Red-hot rivalry ready to burn across the Kentucky bluegrass

Big article from USA Today this morning on college basketball's most intense rivalry.

Up the road in Louisville, some are immune to the Kentucky hype.

"They had the same buzz two years ago," Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich says. "Remember when they were recruiting eighth-graders?"

That was a route taken by Gillispie that became fodder for sports talk shows and bloggers.

Louisville, which won 1980 and 1986 NCAA titles under coach Denny Crum, has enjoyed far more success than its state rival in recent years. It made the Final Four in 2005 and advanced to the Elite Eight the past two seasons.

"We are the No. 1 revenue producer in college basketball," says Pitino, whose program raked in $23,519,846 in 2008 in operating revenue, according to the latest NCAA figures. "Nobody's close. (Kentucky is) going to say, 'We have the most wins in college basketball.' I've painted the argument on both sides."

over 2 years ago Mike Rutherford 3 comments 0 recs |

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Two things about this article

1. I love that Preston calls it “The Battle of the Italians.” Just one more reason in the book why he is my favorite player on this team.

2. Calipari is f’ing crazy if he thinks that UK fans won’t step over the line with their taunts when we come to play in Rupp. All of us are steeling ourselves for what some of the fan bases will be saying, and I’m 100% certain that UK’s will be the most vulgar and farthest over the line. If Calipari somehow convinces that fan base to be classy, he will deserve Coach of the Year.

by Chris Redman is my hero on Nov 5, 2009 1:03 PM EST reply actions