The Kentucky-Louisville Rivalry is so Back

There is nothing quite like a college basketball rivalry game. You can feel the angst in the air. Every possession matters. Few teams have brought more intensity to one college basketball game than Kentucky and Louisville.

The rivalry has taken many twists and turns. The Dream Game broke the seal with an overtime thriller. Kentucky hoops fans were treated to outstanding basketball games regularly. The letters from former Wildcats served as a reminder of some of those classics. That juice, that spice, whatever you want to call it, had been missing.

The Louisville fanbase suffered from scandal fatigue following Rick Pitino’s controversial dismissal. They got another dose of it with Chris Mack and the Dino Gaudio audio. Then Kenny Payne took that program to the depths of hell.

Even though Kentucky was winning, it wasn’t as fun anymore. It didn’t feel like the great rivalry we knew and loved. With two new coaches leading each program, it was time for a fresh start. Yesterday college hoops fans in the state of Kentucky were re-introduced to the greatest rivalry in the sport.

It Got Chippy

It’s not a rivalry if you aren’t willing to fight to win it. We saw that over the summer in the TBT. From DeMarcus Cousins‘ elbow to Chris Jones‘ flop and Tyler Ulis‘ bloody eye, those moments give the game a little something extra and that was not in short supply on Saturday.

There was the Louisville player who pulled a Pitino and flipped off UK fans on his way to the locker room. A loose ball near the Louisville bench turned into a pushing and shoving match, with Brandon Garrison surrounded by red jerseys. Mark Pope sprinted down the sideline to ensure it didn’t escalate. It was a moment the amplified the intensity of the atmosphere and Rupp Arena, something we hadn’t felt in this rivalry in a long time.

Kentucky and Louisville Played Good Basketball

Watching Rob Dillingham windmill through the hearts of the Cardinals was cool, but it wasn’t even in a full Yum! Center. What makes this rivalry special is because it’s between two of the best teams in the country. That’s not how I would describe this Louisville basketball team, but they elevated their play in a big way to make this feel like a big game.

Kelsey and Pope each prioritized offense at their previous stops, especially from behind the three-point line. Both teams let it fly and hit big shot after big shot. Even though they were down, Louisville was never out, thanks to 14 made three-pointers. Kentucky kept finding answers, usually from Lamont Butler. Louisville shot 44% from the field while Kentucky netted 58% of their shots. That’s good basketball.

The Time Was Right

Growing up as a Kentucky fan in the city of Louisville, there was no bigger game on the calendar year. You spent your weekdays agruing about the Cats and Cards in the cafeteria. When that special Saturday arrived, Cats and Cards fans all watched under one roof. Friendly barbs were exchanged until one side got to celebrate and received bragging rights for the year.

I can’t accurately describe how much that atmosphere means to me as a sports fan. My wife and I’s courtship started with her wearing Louisville red, losing a bet to this Kentucky fan at one of these big game parties. They felt like a Super Bowl party, but even better because everyone had a stake in the game.

TV networks wrecked this tradition. The game was thrown on a random weeknight are forced in-between the holiday bowl games. It didn’t stand out among the crowd.

Yesterday we got this back. Kentucky and Louisville played on a Saturday evening. It was a standing-room only crowd at the Roush house, where I stood side-by-side with Cats and Cards fans, watching each team go shot-for-shot till the battle was won. It’s a rare feeling you can only experience while watching Kentucky and Louisville play basketball. The rivalry is officially back.