Big East Rivalry is Reborn

It seems like it has been some time since I last wrote here on my blog. Certainly, there is a lot I'll be needing catch up on with all that has been occurring in the sports world these past weeks since I had last wrote something. But before I got right into some of the big stories out there or that have been talked about, I thought I would start it off with something small. This story has to do with one of men's college basketball's greatest rivalries between Georgetown University and Syracuse University that announced it would be coming back for the 2015-16 season after Syracuse decided to leave the Big East Conference in 2013. For those that know, this is a rivalry that stretches back to the early 1980s and even a few years back more. At that time, the Georgetown Hoyas were considered the big and physical "Bad Boys" of the Big East and college basketball with Hall of Fame head coach John Thompson at the helm of a ship that had the biggest and baddest cat in the jungle in Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing who not only could slam the ball down with authority but could always send a player's shot back in their face. On the other side of the rivalry was the Syracuse Orangemen (or Orange), who played fundamentally sound and strong mores than trying to be bigger and more physically stronger with Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim yelling and screaming on the sidelines about every little bump and foul that occurred on the court while players like Dwayne "Pearl" Washington dazzled the world of college basketball with prolific ball handling and finishing ability to the basket and showed his clutch skill when he made an unbelievable half court shot against Boston College to win the game. Yes, the 1980s was the rivalry's "Golden Era" in which the coaches were top notch and the players were legends in the making.

As time has passed, the rivalry continued between the two schools with Georgetown still pumping out top players after Ewing's time such as Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Allen Iverson, Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, Greg Monroe, and Otto Porter with John Thompson's legacy still continuing through his son, John Thompson III. As for Syracuse, they still have coach Jim Boeheim screaming and yelling on the sidelines whiling having a nice list of top players come on their court after Washington's time ended such as Sherman Douglas, Derrick Coleman, Carmelo Anthony, Dion Waiters, and Michael Carter-Williams. But putting players and coaches aside, this rivalry is one of the greatest there is to watch in college basketball. I know there are some that think that Duke and UNC have the greatest rivalry in college basketball and I would agree that it is one of, if not, the best rivalry in the game, but the Hoyas-'Cuse game is a very close second behind them. Why you may ask? Well just look back at some of the highlights from past games played and you'll be able to see the intensity and style of play that comes out when these two teams meet one another on the court. I mean, there is nothing but tough, gritty, all out battle on the court when Georgetown and Syracuse match up. And I am a fan of UNC basketball and love to see my Tarheels take on Duke, but their games are often very back-and-forth on scoring and are never really about trying be stronger than the other team. To me, it is nothing close to the physicality that you can find in a GU-'Cuse rivalry game.

It warms my heart to know that I will be able to see these two teams once again meet on the court to continue a rich history of great college basketball. Although it may not be for the Big East Championship like it was in their last game in 2013 (FYI Syracuse won) anymore or to see who will be the regular season champions as they had many times before, I still firmly believe that it will be a great rivalry filled with physical, dominating play on both sides just as it has been in the past.