Arizona Basketball: UCLA is our rival in basketball, not ASU

With Arizona Basketball preparing for the 2020-21 season, UCLA is still Arizona’s biggest rival, despite recent surge of Arizona State.

A rivalry is built through a competitive competition between two teams over a long period of time, and in some of the best rivalries, there have been numerous great players and competitors on opposing teams. Great rivalries like the Yankees vs Red Sox, Celtics vs Lakers, Ohio State vs Michigan, UNC vs Duke. But what about Arizona Basketball and UCLA?

Now granted I know it isn’t a rivalry that many would consider to be so intense or noteworthy, especially as virtually every Arizona Wildcat fan has grown up to hate the Sun Devils as you naturally should have.

Arizona Wildcats

However, when it comes to basketball, while the Sun Devils are closest team geographically, history says that these two programs couldn’t be further apart.

When it comes to history, tradition, year-to-year competition, etc. these are two programs that may not be much of rivals at all in basketball, other than pure hatred of each other.

In fact, I would beg to offer a team that having no conference championships, no Elite Eight appearances, no Final Four appearances and no National Championships in basketball does not have much history to offer in order to create a rivalry.

Heck for a school that has had a hard time in getting players into the NBA Draft, typically does not put enough talent on the floor to create intense and close games. See the lopsided record between the two schools.

Finally, when in the past twenty years, the best and only player your program has produced is James Harden (who picked ASU after his High School coach and teammate chose the Devils) does not prove that this is a thriving rivalry.

Now given all that, compare the head-to-head series versus ASU, and it’s really no comparison. UCLA has eleven national titles, a hall of fame coach in John Wooden and recent players in Russel Westbrook, Kevin Love and others that outweigh the impact of Harden alone being in the NBA.

Sorry Sun Devils, your resume is not strong enough to be a rival for the Wildcats. Your resume is weak and way over hyped. UCLA hangs banners to show off their accomplishments while ASU hangs banners to cover up their empty seats.

Need more proof? How about the Wildcats winning six, regular season conference titles since 2000-01.

But of course this should be a reminder to Wildcat fans that UCLA is our rivals when it comes to basketball.

We have seen passion, we have seen some great games and moments, much like this one back from 2004-05!

For the 2020-21 season, I look forward to facing our rivals in what should be yet another historic series! As always, Go Wildcats and Bear Down!