The Classics: IU/UK, KU/Mizzou and Memphis/Vols Need to Return ASAP

December 20th, 2014 - 9:54

"Holy shadows of the dead, I am not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and brother people to fight one another. I do not feel happy for this victory of mine. On the contrary, I would be glad, brothers, if I had all of you standing here next to me, since we are united by the same language, the same blood and the same visions." - Alexander the Great

After 105 years steeped in history amid off-the-chart contempt, the rivalry between Kansas and Missouri expired for the foreseeable future when Mizzou departed the Big 12 Conference for the SEC. KU has a commanding edge in nearly every category (winning percentage, victories away from home and close games decided by single digits), but the Tigers have been enough of a tormentor to make the series as energetic and entertaining as you can find anywhere. Their border war stacked right up there with the more nationally-acclaimed "Clash of the Titans" between Duke and North Carolina.

Making about as much sense as Dennis Rodman becoming the de facto U.S. ambassador to North Korea, it was shortsighted of KU and Mizzou to let their rivalry end. They simply join top six conference members DePaul/Illinois, Maryland/Georgetown, Pittsburgh/West Virginia and Cincinnati/Ohio State as potentially great natural non-league match-ups that their fans can't enjoy.

If bruised egos heal in the near future, perhaps sounder minds will prevail with Mizzou annually opposing KU in Kansas City much like it does in St. Louis against Illinois. But Mizzou can't complain if the Jayhawks continue to act like a jilted lover because the self-centered Tigers fail to oppose competent in-state foes such as Missouri State and Saint Louis.

By almost any measure including Alexander the Great's perspective, KU has a superior program to Mizzou. But Jayhawks coach Bill Self should rein in his rhetoric as the divorce dialogue intensified or at least take a crash course in college basketball history. When comparing the significance of the Kentucky/Louisville rivalry to the termination of KU's home-and-home conference conflicts with the Tigers, Self said: "Well, they've always played every year (out of league). That's all they know."

Well, Self needs to "always know" that UK and Louisville went 61 years from 1923 through 1983 without a regular-season matchup before they came to their senses and saw the light. Speaking of light, KU and Mizzou simply have to shed one lightweight apiece to keep a good thing going for the sport in general and for their fans specifically like the entertaining Philly Big 5. KU shouldn't also deny hoop fans a Top 20 matchup with Wichita State.

By toning down picking on patsies, there is plenty of room on their respective non-league schedules to keep playing each other. Ditto for Indiana and Kentucky plus Memphis and Tennessee resuming their rivalries, which would definitely be among the top 10 such confrontations in the country. If the century-old KU/Mizzou spectacle returns, it could immediately surpass Kentucky/Louisville and go atop the following list of the nation's top 20 non-conference rivalries if only because of longevity:

  1. Kentucky/Louisville
  2. Illinois/Missouri
  3. Cincinnati/Xavier
  4. Indiana/Notre Dame
  5. Brigham Young/Utah
  6. Iowa/Iowa State
  7. St. Joseph's/Villanova
  8. Georgia/Georgia Tech
  9. Florida/Florida State
  10. Clemson/South Carolina
  11. Marquette/Wisconsin
  12. New Mexico/New Mexico State
  13. Utah/Utah State
  14. Temple/Villanova
  15. La Salle/Villanova
  16. Florida/Miami (FL)
  17. Iowa/Northern Iowa
  18. Colorado/Colorado State
  19. Drake/Iowa
    T20. Penn/Villanova
    T20. Providence/Rhode Island
    T20. Creighton/Nebraska