Is UConn-Providence a burgeoning rivalry?
There is no current team in the Big East that the UConn men’s basketball team has played more often than Providence.
When they first met, Babe Ruth’s 1927 Yankees were still the reigning World Series champions. Two of the seven original members of the Big East — a league created by former Friars coach Dave Gavitt — they’ve clashed 75 times since and 63 times as conference opponents. UConn owns a significant head-tohead advantage overall (45-30), in Big East play (38-25) and, of course, in national titles (4-0). Still, the Friars have had a few spurts of dominance and have often been a tick in the Huskies’ fur, even besting some of UConn’s championship teams (Ryan Gomes, anyone?).
Separated by merely a 50-mile bus ride down Route 6, and back together as Big East foes after an eight-year respite due to conference alignment, UConn-PC would appear to be a natural, burgeoning rivalry. But is it?
“I would say by geography, Connecticut’s got to be up there,” PC coach Ed Cooley said. “I think Villanova is definitely up there. Those two come to mind right away, for me. You’re looking at two of the bigger brand-name teams in the Big East. I don’t know if those schools or fan bases will see that, but from my eyes as the head coach, as far as proximity and region, those two stand out for me.”
UConn coach Dan Hurley wasn’t quite ready to go there, however. In fact, Hurley’s not sure the Huskies have a true rival at all.
“Not when you’re at UConn,” he stated. “With the history of this place, and the brand and notoriety and respect with the four national championships and all the NBA players, one of the greatest coaches of all time ( Jim Calhoun), and everything that’s gone on with women’s basketball … every game, you feel like it’s the other team’s Super Bowl.”
Asked specifically about Providence, Hurley still wouldn’t budge.
“St. John’s feels like a rival, Seton Hall feels like a rival,” he noted. “I think everyone in your conference feels like a rival. For UConn, it’s different, because of the brand. It doesn’t have anything to do with any of us that are coaching or playing here right now. We weren’t a part of all that success. But every game for us feels like a rivalry game, because we get everyone’s ‘A’ game every night.”
Still, PC has to be getting under Hurley’s skin a little bit lately. Providence beat UConn — which was playing without injured Adama Sanogo — in the Huskies’ first game back in the Big East in front of fans on Dec.