greatest season for the reason that 2007-08 marketing campaign and received 29 video games regardless of main turmoil that included Chris Beard being fired in the beginning of the brand new yr.Â
With Texas departing for the SEC in 2024, a matchup with an in-state rival must be on the books instantly. Texas seems as in the event that they’re studying to take the subsequent step with Terry being the person in cost. As for Baylor, they’ve been some of the aggressive packages within the nation below Scott Drew and received a nationwide championship in 2021.Â
Once you consider Large 12 rivals, Texas-Baylor is not essentially on the prime of the checklist, however it’s nonetheless a really aggressive collection. Baylor owns a 22-20 all-time edge over Texas since 2005 and each packages look to be within the contender tier for seasons to return. One of the best answer could be to play this sport in the beginning of the season. Each groups would probably be ranked close to the highest of the polls and it may set the tone for the season. Convention realignment should not rob school basketball followers of seeing good basketball between two soon-to-be ex-conference foes. — Cameron Salerno